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Volunteers needed for Christmas events
Holiday Parade entries also sought
Trail of lights
This Christmas light feature at Brit Spaugh Park was on of many on the Great Bend Trail of Lights. - PHOTO COURTESY KAYLEEN WEBER
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The entrance to Brit Spaugh Park is the first stop on Great Bend’s Trail of Lights.

Sure, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. But, just as Christmas decor is popping up on store shelves, Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes is seeking volunteers for this year’s Holiday Trail of Lights and Home for the Holidays Festival and Parade.

The city’s annual kickoff of all things Yuletide is set for downtown on Saturday, Nov. 25. But, an army of helpers is needed to make this happen.

“The Home for the Holidays Festival and Parade is just around the corner,” Hayes said. “It’s Great Bend’s way of inviting Santa to town and kicking off our Christmas season.”

Here is what Hayes needs:

• First, greeters for the Trail of Lights. These folks work from 6-8 p.m. each night from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31 collecting donations, giving out goodie bags and recording the car tag data at the south end of Brit Spaugh Park where the booth is located. 

Also, “if you want to donate for the bags to insert something for your business, notify me no later than Friday (Nov. 3) for deadlines and info,” she said. 

• Second is the skate shack which is open 4-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 1-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Jack Kilby Square through Dec. 22. These volunteers check in and check out ice skates for the free ice skating.

• Lastly is the parade. “If they want to be part of the holiday parade, there is the parade form online at our city website under the Events tab (under Living in or Visiting tabs, scroll down to the holiday info), or you can contact me,” she said.

“We try to get lineups done by the middle of November and would love to have anyone and everyone to be part of it,” she said. “The only rule is no Santas because this is when Santa comes to Great bend.”

Hayes announced last week that local musician and longtime educator Joe Boley will serve as the grand marshal for the Great Bend Home for the Holidays parade, and the theme for the annual event will be “The Music of Christmas.”

For additional information regarding the Home for the Holidays Festival and Parade, call 620-793-4111 or send email to chayes@greatbendks.net.