WaKeeney

75th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
Christmas City on the High Plains

This year is a special one! WaKeeney, also known as the Christmas City of the High Plains, a title that the city has truly earned now that it's heading into its 75th straight year!

The tree lighting is the signature event held each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but the truth is that WaKeeney is always full of year-round Christmas Spirit. For the entire month leading up to Christmas, WaKeeney truly shines bright and stands out as one of the most charming small towns you can visit! Even if you can't make it to the tree lighting, you'll still want to visit WaKeeney this winter for all the fun things to do in the area. You can find more about what WaKeeney offers by clicking here.

Hays

Christmas at Creek Side

Get ready to take the whole family to Hays for this wonderland of lights! Christmas at Creek Side runs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from November 21st - December 27th, 2025. Visitors can enjoy over 250,000 lights, a firepit warming station, drinks, snacks, and so much more!
 

Frostfest Illuminated Parade

We hope you came prepared for some milestone celebrations, because Hays is also getting ready to celebrate 25 years of the Frostfest Illuminated Parade, which is part of their greater series of events known as Christmas Magic on Main Street. The Frostfest Parade will be on December 7th, 2025, but there will be ongoing events all throughout November and December in Hays. If you want to find the full list of Holiday Events happening in Hays, click here.

Wichita

Wild Lights 2025

Hosted at the Sedgwick County Zoo, this is one of the most immersive light displays you can experience. This year, Wild Lights will feature an exciting display of familiar and mythical plants, animals, and other creatures. The light display runs through December 21st, so be sure to buy your tickets before Christmas!

Illuminations at Botanica

The other "must-see" display of lights is located at Botanica, Wichita's beautiful local Garden and Arboretum. Illuminations at Botanica is a truly beautiful display of over 2 million lights, and is something many people attend to each and every year. The season runs through New Year's Day and ends on January 3rd, 2026, so don't hesitate to get your tickets now!

Winfield

Isle of Lights

Roughly 1 hour southeast of Wichita is the city of Winfield, a town that might not be as large as Wichita, but carries more than its own weight when it comes to putting on a light show for the holidays! Winfield goes all in with Isle of Lights at Lemon Park, and has been since 1993. The best part? This event is entirely free to attend, so get out and enjoy the lights!

Lenexa

Sar-Ko-Aglow

Sar-Ko-Aglow is the signature holiday light show for Lenexa. Hosted in the community's beloved Sar-Ko-Par, this event is also completely free to attend. Perhaps the best part about Sar-Ka-Aglow is that it runs all the way into the 3rd week of January, so there's plenty of time to get out and stroll through this epic display of lights!

Overland Park

Luminary Walk

The Luminary Walk in Overland Park is more than just a stroll through a display of lights; it's an all-inclusive event that has everyone's needs in mind. This event actually lets you choose between 4 different events: A traditional luminary walk, an Adults Only (18+) Candlelight Stroll, an Electric Glow walk for those with sensory needs, and a Glow Cart Tour (unfortunately, the Glow Cart Tour has already sold out).

Dodge City

Parade of Lights and Chili Cookoff

Head on over to Dodge City on December 1st to experience the annual Parade of Lights and Chili Cookoff. This event is jam-packed, and it kicks off the start of the Christmas season with loads of festivities. The night starts off with Chili Judging (and public sampling, of course) and hot chocolate, and then moves on to the snowball drop, the mayor's tree ceremony, and concludes with the Parade of Lights at 6 PM!
 

Garden City

Holiday Lights, Downtown Sights: A Girlfriend's Weekend

Get ready to visit Garden City for a fun Girlfriend's Weekend between December 5-7, 2025. This event will be immediately after the Tree Lighting Ceremony on the 5th. It's also perfect for those planning on a weekend getaway, or simply just looking to knock a few items off their shopping list. 

Beloit

Chautaqua Isle of Lights

Welcome to the Chautaqua Isle of Lights in Beloit. This community-driven light display is located at the Chautauqua Park and Water Park on the South edge of town, and contains over 260+ light displays. Not only are new displays added each year, but this is also completely free to attend. 
 

Salina

Rolling Hills Zoo
Holiday Lights in the Museum

For those who aren't aware, Rolling Hills Zoo is one of Salina's premier attractions and is also home to an indoor museum.  As Kansas's only all-indoor holiday light display, the museum will be open on Fridays and Saturdays between November 28 and December 20, 2025, giving you 8 nights to stroll through this epic display of lights. The event is free, but donations will be appreciated. The event runs from 4:30 - 8 PM and will also come with cocoa, cookies, chili & a full bar!

Chanute

Christmas in the Park

Head on over to Katy Park in Chanute for a month-long celebration of lights that runs through Thanksgiving up til New Year's Eve. This dedication of lights is a true masterpiece of community engagement, as this entire light display is put together by volunteers of all ages throughout the city of Chanute. 

Independece

Christmas in the Park

Independence will host their own version of 'Christmas in the Park' at their beloved Ralph Mitchell Zoo this December 13th. This event is all for a good cause, as the only admission price is canned food that you offer as a donation, really! This event will be weather permitting, so if it ends up being too cold or snowy outside, the plan is to move everything to the nearby Stich Sheleter House.