The Ellinwood After Harvest Festival once again proved to be a wonderful celebration of community, bringing together residents, visitors, volunteers, and local businesses for a memorable weekend. The Family Fun Bingo and Ellinwood High School Tours were sponsored by the Ellinwood School/Community Library, and we are grateful for everyone who helped make these community events such a success.
Friday evening’s Family Fun Bingo continues to grow in popularity each year. Due to the ongoing HVAC renovations at Ellinwood High School, this year’s event was relocated to the Ellinwood Grade School Gymnasium, which provided the perfect space to accommodate the growing crowd. Attendance increased from 185 participants in 2025 to 206 this year, making it our largest Bingo event yet.
Guests enjoyed an evening filled with laughter, friendly competition, and outstanding prizes. The success of the event would not have been possible without the generosity of our local businesses and community patrons who donated an incredible assortment of Bingo prizes. A special thank you goes to the Ellinwood Chamber for organizing the donated items and helping make the event such a success.
A crowd favorite once again was Bingo callers Wayne and Terri De-Werff, who kept the games moving while entertaining participants with plenty of jokes and laughter between rounds. Their enthusiasm added to the fun atmosphere that everyone has come to enjoy each year.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to the USD 355 staff and the many dedicated volunteers who assisted with setting up and taking down tables and chairs before and after the event. Their hard work behind the scenes helped everything run smoothly.
Most importantly, thank you to our incredible community. Your continued support and participation are what make Family Fun Bingo one of the highlights of the After Harvest Festival each year.
The celebration continued on Saturday with another year of Ellinwood High School Tours led by former USD 355 teacher Larry Drees. Although the ongoing HVAC renovations limited access to some areas of the building, visitors still enjoyed the opportunity to walk the halls, share memories, and reconnect with their alma mater.
Tours were offered at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., with a combined attendance of 85 people. Among those taking part was the Class of 1976, whose members enjoyed reminiscing about their school days while touring the building with Mr. Drees.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Larry Drees for once again sharing his knowledge, stories, and passion for Ellinwood High School’s history. We also thank everyone who participated and helped make this year’s tours another memorable tradition.
Events like these remind us what makes Ellinwood special – a community that values its history, supports one another, and enjoys making new memories together. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s After Harvest Festival another outstanding success.
Heather Dombroski is the Programming Manager for the Ellinwood School and Community Libraries. She can be reached by email at hdombroski@usd355.org.
