A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a business owner in Ellinwood. It read in part:
“I recently asked some locals about how the Christkindlmarket came about. I got two different stories. One said it was you and another said it was the historical society. Can you tell me which is true?”
It would be my honor.
In 2013, overwhelmed with a sense of hiraeth and nostalgia, I returned home to serve as Chamber Administrator. Dusting off old traditions was a hallmark of my time in the role. I came back to Ellinwood with fond memories of the After Harvest Festival, Fest in Dem Park, and the Main Street Christmas Open House.
During my travels, I was inspired by the life-sized Nativity scene in Pittsburgh, Penn. I was similarly impressed with the Chicago Christkindlmarket and the holiday traditions in Frankenmuth, Mich. The iconic Christmas tree at NYC’s Rockefeller Center was a site I will never forget.
I had a vision to combine the long-cancelled Fest in Dem Park with the fast-fading Main Street Christmas Open House. My idea was to create an event in the winter that would be as enjoyable, albeit on a smaller scale, as the summer’s After Harvest Festival.
My goal was lofty. I wanted to combine all the holiday magic I’d experienced in my travels into a one-day celebration. It would be called The Christkindlmarket.
Whether it was the Wheat Bowl, Biking Across Kansas, the June Jaunt, or any other memorable event, residents of Ellinwood set the gold standard when it came to community collaboration. Everyone played a vital role in ensuring success.
The Christkindlmarket would prove no exception.
A few weeks before Halloween, I called a town hall that was well attended by a diverse gathering of Ellinwood enthusiasts. The Christkindlmarket concept was pitched, well received, and work began the next day as we prepared to bring holiday magic to our little home on the range.
As the event drew near, the Garden Club began decorating the downtown planters with festive holiday flowers, evergreens, and ornaments. The historical society played an invaluable role, recruiting an Ellinwood legend to portray a Christmas legend: the traditional German St. Nicholas. Likewise, its members were kept busy, baking up pound upon delectable pound of holiday treats, and organizing some truly festive activities for all ages. Business owners put in long hours decorating their windows – an idea that carried over from when I created the Old Town Holiday Walkabout in Wichita back in the early 2000’s.
A week or so before the celebration, the Chamber’s Vice President and I woke up before the chickens to make our way to Wichita, where we appeared on KWCH’s morning show to promote the upcoming festivities.
On the Friday leading up to that first Christkindlmarket, the Chamber’s President and I visited Delp Christmas Tree Farm in St. John to select a giant tree that would adorn Wolf Park’s bandshell, whereby becoming our version of Rockefeller Center.
On the day of that inaugural Christkindlmarket, there were light snow flurries in the air and Ellinwood was abuzz with holiday cheer.
Every downtown business, city hall, and even the library -- had something special happening. Outside, the streets were lined with vendors selling all sorts of wares as Santa Claus and other classic Christmas characters greeted visitors. The sound of horse hooves clicked and clacked as they drew carriages down the city’s brick streets.
As the sun began to set, everyone made their way to Wolf Park for the much-anticipated Christmas tree lighting.
After the illumination ceremony, members of the EHS choir led everyone down Main Street with a selection of carols, making our way to the American Legion, where a tent was waiting to welcome the chilly festgoers. Once all had assembled under the heated shelter, a living Nativity, complete with a temperamental llama, offered all of us the opportunity to reflect on the true reason for the season. The evening culminated with a traditional German beer garden and live music.
It was a beautiful celebration that wouldn’t have been possible were it not for the dedication of a community that came together and made a holiday dream a reality. What’s perhaps more beautiful is that 13 years later the Christkindlmarket continues, thanks to a dedicated group of remarkable people. I couldn’t be prouder.
This year it will be held on Dec. 6th and though many miles separate me from the festivities, I will be there in Christmas spirit. I hope you will, too.
J. Basil Dannebohm is a writer, speaker, consultant, and former legislator. His website iswww.dannebohm.com.
