By Lee Ann June, Great Bend Economic Development, Inc.
GREAT BEND, Kan. — This holiday season, Great Bend Alive is thrilled to announce the winners of the Downtown Christmas Window Decorating Contest! The inaugural contest was a resounding success, with 43 windows beautifully decorated to bring festive cheer to Main Street. Among these, 11 individuals and groups outside the downtown corridor joined in the fun, while many others decorated without officially participating, creating a truly magical holiday atmosphere.
The winners are:
- 1st Place: Yours Truly, winning $1,500
- 2nd Place: Rana Luna, winning $1,000
- People’s Choice Award: Saint Francis Ministries, winning $500 (The People’s Choice Award garnered 81 out of 821 total votes, highlighting strong community engagement.)
“Our Christmas Window Decorating Committee couldn’t be happier with the inaugural effort,” shared Sara Arnberger, Executive Director of Great Bend Alive. “This contest has truly lit up downtown Great Bend, fostering holiday spirit and encouraging residents and visitors to shop and celebrate locally.”
With the generous support of an anonymous donor, $3,000 in prize money was awarded to the most festive displays. Community members voted for the People’s Choice Award online, while three Main Street Directors from across Kansas, experienced in downtown revitalization and holiday decor, evaluated the windows for the first and second prizes.
“It’s a pleasure to have such dedicated professionals evaluate the displays,” said Arnberger. “They understand the value of a vibrant downtown during the holidays and the positive impact it has on community spirit and local businesses.”
To help visitors enjoy all the participating displays, the Great Bend Alive Tours app offered an interactive map, ensuring everyone could experience the full lineup of holiday lights and decorations. The tour will remain on the Great Bend Alive Tours App through the holidays, along with the historical and art tours.
Great Bend Alive extends heartfelt thanks to all participants, voters, and the community for making this event such a success. As downtown Great Bend continues to shine with holiday cheer, we invite everyone to enjoy the festive atmosphere and celebrate the season with us. Let’s keep the spirit alive and look forward to an even brighter event next year!
About Great Bend Alive:
Great Bend Alive has been designated as a Kansas Main Street Program by the Kansas Department of Commerce. Great Bend Alive, the downtown development arm of Great Bend Economic Development, has a focus on historic preservation, events/promotion, development/economic vitality, and
design/streetscape. For more information about Great Bend Alive visit: www.gbedinc.com/mainstreet, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
About GBED (Great Bend Economic Development):
Our goal is to sustain Barton County’s long-term economic health and vitality through the retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses and development that enhance property values, increase personal income, and positively contribute to the citizens’ quality of life of Barton County. Great Bend Economic Development leads the charge in creating workforce initiatives to sustain our current employers as well as initiatives that will help to support new employers that move to the community. Employers and jobseekers are encouraged to reach out to GBED with questions and concerns and GBED will either pair you up with a workforce partner to help you accomplish your goals, or work with you one-on-one to create solutions and positive outcomes. Together we will create a strong and sustainable workforce pipeline that will enable us to continue to grow Barton County. For more information about GBED visit: www.gbedinc.com, call 620-796-2407, or email [email protected].
