By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
December is filled with holiday fun in Hays, much of it COVID-style.
Janet Kuhn, Convention and Visitors Bureau convention sales manager, has some of the highlights.
For updates and changes, check the CVB events calendar.
COMMUNITY UPDATE - DECEMBER
Join in the Plymouth Schoolhouse Virtual Christmas Open House Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at fhsu.edu/smei.
FHSU will host a Drive Thru Tree Lighting Ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. The route begins at the FHSU entrance on the bypass. Enjoy festive music on 94.3 FM and 1500 AM while viewing twinkling lights and decorations. The first 125 people will get an FHSU holiday sweater, holiday craft, cookies, and hot chocolate. Don’t forget your letter for Santa!
The Downtown Ice Rink is now open at the Downtown Pavilion at 10th and Main. Enjoy holiday music and hot cocoa while you try skating on this all-weather synthetic surface. A $7 ticket purchase includes skate rental.
Santa Claus will be available for safe visits and photos on weekends at Big Creek Crossing Mall. Find Santa’s schedule on the Big Creek Crossing Facebook page.
Are your holiday lights a sight to behold? The REMAX PRO Tour of Lights Contest is your chance to show off your outdoor decorating skills. Register by Dec. 2. Voting takes place Dec. 7 – Dec. 20, with a winner declared Dec. 22.
GrowHays & Network Kansas present the Ellis County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Friday, Dec. 4, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at BriefSpace. This business pitch challenge for Ellis County high school students offers a first prize of $700. Presentations are open to the public.
The Downtown Tree Lighting will be Friday, Dec. 4. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at 5:30 p.m., tree lighting will be at 6 p.m. Free hot cocoa while supplies last. Masks are required.
The Downtown Hays Winter Market will be held Saturday, Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. – Noon in the newly remodeled Strand Event Center at 1102 Main Street.
The Hays Arts Council Open House & 37th Annual 5 State Photography Exhibition Opening will take place Saturday, Dec 5. Guests are invited to come and go from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hays Arts Center.
The Battle of the Badges Blood Drive is a rivalry between the Hays Police Department, Ellis County EMS, and Hays Fire & Rescue to see who can register the most units of blood. Donate at Big Creek Crossing Mall on Dec. 30 or 31 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For details on these events and more, see the Community Events calendar at VisitHays.com.