By Kate Irelan
Traditions through the holidays are important ways to connect with communities and families and several traditional Hutchinson activities are now combined into the weekend festival, “Light Up Hutch,” December 6 and 7. Families can now plan to do all their community traditions in one weekend, including the Christmas parade, gingerbread house decorating, and shopping downtown, along with a few newer activities, including a Hutchinson Zoo fundraiser event and activities for families in DCI park.
Sarah Diamond, Downtown Hutch Manager with the Chamber of Commerce, detailed the weekend in a press release. On Friday, the Hutchinson Zoo will have a Holiday Happy Hour fundraising event from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets must be purchased for this event, and participants must be 21 years old and older. Tickets are $40 per person ($30 for Zoo members) and include holiday festivities, music, food and beverages, as well as animal experiences. Proceeds support the Hutchinson Friends of the Zoo. To purchase a ticket, visit the Hutchinson Zoo’s website.
On Saturday, Hutch Rec kicks off the festivities with the annual free gingerbread house decorating at Memorial Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Santa will be there and Hutch Rec will provide interactive games and more. Families can also enjoy carriage rides outside Memorial Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Later in the afternoon, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., there will be a “Spread the Light Holiday Park” in DCI Park at 2nd and Main Streets. Nonprofits and businesses will provide festive activities, and visitors will be able to connect with local charities and make donations.
The culminating event will be the Ad Astra Radio’s Light Up Hutch Christmas Parade beginning at 6:00 p.m. starting at Avenue B and moving north up Main Street to 7th Street. This is the 2nd year the parade has been held in the evening. Ad Astra is still accepting parade registrations online through this link: https://www.adastraradio.com/lightuphutch Entries in various categories will be judged by a local celebrity panel.
Diamond says, “Look for hot chocolate and coffee stops along Main Street, and pop into our great downtown restaurants for a delicious meal or treat before or after the parade.” Several Downtown stores will remain open until 8:00 p.m.
For more information about the Light Up Hutch parade and festival, visit the Visit Hutch website.
