THANK YOU to everyone who came out to celebrate this year’s Annual Holiday Lighting in Martin City! The event officially began when Santa Claus emerged from the Bailey Brothers Bank Building, while children (and many grown-ups!) lined up to meet and have their pictures taken with him. We appreciate The Photo Bus for joining us to capture all the wonderful moments!
This year, we partnered with Giving the Basics, a local non-profit who distributes personal care and hygiene products to people and families across Kansas City who need them most. We were BLOWN AWAY by the support as we filled an entire barrel with toothpaste, deodorant, paper towels, shampoo, and more!
For every item donated, people received one ticket, which entered them into a raffle for gifts from Martin City businesses. THANK YOU to Fezziwigs, Gilded Lily, Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse, Hangers Cleaners, Mac-N-Seitz, Martin City Brewing Company, Martin City Telegraph, MC Crossfit, Rooms that Bloom, Rosehill Gardens, Smithfield Foods, South KC Dental Center, and Tropical Sno for the awesome gifts they donated!
We also appreciate DJ Bobby Eddy for the awesome holiday music and for helping us out with the big gift giveaway.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the holiday season without shopping, so Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse hosted a Holiday Mart in their event space with local vendors selling jewelry, makeup, health products, and more.
Several stores and boutiques were open late so shoppers could get a head start on holiday shopping. Debra Lucke-Beacher, the owner of Gilded Lily, hosted an open house with refreshments and special deals on holiday merchandise.
The Coffee Cake KC food truck served refreshments such as coffee, hot chocolate, cupcakes, and cookies throughout the evening!
KC Running Co. hosted their annual ugly sweater contest and group run through the streets of Martin City just before the lights went on. Afterwards, the runners headed over to Martin City Brewing Company to celebrate their finish and enjoy the holiday lights.
The night ended with Santa leading a countdown to 7:00 PM, when the lights were officially turned on, marking the start of Martin City’s holiday season.
We appreciate everyone who made our 2017 Holiday Lighting a success, and a special THANK YOU to the Martin City Business and Community Association (MCBCA) and the KCMO Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund (NTDF) for their work in organizing and supporting this event! View more photos and videos of the holiday lighting on our Facebook page.
