By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A round of frozen precipitation earlier this week served as a cold reminder: Christmas really is just around the corner. The city of Ellinwood will start the season early with its annual Christkindl Market on Dec. 4. Ellinwood Chamber Board Member Jennifer Klepper said there will be various festive activities beginning at 1 p.m. that Sunday.
"It's a downtown event where people can come and shop," she said. "We're going to have some live music, we're going to have an open fire pit, carriage rides, and several vendors that will have booths set up throughout the downtown. All the local businesses will be open. We'll also be having some food vendors, along with the American Legion will be hosting a German beer garden."
Christkindl celebrations focus on German heritage, and that's why St. Nicholas usually makes a stop in Ellinwood before Santa Claus. New this year is the German beer garden at American Legion Post 117, and a parade of lights is also in the works for this year.
Ellinwood's downtown businesses and vendors will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 4 for the event. Raffle prizes, including several bundles of meat from Ellinwood Packing Plant, will be handed out at 5:30, and the parade of lights is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Raffle tickets may be purchased at any downtown Ellinwood business.