Winterfest offers holiday activities for the family

John Petrovic/The Olathe News

Ken Puckett, Olathe Parks and Recreation Department, was high above the ground and Reflective Spaces sculpture Tuesday while decorating the mayors Christmas tree in preparation for WinterFest Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Contact John Petrovic at 764-2211, ext. 129 for reprints.

Need something to do Friday night?

Take the family to Olathe City Hall and R.R. Osborne Plaza, 100 E. Santa Fe Street, for WinterFest.

The annual event, which features the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Several other activities will be available for families. New this year, Santa, who will arrive about 6:15 p.m. in an Olathe fire truck, will be available for photos with children at a nominal charge in a house built by the city’s parks and recreation construction crew and decorated by students from Olathe North.

In addition to Santa, the event features choral groups from Olathe high schools; Manchester Park, Clearwater Creek, Northview and Prairie Center elementary schools; and other area organizations.

Ice sculptures carved by Olathe North culinary students also will be on display. A stagecoach from the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm historic site will be on display for photo opportunities.

Cocoa, cookies and other snacks will be available for free. And dinner, for a nominal charge, will be available for those who bring a larger appetite.

“It’s just a nice event to kick off the holiday season,” said Ruth Nelson, WinterFest co-chair.

The tree lighting will occur between 6:10 and 6:30 p.m. depending on when the weather airs on NBC Action News, which will televise ceremony, Nelson said.

She said between 600 and 800 people attended the event last year. And they expect an even bigger turnout this year.

Donations also will be accepted for the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which set a $50,000 goal, which would shatter last year’s record of $25,000.

The fund, which accepts donations until Dec. 31, will be split among eight local charities including: Catholic Charities, Children’s Shoe Fund, Court Appointed Special Advocat, KVC Behavioral HealthCare, Salvation Army, TLC for Children and Families, Inc., SAFEHOME and Olathe Special Olympics.

Karen Hooven, assistant to Mayor Mike Copeland, said as of the most recent tally, Nov. 26, the fund was at 46 percent of its goal with more than $23,000 collected so far.

“It goes up a little each week,” she said.

Hooven said the fund board was “cautiously optimistic” the goal would be reached, given the fact it was nearly halfway to its goal before Thanksgiving and WinterFest.

Nelson said representatives from each of the funds’ charities will be introduced at WinterFest. She said this year’s goal to raise $50,000 really connects with the charities’ needs.

“We’re certainly hopeful we’ll reach that goal,” she said. “We feel like, even when the economy is down, people have stepped up.”

To donate online, visit the fund page at the city’s Web site, www.olatheks.org/news/mayorschristmastree. For more information, call Nelson at 780-8181 or Hooven at 971-8941.