🌾 Greetings from Wichita

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Wichita!

December is here! How did everyone’s Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shopping go?

If you feel like shopping local on Cyber Monday, check out our shop and use code CYBER for 15% off!

Let’s get to it!

- Landon

p.s. Congrats to our Wichita Life Insider Rusty on winning the Coffee Daze gift card! If you are interested in supporting Wichita Life and entering to win the December gift card, click here to learn more.

News

Greetings from Wichita

Back in the 2010, the Jonas Brothers almost came to Wichita before the show was cancelled.

Over 15 years later, the Jo Bros are finally making their grand appearance at INTRUST Bank Arena with their ‘Greetings From Your Hometown’ tour and one Wichitan wanted to make the most of it.

Sophie Beren might be the biggest Jonas Brothers fan in Wichita (or maybe the world) and she pulled together an awesome campaign leading up to the concert called Greetings from OUR Hometown.

She pulled together ~30 businesses around town to participate in ways from Cocoa Dolce creating a special Jonas Brothers chocolate collection to Parlor Doughnuts creating The Donut Brothers and so much more. The campaign officially runs today (12/1) through Friday (12/5).

You can even get Greetings from Wichita merch at Clifton Collective.

This campaign centers around the concert, but is so much bigger than that as a percentage of every sale at the partner locations will go towards The Kansas Food Bank to battle hunger in our hometown.

So I’m here to tell you to do two things:

1. Check out GreetingsFromWichita.com, check out local shops, buy some merch

2. Give Sophie some BIG props because it is extremely impressive what she was able to pull off.

Together with The City of Wichita

It is hard to stay on top of all the news in Wichita.

I hope we are part of the solution for that.

But the City of Wichita puts out a ton of info that is hard even for us to cover, so why not get it straight from the source?

Sign up for the City Hall Highlights newsletter today.

LOCAL BUSINESS

Opening

• Zoo Market Square (Sedgwick County Zoo Popup) - New Market Square - Now Open for a limited time

• Toys’R’Us - Towne East - Now Open

• Blazin Halal - 602 N West St - Grand Opening 12/1

• Bella Bonita Designs - 104 N St. Francis Ave - Grand Opening 12/6 @ 10am

• Emler Swim School - Bradley Fair - Opening this month

Closing

• Margarita’s Cantina - Last day of business is 12/31 with a big Farewell Party

Anniversary

• Tillie’s Flower Shop - Celebrating 150 years as Wichita’s oldest family-owned business!

Meatloaf Madness

First Mile Kitchen is trying to give away 2000 meatloafs this year (topping their distribution of 1000 last year).

For every meatloaf sold, they will give away one to someone in need.

NONPROFIT

Giving Tuesday

After a day of Thanksgiving and commercial shopping (and hopefully some local shopping), Giving Tuesday (tomorrow) is an opportunity to give back to local organizations.

Here is a list of a few nonprofits and dives into their leadership here in Wichita.

If you need a few ideas:

• Ronald McDonald House

• Wichitas Littlest Heroes

• A list from last year

Together with CBD Plus

Whether it’s thunderstorms, fireworks from the neighbors after a Chiefs win (just my neighborhood?), or just the daily battle with the mailman—your dog deserves to stay calm and comfortable.

The best natural way to keep your pup cool, calm, and collected can be found at CBD Plus or online at TallTreesSociety.com.

👉 Use code Wichita20 at checkout for an exclusive online discount!

CIVIL

1 Cent Sales Tax

Would you be for or against a new 7-year, 1 cent sales tax?

The Wichita Forward coalition has put forth this new proposal that would raise $850 million for city improvements going towards public safety, convention space, and homelessness programs.

Many business leaders around town are on board including Ben Hutton, Jon Rolph, and Aaron Bastian.

LOCAL

Surfing in Wichita?

It wasn’t long ago, people in Wichita wouldn’t be happy until we had a TopGolf and a Cheesecake Factory.

Now that we have one of those and the other is on its way, people are getting more and more creative on how to move Wichita away from the “top 5 most boring” list.

There is now a $192 million sports and entertainment hub potentially coming to the northeast part of Wichita as part of the latest STAR Bond at K-96 and Greenwich.

This third phase would be mix-ed use containing synthetic ice skating, interatvie baseball, mini-golf, go-kart racing, NCAA grade tennis, and surfing.

This will head to the City Council next week.

Thoughts?

Somewhere in Winter

Your new winter tradition is here.

Head downtown to the parking lot near Wave and Cocoa Dolce on St. Francis for ice skating, smore making, igloos and more. Somewhere in Winter is now open!

Music Theatre Wichita

Just when you think you have to wait until 2026 to see Music Theatre Wichita, think again…

The Holiday Extravaganza is this weekend from December 5 - 7 at Century II!

Harvester Arts Salon Spectacular

Harvester Arts is hosting its first-ever Salon Spectacular, a one-night fundraiser and artist exhibition featuring work from more than 50 Artist INC alumni and over 320 pieces on view. The event includes a silent auction, a live auction led by John Boldenow, and creative experience packages ranging from sculpture walks to NYC art tours. Proceeds support Harvester’s mission to build creative capacity in Wichita.

City of Wichita: Men’s 5v5 Basketball League

A new Men’s Adult 5v5 League is coming to Brewer Community Center this winter! Form a team or join as a free agent.

Season: Jan 17–Mar 21, 2026 Games: Saturdays at 11, 12, 1 & 2

Cost: $400/team Registration: Nov 24–Jan 8

Spots fill fast — register here.

Dinner Club

If you want to make some new friends in town, we couldn’t recommend a better place than the Wichita Life Dinner Club. Our next one is next week!

Holiday Displays

Drive around downtown and soak in the second annual Downtown Wichita Window Wonderland and vote now through January 1st for your favorite!

ICT EXTRA

Mr. Mixer

Congrats to our friend Mr. Mixer on writing his own Holiday Adventure book for kids!

Kapaun Champs

Congrats to the Kapaun Crusaders on taking down Bishop Miege for the State Football Championship!

Residential Lights

Let us know where you’re favorite residential light show is, but we would love to point you to 1620 Oxford Ct, Andover, KS 67002. The Show runs from 5-10 week days, 5-11 on weekends.

The show is roughly 15 minutes and feature several songs synchronized to the music. Check out last years: Custom 15,000 Light Musical Show 2024

We are in the process of switching our event calendar to a much better and prettier version. Click here to check it out and you’ll find many of the events below on there.

Check out local holiday pop-ups!

Monday 12/1

• Illuminations | Botanica | Now Open - 1/3

• Destress Fest: DIY Snow Globes | WSU RSC | 5pm

• Christmas Tree Gala and Bake Sale | Hubbard Arts Center (Derby) | 12/1 - 12/6

• Jingle Jam | Riverside Family Music | 12/1 - 12/21

Tuesday 12/2

• Shocker Financial Wellness “Coffee Chats” Workshop | WSU | 2:30pm

• Mistletoe Pop-Up Lounge | Marriott | throughout December

• Comedy Show | The Artichoke | 8pm

Wednesday 12/3

• Wild Lights | SCZ | Now Open!

• Holidaze of Our Lives | 11/14 - 12/21

Thursday 12/4

• Wichita Community Theatre Presents Almost, Maine | 258 N Fountain | 12/4 - 12/14

• Christmas with the Rat Pack | Century II | 7:30pm

LIVE MUSIC

Don't see your concert or show here?

​Be sure to submit it on our website so we don't miss it!

SPORTS