Sometimes you want something busy and flashy for your holiday light viewing, and other times you want something small-town to give you more of a personal experience. Nothing to rush you through or make you feel crowded, this small town hiding out in Kansas is the perfect destination for a winter road trip. Christmastown in Kansas is just one drive away.

The small piece of town you see here is WaKeeney, Kansas. This little nook of town is decorated for Christmas all the time, with festive murals painted right onto the brick.

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Of course, the Christmas City of the High Plains has plenty of reason to keep these decorations around all year.

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However, after Thanksgiving every year, the town undergoes a complete transformation. with 1400 pounds of fresh-cut greenery to create the tree.

WaKeeney, KS Travel & Tourism

Then, holiday lights are strung over it and across about four blocks of the town.

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Over 6,000 lights are put to work here in the Christmas City, and they light up the Saturday after Thanksgiving, covering the 35-foot tree and the sky above the streets. Over 50 years of this tradition has led to such a beautiful sight to behold during the holiday season.

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It’s considered the largest Christmas display between Kansas City and Denver, and we wholeheartedly agree.

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You’ll find the magical town of WaKeeney straight west of Hays along I-70.

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WaKeeney, KS Travel & Tourism

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If you don’t mind a little bit of a crowd and you want to see just what Kansas has to offer during the holiday season, you’ll like events like this garden of lights and this drive-thru light show.

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