​Do drop by The Stuga from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 22, for Ad Hops, a no-agenda gathering for anyone who is able to hang a bit with friends and associates.  
     It’s Small Business Saturday in Lindsborg on Nov. 25, and we’re hoping a mellow crowd of families and friends will enjoy dwelling awhile among makers and independent businesses. Complimentary horse-drawn wagon rides from 1 to 3 p.m. where children can enter to win large Christmas stockings, one for a boy and another for a girl. Lots of in-store drawings and treats with plenty of good dining, Swedish specialty foods to take home, and warm beverages. Stroll on, everybody.
     Then on Saturday, Dec. 2, Lindsborg will be aglow with Artists Studio Open House all day and the ever-quirky and lovely little Snowflake Parade at 11 a.m.  Now, we’ve received good feedback about throwing open our invitation to anyone who wants to march in our parade.  (Never was there a more enthusiastic and tickled group of paraders than Leadership Kansas visitors who pedaled the parade route in Hemslojd quadricycles last year. They said it was a good memory and a bucket list item.) So c’mon and play along. 
     At 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, please plan to relax into Bethany College’s Jultide concert titled "From Heaven Above." Bethany’s students and music and theater department faculty and staff combine with the Lindsborg musicians and a Smoky Valley sixth grade choir to present a potent and beautiful message — and cause to reflect.
     On Friday, Dec. 8, Lindsborg and Bethany College will    celebrate the installation of William Jones as the 14th president of Bethany College.  Everyone is invited to installation service at 10:30 a.m. at Presser Hall Auditorium, followed by a banquet lunch at Pihlblad Memorial Union with a cost of $8.15 per person.  At 7:30 p.m.  everyone may join in a “hootenanny” celebration at the J.O. Sundstrom Center downtown.
     Speaking of installation week festivities at Bethany College, the Ad Hoc Roundtable will temporarily move its gathering to the Pihlblad Student Union on Monday, Dec. 4. See you there!
     Did you know that a group of merrymakers is thinking about launching Lindsborg Vikingfest in January or February 2018?  As we all know, big things in Lindsborg often start small and roll with creative ideas.  Get in on the ground floor by contacting Rick or Julie Bodenhamer at Rendezvous Adventure Outfitters or Deb Briggs at Trollslanda Toy Store.

​Well now!
     Lindsborg has been awarded a 2017 Kansas Tourism Partnership Award.
     Holly Lofton, director of Lindsborg's Convention and Visitors Bureau, accepted the award on behalf of our community during a statewide meeting last week.  The other recipient of this award was Kansas City, KS.
      Last Monday night Holly presented the award to the Lindsborg City Council and a chamber-full of Lindsborg supporters who were able to be there.
     Let us now make the award presentation to each of you. 
     For every kindness and welcome you have offered on behalf of Lindsborg, thanks. For taking small but meaningful steps together, thanks. For joining in for the long haul, thanks again.
     A great many people -- those who live here and friends at a distance --  make it possible for Lindsborg to stand out. Here's to *all* of us and many more

​"Consistent participation in our community is simply the hardest work we can do in this moment, whether we live in a rural or an urban place. It’s hard because I think participation requires a certain kind of humility and a level of commitment that is antithetical to the zeitgeist of our times, which tells us that individual identity is what defines us and claims us." -- Whitney Kimball Coe, writing for dailyyonder.com

      Let's take a moment to remember how far we have come together in recent years.  Ad Hoc talked this morning about how the Lindsborg CVB office is busier than ever with inquiries -- certainly a significant informal measurement for our collaborative promotional efforts. We talked about how many of us are plain ol' busy during what once were rather fallow months.  We all keep building and envisioning our future, step by step. Our City government keeps improving streets and making plans for the future of key services and attractions. Our college (lower cost refinancing of debt just announced last weekend) is healthier.  Health care is more vital (facilities improvements and addition of more practitioners at LCH). Yes, more is being asked of us. The juggling gets intense sometimes. Still, we recognize that the challenges associated with growing, both as individuals and as a community, are more interesting than those of decline. Please look back on your own efforts and mark your accomplishments. Please, let's continue to talk and work together. 
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     This Friday night, Nov. 10, Lindsborg will be a'hopping. Maker's Street art walk is on for 5 to 8 p.m. with demos, guests, and wonderful new seasonal window decor being unveiled in businesses across the community. Holiday lighting also will snap on for the season. Further, the Smoky Valley High School football team will be locked in a sectional playoff game at Anderson Field on Friday night. Congrats on earning the district championship and moving on to sectionals! Go Vikings!  
     On Saturday, Nov. 11, Lindsborg throws open its doors for its annual Holiday Open House. Guests will be invited to play a "Find the Tomte" word scramble game so that they can be entered to win a fat shopping spree. (If your business location wants to be a stop in the game, it takes just $50 to participate.) Open house guests also will be able to gain chances to win a shopping by collecting receipts for shopping they do that day. If your location has any specials, in-store drawings or games and refreshments planned for that day, please send a short description to whitepeackockcoffee@gmail.com.
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      This morning we tried to assess 10 months of our social media campaign, funded by individual businesses coming together to create one pot. Thank you, Megan Dauer of American Family Insurance, for managing this campaign to date. Meg would be happy to share the statistics we saw this morning about Facebook ads, boosts and event promotion funded through Let's Get Social. But cutting to the chase: There was broad consensus that this effort has paid off for Lindsborg, especially with audiences in the Kansas City and Wichita areas but also beyond. Visuals are key, and some of us saw this morning a short animated production done for FB on behalf of the crew at Artistic Hair and Nails. They used Ripl, an easy-peasy app available for both android and iOS systems. We also talked about the compelling visuals being produced for Dala Town, an on-line lifestyle magazine being done by the Garretson family at www.dalatown.com.
      Finally, we discussed how each and every one can help in the social media outreach for Lindsborg.  One:  Like and share.  Two: Create an event on Facebook for everything your organization or business wants to invite friends and the public to participate in.  By creating an event, those who are interested or going will be reminded of it and receive updates.  If you need help creating an event on Facebook, please ask.  Several Ad Hockers are ready to help.

​Each of us has our own ideas about kicky and cool things to do in life. Those differences make our world go 'round.  
     But just think of this:  There are people -- some our friends, family, clients, guests and more -- who would be absolutely tickled to be part of a small-town Christmas parade. Yeah. Maybe *you* have wanted to be in a small parade but have never felt invited warmly and personally.
    Consider this a warm and personal invitation:  No matter where you live or what may bring you to Lindsborg, please do plan to be part of the Snowflake Parade for the enjoyment of children at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.
      For the first time in recent years, this year's parade offers a challenge: Appear in the parade as a Christmas movie character or thing.  Singles are welcome to enter. So are groups. The best entry will win a $100 cash prize.
        Those who plan an entry for this challenge should register by Nov. 24 with Carla Wilson at wilflipper@gmail.com. Send Carla a contact name, phone number, title of the Christmas movie, and name of the character or thing.
     Then sign in at 10:30 am Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Bethany Church parking lot and receive an entry number. Walk or ride the parade route south on Main Street to Grant Street.  The winner will be posted on Facebook and notified by phone.
    If you don't want to be part of the contest but would still like to take part, the Snowflake Parade still welcomes you. Families, funny hats, wacky drill teams, musical groups, work colleagues, social groups -- you name it.  
    Everyone loves a parade, and so we invite you to be a star in our small-town Christmas parade.  
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    While we're on the subject, here's a heads up for the downtown area for Saturday, Dec, 2.  Snowflake Parade organizers have a blanket permit for sidewalks to be used that Saturday for giving away items or selling them. If your location would like to sell hot chocolate or baked goods, no need to get a license. It's covered. If you'd like to invite an organization to set up a table and invite children to do complimentary crafts or activities, please do it.  If you know someone who would like to demonstrate or busk for tips, it's covered by the permit.  Look at this as an opportunity for fun and engagement.
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    Weekend alert!  What could be better than Swede football and Stuga chili?  Not much.  This Saturday,  Nov, 4, please stop by Anderson Stadium from 11:30 a.m. to game time for a free bowl of chili while supplies last. This truly Lindsborg and BC tailgate is brought to us by friends at the Ol Stuga, Bank of Tescott, Fuqua Insurance and The Hemslojd's Glass Decorators.  Thank you all!