Downtown Events

Hoisington Main Street hosts three downtown events annually, designed to bring both residents and visitors to the historic district for food, fun, and fellowship. We invite you to join us as we celebrate our history and heritage.

The Wetlanders Festival, held the third Saturday in April, focuses on the nature and history of the Cheyenne Bottoms area through events and activities the whole family can participate in and enjoy together. Enjoy the Early Bird and Redneck tours; view our original hand-crafted pole art on a Pole Art Walking Tour and Art Hunt; watch a bird-calling contest and dog demonstration; take in the exhibits of taxidermists, artists, and wildlife experts; and kick up your heels at the dance that evening.

The Scavenger Hunt is a kickoff event for the Back-to-School season, providing a fun opportunity for preschool to eighth grade students at Hoisington’s three elementary schools to “hunt” in the downtown area for backpack stuffers while completing their entry form for grand prize drawings sponsored by local merchants.

Cruise Night is a growing annual event held during the Labor Day Celebration, boasting a car show, a burnout contest and street vendors. All cars are welcome, from imports to street rods. Cars must be street-legal to participate in the burnout contest.

Ladies Night Out debuted in November of 2008, offering a stress- and child-free evening for pre-holiday shopping and gift ideas. Complimentary child-sitting was hosted in the city auditorium, with games, crafts, and a movie. Local merchants and retailers sponsored the event through special shopping hours and displays, event coupons, and raffle items.

Downtown Projects

Hoisington Main Street has worked hard in the three years since it was established to begin the process of restoring its historic buildings and beautifying the downtown. Here is a sample of the projects currently in progress in our downtown district.

The RSVP Thrift Store is an historic structure built in downtown Hoisington at the turn of the 20th century, now undergoing the first stages of facade renovation. The fiberglass awning and weather-beaten signboard have been removed, revealing gorgeous original transom glass and copper window framing, all covered with decades of paint. Paint also hides the brick and masonry, which will be cleaned and restored once work on the transom glass and window framing is complete. A new cloth awning and signage will constitute the finishing touches of returning this hidden downtown jewel to its former glory.

The Hoisington Main Street Welcome Center is another historic structure in downtown Hoisington, recently purchased by Hoisington Main Street to serve as both the future location of the HMSI office and as a one-stop resource for information about the community, the Wetlands, and the history and heritage of the area.