Only 12 days until the 5th Annual Christmas Festival.  Check out all of the details and registration forms (parade entry, Lego, Gingerbread and Ugly Sweater contests, Rudolph Run) on our website at www.SewardNe.com. We thank all of the volunteers who have been working diligently to bring this festival to Seward again this year.  We also want to thank those of you for your sponsorships and donations. Donations are still being accepted for the overall Christmas Festival by using the link below. 

DONATE HERE

 

There will be a special Open House to allow Chamber members and a few other select groups to preview the Winter Wonderland  before it opens for the season during the Christmas Festival on November 28th. 

Housed in the west side of the Seward Physical Therapy building at 418 Seward Street, it features a model train, the Night Before Christmas dioramas, Candyland and much more!  Have your photo taken on the Polar Express!   New displays this year follow the Christmas Festival theme of "Favorite Christmas Stories".  We want to say a special thank you to Gary Pomerenke of Seward Physical Therapy for the use of the space these past five years.

If you haven't been there before, stop by and check it out.  Please support the volunteers who have worked so hard to put this together and help spread the word.  It's just another reason for folks to visit Seward during the Christmas season.  We hope to see you on the 19th!

 

We just received the 2015 pewter Christmas ornament for this year!  The design concept came from A.J. and Pat Herrold with artwork by LeAnn Lowther of Helmink Printing.  Bonnie Elwell and Debby Aegerter were also on the committee with LeAnn so a big thanks to them all!  We will be distributing them to the businesses to sell later this week.  In the meantime, stop by the Chamber office to pick one up.  The ornaments sell for $15 and only 200 were made so get them while they last!

 

 

New this year are beautiful black, wooden walking sticks and a red and gold medallion; both are available at the Chamber office, the Winter Wonderland (opening on the 28th), and other downtown locations later this week.  The medallions can be attached to the walking stick or other wooden items. Thanks to Del Peters for his volunteer time on the walking sticks and medallions.  The medallions sell for $5 and the black walking sticks for $36.

 

 

It has been a couple of years since a miniature has been created and one is back for 2015!  The 2015 miniature is  the Santa House and will available for purchase later this week at downtown businesses.  Thank you to Tina Marroquin of Marroquin Law Office and Diane Lichty of Suhr and Lichty Insurance for their help in developing the 2015 miniature.  The miniature sells for $18 and only 125 were produced.

 

 

Small Business Saturday encourages people to shop at independent local retailers during the busy holiday season and keep their money in their community.  The event, which began in 2010, has grown into a powerful movement and a way to thank consumers for supporting local companies.  Seward Small Business Saturday is November 21st and National Small Business Saturday is November 28th.  Look for the "Shop Small" logo around town to identify participating businesses, where you'll receive special gifts and promotions.  We urge you to support your local retailers all year, not just on Small Business Saturday,  and keep Seward a strong, vibrant community.  Thank you, Carla Ketner of Chapters Books, for promoting Shop Small in our community!

 

• More than 24,600 travelers participated in the program
• The average number of stops completed was 36
• Most popular stop was Baker's Candies in Greenwood
• Participants included Nebraska residents from over 125 communities. Out of state visitors from 23 states participated, including Iowa, Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California and Montana

• Be open regular and reasonable hours (including at least one weekend day), and be staffed by friendly people who can stamp passport booklets.
• Pay a $100 participation fee to cover cost of custom stamps (no fee is necessary to apply, the fee is collected at a later date only if you are selected as a 2016 passport stop.)
• The program prohibits charging participants for admission in order to receive a stamp. Most visitors will naturally invest money in things they wish to see, buy, eat, or experience, but due to program guidelines, passport stops cannot impose purchases upon the participant.