Holton's Second Saturdays Shrank to Four Dates This Year, on Purpose

"Kind of wore down" is how Holton City Manager Teresa Riley described what the monthly Second Saturday promotions had been doing to some Town Square businesses. She told the city commission in April that "people weren't as excited about it." The Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce responded by cutting the series to the last four months of 2026. The dates are Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.

That puts every Second Saturday this year on a day when something else is already happening on the Square. The Chamber had stopped asking a 4 p.m. promotion to fill the Square on its own. The fall calendar now runs on a handful of big days.

Why the Chamber Cut It Back

Second Saturday isn't new. The Holton Recorder traces it to October 2014, when then-Chamber director Carolyn McKee organized an art-themed event to go with that year's Fall Fest. Since then the promotion has run on and off, and some years it has overlapped with other activities on the Square.

In its monthly form, it ran from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month. Riley said those evenings "have not been as well-attended," and Chamber executive director Ashlee York backed her up. York also pointed to the cost:

"A big factor for us is funding and resources. Promoting these events, along with supplies and coordination, all adds up. We want to make sure that when we do host Second Saturday, we're able to do it well and make it worthwhile for businesses and attendees."

Money was part of it too. The Recorder reported that the Jackson County Commission had given the Chamber some funding for Second Saturday in past years, but not this year. So the Chamber kept the months York says "naturally have stronger participation and foot traffic than others, especially during already busy seasons." Riley said Chamber officials chose the stretch of fall "when there's a lot of activities going on."

Three Changes to the Format

Fewer dates was the biggest change, but not the only one. Between the April commission meeting and the series' return in September, the format changed in three ways:

• The hours follow the shops. In August, York said Second Saturday activities would run "during normal business hours for the participating businesses" instead of the old 4 to 7 p.m. window. She added that the Chamber "would certainly be open to looking at" extended hours if businesses wanted to offer them.
• Free beer and wine samples for adults. The city commission passed a resolution letting participating Square businesses serve complimentary-sized alcoholic drinks to adult customers on Second Saturday dates. Riley said the resolution would be sent to the Alcoholic Beverage Control division of the Kansas Department of Revenue with the application.
• Each date has a theme. The Chamber gave each Saturday its own name and built activities around it.

The first date put all three changes to work. For "Harvest And Hue" on Sept. 12, the Chamber advertised seasonal treats and free beer and wine samples at participating businesses. It also planned yard games on the Jackson County Courtyard and a new "Historic Hayrack Ride," a guided tour of Holton's historic downtown buildings. York said the name was "a nod to the colors, flavors and feel of the fall season." Shoppers could also turn in receipts for a Chamber Bucks drawing, with one entry for every $10 spent at a participating business.

Oct. 10: Back to Where It Started

This Saturday's date shows the strategy best. In 2014, Second Saturday began as a side event to Fall Fest. In 2026, the October installment is Fall Fest.

The April plan listed a separate event for Oct. 10 called "Ghouls Night Out." Local artists would make "spooky, fun or whimsical Halloween-inspired pieces," with a "build your own haunted creature" station planned for later in the day, after Fall Fest. By August, York said the October theme would likely "incorporate something that takes place during the event and connects the downtown businesses with the Fall Fest activities." The later coverage treats the day as Fall Fest and makes no mention of a separate Ghouls Night Out.

The 19th annual Fall Fest runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Town Square on Saturday, Oct. 10. As of the Sept. 30 Recorder, the Chamber had signed up 60 vendors. The plan for the day:

1. The 27th annual Chili Cook-Off. Cooks bring five gallons of chili and a decorated serving booth, and prizes go to the best chili and the best booth. "We've got nine chili cooks signed up so far," York said. "I'm thrilled with that, and we want more chili cooks."
2. The scarecrow-decorating contest. Individuals, businesses and organizations put up displays, and those are judged for a prize too.
3. Activities for kids. These include a bounce house, face painting and horse-drawn carriage rides.
4. Katie May. The Manhattan-based country singer plays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the north side of the Square.

York said there's no deadline to sign up as a vendor or chili cook. Sign-up is open online at exploreholton.com/events/fall-fest-vendors or by calling the Chamber office at (785) 364-3963.

That evening, Holton Community Theatre opens "Little Women: The Musical." The 6 p.m. Oct. 10 dinner-theatre performance is already sold out. A second dinner-theatre performance is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Dinner is catered by Lentz Express Catering of Horton, and dinner-theatre tickets cost $40 plus fees. Sunday matinees on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 start at 2 p.m. and cost $20 plus fees. Tickets are sold at holtoncommunitytheatre.org. Director Shannon Wittmer said the company first planned a non-musical stage version and switched once she heard the music.

Between the Second Saturdays

With only one Second Saturday a month, the weeks in between are covered by smaller events. These are on the Chamber's calendar for the rest of October and November:

• Wed., Oct. 21, 11 a.m.: Soup Luncheon by the Holton Community Hospital Auxiliary
• Thu., Oct. 22: Pizza Hut Cancer Fundraiser
• Sat., Oct. 24, 5 p.m.: Community Harvest Festival
• Sat., Oct. 24, 7 p.m.: Concert by Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Jim Seeley
• Thu., Oct. 29: Ice Cream Special at Holton Mercantile
• Nov. 6–8: Thoughtful Giving Day, Jackson County Community Foundation
• Sat., Nov. 7: Holiday Open House at Holton Mercantile
• Wed., Nov. 25: Another Ice Cream Special at Holton Mercantile

The Recorder's Oct. 7 issue also lists Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church's "Boo Bash On Button" for Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Two Holiday Saturdays Two Weeks Apart

The Chamber's April plan named the November installment "Handmade For The Holidays," set for Saturday, Nov. 14. Christmas-themed window art and murals were planned for business windows around the Square.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, Nov. 28, Holton holds its 26th annual Christmas Parade of Lights. The same day brings the holiday lighting of the Town Square and national Small Business Saturday. The Recorder reported on Sept. 30 that the Chamber was planning new activities and keeping some that "have been very popular for many years on the same day as the Christmas Parade of Lights." No start time, route or theme had been announced as of that issue. Anyone building a lighted entry has time to plan.

The parade date is a change from the spring plan. In April, the Parade of Lights was part of the Dec. 12 "Small-Town Christmas" Second Saturday, along with shopping, live entertainment, visits with Santa and a gingerbread-house decorating contest. The newer announcement sets the parade for Nov. 28. Neither the Nov. 14 nor the Dec. 12 Second Saturday was on the Chamber's online calendar when this was written, so check the details with the Chamber as those dates get closer.

December on the Square

December has the busiest stretch of the Chamber's calendar:

• Fri., Dec. 11, 6–10 a.m.: Early Morning Sales
• Sat., Dec. 12: "Small-Town Christmas," the last Second Saturday of 2026
• Dec. 18–20: "Christmas Belles," a Southern-fried Yuletide comedy
• Wed., Dec. 23, starting at 6 p.m.: Late Night Shopping on the Square

The Early Morning Sales on Dec. 11 and the "Small-Town Christmas" Saturday on Dec. 12 make two downtown events in two days. The schedule itself may change again. York said in August that the business-hours format "could be adjusted in the future based on business needs and interest."

If you're walking the Square this Saturday for chili and carriage rides and find yourself wondering what it would be like to live a few blocks from Holton's downtown, I'm happy to talk it through over coffee, in English or Spanish, with no pressure. You can reach me through Sandra Zepeda. Let's Connect.