Holiday Light Display Grows Larger

By Todd Pittenger December 14, 2022

A new holiday light display which debuted in Salina last year has grown even larger this year.

According to the Salina Regional Health Foundation, the Christmas light display surrounding Olivia’s Playground at Center Street Park has even more lights this year and now features a lighted tunnel.

The park, located at the intersection of Center and Fourth streets near the Smoky Hill River Channel in central Salina, debuted last year with five themed displays around the path:

  • Elf Village
  • Penguin Park
  • Secret Garden
  • 12 Days of Christmas
  • Winter Magic

While the lights are visible from Center Street, the best way to view the attraction is on foot using the quarter-mile walking/running trail that winds around the park.

Olivia’s Playground at Center Street Park opened in June 2019 as a multigenerational park where people of all ages and abilities can exercise and play together. The park features interactive games and many play structures, slides and swings for kids of all abilities. There are also exercise and fitness structures in addition to the walking/running trail.

Salinans Sid and Susy Reitz were instrumental in bringing the park to the community. They were inspired by their granddaughter Olivia Bloomfield who uses a wheel chair and enjoys playing on inclusive playgrounds near her hometown in Leawood, Kan. The Reitz’s saw the need for an inclusive playground that was centrally located in Salina and open year-round, and worked with the Salina Regional Health Foundation to make it a reality.

The Reitz’s also have helped lead efforts to bring the holiday lighting display to the playground. Funding for the project was supported through a significant grant from the Don C. and Florence M. McCune Foundation and a gift from the Reitz family.

The lights at Center Street Park are on each evening through the holidays and the Salina Regional Health Foundation plans to make decorating the park an annual event.

Admission to the park is free, with over 100,000 Christmas lights to see.

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Salina Regional Health Foundation photos