Hey everyone, I'm Sheila Jenkinson, you're listening to the Growing Small Town Nebraska podcast where my co host Marcie Sextro. And I asked community leaders and business owners about their efforts in revitalizing the Cornhusker State. If you love your small town and you're looking for ways to make it even better, or you're interested in what this revitalization movement may mean for you and your family. Join us as we talk with small town Nebraskans making our state the definition of the good life.
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Good morning, everyone we're with Kelcie Keeling, and she's going to talk with us about David's City's hometown Christmas.
Hi, good morning.
Good morning, Kelcie. So in 2019, you had an event happen a business close in your town, and it kind of started the whole ball rolling of a hometown Christmas. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Yes. So I was the chamber director, and also helped out with economic development in David City, basically, for Butler County as a whole. We had heard from the Hallmark Channel. And again, this is a kind of an unknown regarding David City that we actually are the birthplace of Joyce C Hall, the founder, him and his brother Raleigh, they founded Hall cards. And they actually the Hall family claimed that David City as their hometown. Joyce C. Hall was born in 1891. And David City from the records that I could see from newspapers, we believe the Hall family lived there lived in David City from at least until Joyce was nine or 10 years old. And then he moved up to Norfolk. And that's actually where they started the Hall cards only two years there. And then they eventually, as we all know, they moved it to Kansas City. And that's where the corporate office is now. Regarding the event, how it all came to play was they reached out to us in 2018, to see if they could shoot a family walking down the sidewalk. And David City was under construction and it took unfortunately several years to two and a half years to get all of the work done. So it just wasn't wasn't going to work to have them film that. And then unfortunately, in August of 2019, we received word that Fargo Assembly was going to be moving their production down to Mexico, which was a loss of 187 jobs in David City. So we knew our city was going to be impacted. But I did receive a call from the Lincoln Journal Star. They wanted a press release. So myself and Bobby Schmidt, who served on the board at the time for the chamber, we crafted the right press release. So it wasn't all doom and gloom, but that we were going to be working with the state with economic development in hopes that we would maintain and keep the job in David City without impacting us in a negative way. Little did I know that Hall, the Hallmark Channel would read that would read that press release. And they did reach out to our mayor Alan Zavodny and propose to do this Christmas comes early Hometown Christmas in David City. And the date originally was set for October 30. So ironically, our town was decorated in Christmas really the day before Halloween. So that kind of event. And the crazy thing was this all occurred in August, and we were able to wrap up this event in little like less than than two months.
That's a crazy, amazing turnaround time for something like that. I had no idea as far as the businesses themselves, what were the things that they needed to do? did? Did they have to put some money towards this? Or did they have to take some time? What what did they do to help make this happen?
Well, it's all step at just one step back because just to get kind of give you guys the bigger picture of how this all occurred and how it became something somewhat small. And then it just kept growing and growing and growing. First, the Hallmark Channel they proposed the idea to purchase gifts, bring Santa, the Candy Cane Lane and present the gifts to the children that the families that were impacted with the announcement of Fargo Assembly, and myself and I had board members there. And I was starting to build a committee, because I knew this couldn't completely rests on my shoulders. So more of that team effort and you know, more of that rah rah, let's make this the best event that it could possibly be. And so that first initial Zoom call that we had with them, or conference call, I should say, when they talked about the gifts and the value of the gifts, and they were going to be, they want to know how many were girls, how many were boys and the value, and they were thinking 75 to $85, you know, per child and the approximate age range. We, as a committee all felt that that would be good. But it could be disposable gifts, you know, at myself as a parent and as we all know, kids, you get them a gift, and then literally two to three years, they stop playing with it, they move on to something else, they continue to grow and change and how quickly it just wouldn't be a lasting effect for or impact for our community. So we proposed that amount that they were willing to spend for the gifts, we propose the idea to bring back the amazing Christmas tradition that we used to have in David City. And so we proposed of, you know, white lights downtown, the garland on this, the light poles and then and then obviously, possibly a Christmas tree that would be right in the heart of downtown David City, right by the courthouse. And so we kind of switched their vision a little bit. But in the end, because we did that, then we, you know, things started to grow. We we once we got the Okay, and we did have to bid out two different businesses to look at what was the cost to add lights downtown. But to answer your question, the businesses didn't have to spend too much but us as committee members, we did contact businesses and ask them, you know, hey, let's let's get downtown spruced up and cleaned up. As it is typical in a small town, we did have some storefronts that were not open or the the, you know, the glass front or window fronts weren't probably the way they needed to look for such an event to you know, as soon as you say at the Hallmark Channel, we knew we were like, this could bring a lot of people to our community. So yeah, the Vimeo video, and I hope with this podcast we're able to continue to share it because it really gives the big visual and factor of and the emotional connection that you get with with the Hallmark Channel. It really impacted a lot of people. And still today when I bring up about David City or this event, as soon as you say that a lot of people are like, Oh, I do remember that event and the fact that it was it snowed magically, also on the day of the event, which was the day before the day before Halloween. But yes, that's us as committee members we helped you know, there was a thrift store that their windows were all, you know, taped up and I think they were in the process of doing some renovating inside. Us as committee members went into that business and we were like, we will decorate your windows to make it look as the typical downtown Christmas or those obviously the beautiful and wonderful movies and stories that they have on the Hallmark Channel. We wanted to emulate that in David City.
Yeah, we are definitely going to be showing the Vimeo video on our social media to highlight for the podcast. And we really enjoyed it when we watched it so it will be a great treat for our listeners. What do you think is the lasting impact of something like that happening in your town?
To me I feel the lasting impact that it will be the downtown and the love for the community of David City. And just the white lights because the beautiful thing about David City are those lights are on year round. So they're permanently up we have obviously moved away and we relocated to southeast Nebraska in 2020. But my son and I actually went back up to David City for homecoming for David City Aquinas that he was invited to go to and immediately when I drove there and obviously to take him to that event. And it was in the evening the lights are on and it just it just warms your heart and so to me year round if yeah check out David City because you'll be able to see just that the ambience and what lights will do it just kind of kind of pulls at your heartstrings and and just really showcases the beauty of David City and of course we have such beautiful buildings down downtown where it just has that historic feel and the white lights just add the ambience to it
Yeah, it's a beautiful town. I went to high school there. That's where I graduated from was David city public. And I love the cobblestone streets around the downtown square. And there's just a lot of really cool things to see there.
So I have a little funny story about David City when Clark and I were dating. I don't know what bar it was. But there's a bar in David City. And they have they had hamburgers. And the best world's best potato salad. I don't know what they put in their potato saldad And they bring you the the hamburgers on a napkin? Not a plate. Do you know what I'm talking about?
No, I do. I do know what bar you're talking about. And now I'm not going to be able to tell the name of it. But some of the locals so that bar was actually Yeah, huge hit for downtown.
Oh goodness, we would drive an hour for a hamburger
and there for many years Yeah, yeah.
For a hamburger on a paper towel and potato salad.
Yeah. And unfortunately, it's no longer there. But yes, best burgers in town. And yeah, even for David City public or David City Aquinas. I've heard from, obviously, the locals that will say Oh, yeah, that used to be yeah we'd cruise, you know, down Fifth Street.
Yes, lots of cruising.
It did take us to David's city and and what Yes, what a beautiful town.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. So to me, the lights, the Christmas tree. And obviously the generosity to also from the Hallmark Channel. Because the whole production of the Candy Cane Lane, the set that is featured in the Vimeo video, we of course, the nights and the event itself, we had that set, all done. And then we had to put them put all the Candy Canes and the Christmas trees and the chairs and the carpet. All that had to go back into the shipping boxes. And then we stored that down at Nelson Motorsports in town, and that the objective was to ship all of that back to California where the Hallmark Channel is based out of. And then about a week later, I got an email back from corporate office and they said, you know, with the costs of shipping it back, we just feel it would be best if we gifted it to the city.
Wow!
So we were able to keep all of that the huge candy cane, the trees, the sign everything, everything that you see in that video, we were able to keep that, including the stands that were built to the generosity from the Hallmark Channel was was 10 fold that we were able to take the size of that community, of David City the size that it is, you know, less than 3000. We on that night, we probably doubled. I mean, it was hard to project how many people actually came to David City, but based on the one building that's right next door to the chamber we had that as where people could sign a guest book. We had a lot of photos of Joyce C Hall and the family gave a gift to David City, to the Butler County foundation back in the 80s. I know and again, I moved away. But I do think one objective that David City does need to do going forward is to really highlight, promote, and continue to share that we are the birthplace of Joyce Hall. But the fact that the founder of Hallmark, actually born and lived in David City for nine to 10 years of his life is is really important.
Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Well, thank you so much, Kelcie, for being with us today. And we really appreciate you joining us and telling us all about this wonderful event.
Kelcie, we do have one final question for you. What do you love about small town life.
A small community, you get a lot of people who care about you, your family and the liveliness of a community, more community involvement and partnerships are built because smaller communities really band together.
Alright, have a great day, Kelcie, we appreciate you being on.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
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We are talking with Tiffany Jahde, who is the current president of the Christmas on the Bricks celebration in David City. She was part of the hometown Christmas event and I was just wondering, Tiffany, what was your favorite part of the event or something you thought it really brought to the town of David City.
I just loved how the streets were so full of people just even from out of town, you could hardly move around if we just brought in so much customers for all of our small town businesses. And they stayed until oh gosh, past eight o'clock, just trying to shop in our little towns, and just brought in a lot of that business to them. I was mainly stationed at the Santa sets. So helping with the kids getting on and off Santa's lap and getting those pictures taken. And that line was just non stop the whole time. And everybody was just in such a great mood. It was just really felt like a Hallmark movie to me being down there working that
I'm sure the Santa had to be lots of fun.
Oh, he was he's one of them they use in their movies and on their other things. And so he just really, he just really did a great job with all those little kids. Hallmark's got a really great, really great Santa Claus there that comes and helps us so
That's awesome.So your Christmas on the Bricks event is coming up Saturday, December 3 and fourth. And so we want to talk a little bit about that. So you have some really fun events coming up in that.
Oh, yes, we have a lot going on. On Saturday, December 3, we are actually going in and helping out the Thorpe opera house here in town it's needing some renovations and just needing some updating. So we're doing that mainly just to help them out and the proceeds, a lot of it will go back into them just to try to give back to the community to help things out here.
I have a quick story to tell you about that. So that Thorpe Opera House, when they renovated it I was in the first play that they ever had there
Really
They had not quite taken care of of the bat problem yet. So while we were on stage, yes, the bats were very upset that we were making quite so much noise so I that's like one of my favorite High School memories is being able to do plays in that Thorpe Opera House. It is a gorgeous place.
Oh, and I would love to be able to have the high schoolers or the high school plays come back and perform there it's not handicap accessible, right real great right now and so they would have to make you know, a few adjustments and just a few upkeeps on it. But I that's one of my goals. I would just love to see it be used again. It is such a beautiful place. And so we are doing I'd like a $10 admissions for using it for a couple concerts. Thudwinker is like a area band that's coming in and so is Barrelhouse. And they are also going to have a concession stand and some bar services there for everyone that wants to show up and that the doors open at six for that and then the show start at seven so you know, it's just a nice little way to give back to the community that you know we love so much here.
Yeah, what a great idea.
I'll tell you your Sunday that looks just packed full of things to do for the amount of time that is there. I mean, you're gonna be running from place to place if you go to David City that day.
It is it's we have we shortened the time a little bit this year, but then we added so much more. So it'll keep everybody hopping. But on Sunday, yeah, we we even teamed up with stuff the cruiser so they're going to be there this year. We made 12 carnival games for the little kids and even like older kids to enjoy. The schools here in town the David City public schools they actually made the putt putt golf that we are going to have there so they made us five Christmas themed holes there. We also have a bunch of sponsorships to help pay for the volunteers we have like nonprofit volunteers that are going to come in and work those for us. And so like the Butler County clinic is sponsoring Plinko and so then they will pay for the hun the the volunteers that are working it plus they paid for like the carnival games for that so that really helped us out. We have a ton of holiday crafters, our craft and vendor show has 40 crafters and vendors there right now
You're speaking my language
I know right, we have 40 plus we have a waiting list. So it's just that is just crazy how that just blew up people are just remembered us from last year. And we threw last year's together like within a matter of a couple of weeks. And they said they were sold out of all of their vending stuff and their crafts and so they're really excited that now we've had the whole year to kind of plan for this and so They're really excited to come back and see even a bigger crowd. We're hoping. And my favorite is having Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and a couple elves. So that's going to be fun. Mrs. Claus is going to be at the selfie center, taking pictures with all the little kids there. And Santa and his elves will be on the Hallmark set. Hallmark had actually left us the Santa sets. And so Santa and his elves will be there getting pictures with kids there as well.
Yep. So you have free are events also.
oh yeah,
for your kids. That's those look like lots of fun.
Yes, we actually have six crafters, like six free crafts this year for the kids to do, which is twice as much as last year, they can come in and they can either do the carnival games, which you have to purchase tickets for or they can come and just make free crafts to get them in the Christmas spirit. And face painting is free, and the photo booth once we have like a photo booth in there. So once they get their face painted, they can go in and have that done, you know, you see at the malls and everything. So that's all free. The carriage ride and the live nativity petting zoo that's all free. We have a ton of booths for hot chocolate and sweet treats. And that's all free. They're just all coming together just the like Aurora CoOp and Northside and Osborne's they're all coming in to help just bring more people to the community and just fun things for these little kids to do and older kids too. And the adults that just get them in the Christmas spirit for everything so
So how many teams do you have signed up for your snowball shootout dodgeball tournament? That sounds like fun
That sounds like fun. And we are still working on that. I'm not quite sure that's the city of David City is hosting that. So I'm not quite sure how many teams Will's got set up for that. I saw this, the t shirt layout that they're going to hand out to the champions and a runner up. But sounds like we might get some of those older kids in for that competitive spirit. So that will be kind of fun.
I kind of love dodgeball now. It's something I developed as an adult as a kid. I hated dodgeball. But then as a youth group sponsor, I'm like, oh, yeah, okay, I'm in it. To win it.
Yes, we actually had a lot of middle schoolers that are like, we want to be a part of it. And we're like, you know, sure. I mean, the balls are only as big as your hands. And you know, it's not like it's gonna, you know, hurt real bad or
Not those ones that we leave the mark for days.
Like the old school dodgeball, so yeah. But you know, so those little those 12 and 13 year olds, they're all about rubbing it in on the adults when they beat them. So yeah, you're really into that. So
You're also going to have live entertainment. So where will that stage be at is it going to be down in the square,
It's right in the middle of the intersection there. We had blocked off Fifth Street from if you're from David City, you know, the railroad tracks all the way down. You know, how you do that is the railroad tracks all the way down to right before the library there just the street in front of the library is the main street for the fire department. So we just couldn't block that street off. We had blocked that one off for the Hallmark show, but they had requested, you know, a direct route to the highway for events. So that's the only thing but otherwise, we have that and then we have from Fourth Street all the way down two blocks. All the way down to you know, Dale's food pride, because they're going to be a part of it, too. We have all of that blocked off. And so yeah, this the live stage is kind of right in the center of it. So we everybody can hear all the Christmas caroling from all the different events and like Aquinas dance team and the Shelby/Rising City dance team, they're coming in and performing for us even. So it's going to be kind of fun. It's going to be a lot of a lot of stuff going on, right?
Yeah. Sounds like a very festive time. Well, we're going to be giving all this information on our website, as well as on our social media. So you'll be able to see what's all going on. And we really appreciate you comeing and chatting with us today. Tiffany about this. We have one question for you before you leave. Why do you love living in a small town?
Oh, gosh, I love small town. I don't know that. I love going out and seeing about five or six people just trying to get to the post office that you would say hi to, you know, I love that my phone's been ringing off the hook. And they're like, we're so excited about Christmas on the bricks and they know who I am. So they're all want to be a part of it. Because they have that personal connection with somebody. It's not somebody that they don't know that they're like, Well, you know, I'm kind of shy to call them you know, or feel a little bit hesitant to call them. I mean, they people will stop me and talk to me. I mean, I work at the Butler County clinic and so I just see people everywhere and all the time and just knowing everybody and just being able to stop on the street and just talk to him about anything. I just love being that personal connection with everybody.
Well, I'm really looking forward to that event. I'm kind of hoping to be able to make it down to the Christmas on the bricks but what a wonderful opportunity for their small town.
Sounds like so much fun. And oh, what a way to build community.
Yeah, absolutely. So coming up, you're going to be in the play, which is coming out. December 1 is your first night?
Fun little cast runs the first through the third. It's called Church Basement Ladies. The name kind of says it all. Yeah, Church Basement Ladies runs the first through the third at 730 in the evening. On the fourth is the matinee. It's just a one time matinee. And that one's at 130. And then December 8 through the 10th. It runs again at 730. So there's seven opportunities to see it. But Marcie, I think, I think the tickets are going to sell pretty fast.
Okay, so where would they be able to buy tickets?
You can go to their website for Norfolk community theater and purchase them through that or you can go to box office at NCT theater, and the theater on that is spelled T H E A T R e.org. Or you can call 402-258-3782. You can go to their Facebook page, click on a link super easy to get tickets and reserve them online.
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And don't forget to sign up for our email list be the first to know the news about the podcast. The Growing Small Town Nebraska podcast can be found now on Apple, Spotify and Google podcasts. New episodes come out every second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Join us again next time as we talk with business and community leaders who are working to revitalize the Cornhusker State. Thanks for listening
