Downtown Salina’s annual Parade of Lights delivered another strong showing this year, drawing an estimated 18,300 people, according to April Rickman, Marketing & Events Coordinator for Salina Downtown Inc. Attendance climbed from 16,000 in 2024, marking the second straight year of noticeable growth.
The numbers continue to reinforce what many businesses and property owners have been seeing firsthand: Downtown Salina is attracting larger crowds, more events, and stronger participation than it did several years ago. Saturday’s turnout filled Santa Fe Avenue from Prescott to Ash, with restaurants reporting full dining rooms.
Floats stretched across Elm, 7th Street, and into the core blocks of the district, underscoring just how large the parade has become. The mild weather helped, but the consistent upward trend points to something more structural: Downtown Salina continues to grow as the city’s central gathering place.
Evidence suggests the Parade of Lights will continue being one of the strongest annual indicators of Downtown Salina’s momentum.
Salina311 will continue covering developments as the district moves through December events.