Forget Stuff – Give the Gift of an Experience

Avatar photo Posted on Dec 12, 2017 by Visit Emporia

Finding the perfect gift isn’t easy. Every Christmas, we all do our best to figure out what new gadgets our loved ones can’t live without. But does everyone really need more stuff? And what about those people who seem to already have one of everything? This season, try giving the gift of an experience. You just might create some incredible memories.

Emporia is well-known for delivering unforgettable experiences. Just ask one of the thousands of cyclists or disc golfers who return each year to experience the Dirty Kanza or Glass Blown Open. The thing that makes our community so remarkable is that Emporia is just large enough to have a variety of things to do – but still small enough that each interaction feels personal and special.

So, forget the “stuff.” Here are few unique Emporia experiences that will make memorable gifts:

Book a group bus tour

Give a gift to your whole extended family with a bus tour from Prairie Earth Tours. While pre-planned tours are limited during the winter months, you can request a custom tour for groups up to 14. Your custom tour can include a visit to the Flint Hills, Kansas landmarks, a favorite restaurant, or just about anything you can imagine.  Contact Prairie Earth Tours for fun tour suggestions and a quote.

Give tickets to a show or event

Tickets to an event are a great gift, especially if the recipient gets to spend some quality time with you! How about gifting tickets to a concert at the beautiful Emporia Granada Theatre? At this time of this writing, there are a handful of tickets left for the LeAnn Rhimes show on December 16, so act fast. Several other performers, including Smells Like Nirvana and Dwight Yokam are lined up at the Granada in 2018, so get tickets now while they last.

If you’re looking a for a show that the whole family will enjoy, look no further than the Emporia Arts Center. The Emporia Arts Center has tickets available for percussion artists Tao: Drum Heart, acapella group Ball in the House, family puppet show Dinosaur Zoo LIVE, and a performance of Peter and Wendy by Missoula Children’s Theatre.

For theatre buffs, Emporia State University has performances of He and She and Arsenic and Old Lace coming up this spring.

If you know a sports fan, tickets to an Emporia State sporting event are a no-brainer. Tickets for men’s and women’s basketball games are available now.

Plan a special date with your significant other

Giving your time and attention can often be the greatest gift for the one you love. We suggest strolling downtown Emporia and picking up a box of chocolate from the Sweet Granada, going to Twin Rivers Winery for an afternoon wine tasting, and finishing with a delicious meal at Radius Brewing, Casa Ramos, Shangri-La Sushi, or any of Emporia’s local eateries.

Plan a weekend getaway

Emporia is a great place for a mini-vacation. Plan a weekend stay at the Gufler Mansion bed and breakfast, and be sure to make time for shopping, dining, and sight-seeing.

Help someone check off a bucket list activity

If you know a cyclist, doing an epic endurance ride like Emporia’s Dirty Kanza might be on their bucket list. Why not help them train by enrolling them in the official Dirty Kanza training camp, or gifting them the official Dirty Kanza training booklet? Better yet, book a weekend hotel stay so they can ride the backroads of the Flint Hills and get a feel for what the Dirty Kanza is all about.

Budding disc golfers might dream of competing in the national Glass Blown Open, hosted in Emporia. Local disc-golf titan Dynamic Discs has the perfect disc golf starter set, as well as the largest selection of discs for more advanced players. A set of discs and a note that you’ll be there when they compete in a national tournament is a fantastic and thoughtful gift.

More ideas

We hope these “experience” activities help with your gift planning this year. If you’re still looking for the perfect gift, check out our posts on where to shop online locally, and our list of Emporia shops, categorized by interest. Happy holidays!

 

 

 

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Visit Emporia

Visit Emporia welcomes travelers and meeting planners, and serves as the visitor information center for Emporia, Kansas and surrounding area.

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