College Hill's Holiday Lights Trolley Now Starts and Ends at Watermark

Last December, the College Hill lights trolley worked like a neighborhood shuttle. On December 17 and 18, 2025, it ran every 15 minutes from 6 to 9 p.m. between The Belmont, Watermark Books & Café and Larcher's Market. It was free and needed no RSVP, so you could get on at one stop and off at another. You could have dinner at one end, browse at the other and let the trolley carry you through the lights in between.

This year the trolley runs again on two December evenings, but it works differently. Watermark's event listing describes a 15 to 20 minute ride that starts and ends at Watermark, 4701 E. Douglas Ave. Seats cost $5 per person, and the money goes to the store's Authors in Schools Fund. The trolley is now one loop from one door instead of a route linking three businesses. That changes how the rest of the evening works.

Last December's route compared with this one

Both years use the same two-night, three-hour window in the middle of the week. Almost everything else is different.

The 2025 details come from Wichita on the Cheap's listing for last year's tour. That listing linked to a College Hill Neighborhood Association post for more information. The 2026 details come from Watermark's pages for December 16 and December 17, and from the ticket page.

The cost row matters most for planning. A free hop-on trolley rewards just showing up. A ticketed ride rewards picking your night ahead of time.

A ticketed ride means you plan the night in advance

Tickets are sold through Watermark's TicketSpice page, which has a separate option for each date. Each ticket comes to $6.20 at checkout: the $5 seat plus a $1.20 fee. A household of four pays $24.80 for one ride.

The new format changes a few planning decisions:

• Pick your night first. There are two dates, December 16 and December 17. Each is sold as its own ticket, so choose before you check out.
• Start and finish at Watermark. Every ride begins and ends at 4701 E. Douglas Ave. Parking, coats and anyone who'd rather stay warm inside all end up at the same place.
• Expect a short ride. Fifteen to 20 minutes is long enough to see the lights and short enough for young kids or older relatives.
• Plan dinner on your own. In 2026 the trolley doesn't carry riders between restaurants. Getting to The Belmont or Larcher's is your own trip by car or on foot.

The 6 to 9 p.m. window is the same as last year. A ride at 6 p.m. and a ride closer to 9 p.m. leave room for very different evenings.

The $5 goes to books

The ticket price pays for something specific. Watermark says its Authors in Schools Fund was created with the Wichita Foundation, Assistance League of Wichita and USD 259. The fund brings author visits and books to Wichita children. Watermark reports that the fund and contributions from schools have put more than 2,000 books in the hands of Wichita children.

Last year's trolley was a free outing. This year's is also a small fundraiser for an independent bookstore's literacy program. The lights tour is still part of December in College Hill, and now every ticket supports that fund. The Authors in Schools page explains the program for anyone who wants to give beyond the ticket.

Planning the rest of the evening along Douglas

The trolley used to link three places. Now you link them yourself, and the businesses are still easy to reach from Watermark.

Watermark sits in Lincoln Heights Village and is both a bookstore and a café. You can wait for your ride or warm up afterward without leaving the pickup spot.

The Belmont, at 3555 E. Douglas Ave., is a College Hill restaurant and bar that serves from-scratch food and cocktails. It's farther west on Douglas than Watermark. In 2025 the trolley started there. This year it's a separate dinner stop.

Larcher's Market was the third stop on last year's route. The 2026 listing names Watermark as the only pickup and drop-off point, so getting to Larcher's is a separate trip.

Ziggy's Pizza in Clifton Square, at 3700 E. Douglas Ave. #100, is home to The Hideout. Visit Wichita's 2026 guide to holiday pop-up bars includes the Whoville Christmas Pop Up Bar at The Hideout among this season's pop-ups. If you want to fit it into a trolley night, check Ziggy's for the pop-up's dates and seating first.

You can also see lights after the trolley ride. Wichita on the Cheap's 2026 guide to Christmas lights in Wichita lists the Beckner Light Show at 235 N. Dellrose in College Hill. It describes more than 20,000 LEDs synced to music you can hear on 99.3 FM. The guide also notes that the show used to be at 2002 S. St. Francis. Since the music plays on a radio station, you can listen from your car. You don't need trolley tickets to visit.

Here's one way to plan a full evening:

1. Buy tickets on TicketSpice for December 16 or December 17.
2. Have an early dinner at The Belmont, or pick up a meal of your own.
3. Get to Watermark, 4701 E. Douglas Ave., before your ride. Browse or order something from the café.
4. Take the 15 to 20 minute trolley ride through College Hill's lights.
5. Drive to 235 N. Dellrose, tune to 99.3 FM and watch the Beckner Light Show from the car.

Two neighborhood dates come first

The trolley is two evenings in mid-December, but the College Hill Neighborhood Association has dates on the calendar before then. The association's events calendar lists a Neighborhood Quarterly Meeting and Board Elections on December 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. The association's homepage posts the agenda, which includes a discussion about event volunteers and officer elections. Nominations for officers are open through November 24.

If you have opinions about how December evenings in College Hill should work, the December 8 meeting comes before the trolley nights. The volunteer discussion is on the agenda, and the nomination deadline is a few days after Thanksgiving week begins.

Here's the December calendar in order:

Tickets for both trolley nights are on sale now at Watermark's TicketSpice page, at $6.20 a seat.

At Pam & Ashley, we pay attention to how College Hill's December comes together, from the trolley's new route to the light show on Dellrose. If you're planning a holiday season in the neighborhood, or thinking about a move here in the new year, we'd be glad to talk it through over coffee. Book a Free Consultation and we'll start with what you love about the neighborhood.