The Wright Place Downtown Flea Market at 1913 Lakin Ave. is officially a Winter Wonderland this Christmas season. “Winter Wonderland” was the name of the holiday window display that took the “Judges’ First Place” award recently for downtown’s fourth annual Christmas Window Decorating Contest.

Owner Susan Wright said this is the eighth Christmas since the store opened. She is one of eight vendors offering an ever-changing variety of collectables and antiques.

“We have a little bit of everything,” she said. “Most of it is gently used – or gently loved, I should say. We don’t have a lot of new, but some things have been taken care of very well and are like new.”

Wright and the other vendors are always adding items, and this year in particular she has a lot of Christmas things, having bought out part of an estate sale. 

“We have a great mix of items,” she said. The store also offers crafting supplies.

A Great Bend native, Wright said she has years of experience in retail sales, as well as years of selling crafts and collectables.

“My husband and I did booths in flea markets in the past,” she said. They had a booth at Susan Ruble’s flea market on Kansas Ave., around the corner from her current location. “When she closed, the other vendors in there were always after me to open a store. So I thought, well, I’ll give it a shot – I enjoy it. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a family run business. My children help me out.”

Wright said she is enjoying the publicity her store received by winning the window decorating contest. She enjoys chatting with customers, even if they just drop in to compliment her on the display of snowmen, snowflakes, and holiday cheer.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but it will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. From now until Christmas, Wright is including a small holiday item with every purchase, while supplies last.

Business Insight is a regular feature of the Great Bend Tribune, showcasing locally owned businesses and encouraging folks to shop local as we near the Christmas holidays. Contact news@gbtribune.com for more information.