The second Final Friday on Forest event of 2025 was a success, according to Sara Arnberger with Great Bend Economic Development. The May 30 version of the monthly event that closes a block of Forest Avenue to traffic and opens it as an entertainment and consumption zone was dubbed Bat Cats Night and featured the hometown collegiate team.

Arnberger shared information with the Great Bend City Council when it met Monday.

“And wow, did the community really show up,” Arnberger said. People at the entrances counted a little under 1,500 people, “and that is with one of the kiddos dropping one of our clickers and losing that count. So we know that’s even higher.”

Final Fridays are a project of Great Bend Alive, which is an arm of Great Bend Economic Development.

“What a fun night,” she continued, thanking the Great Bend City Council for its support. The May 30 event was sponsored by Prior Automatic. The next Final Friday, on June 27, will be sponsored by The University of Kansas Health System.

She said sponsors pay 100% of the cost involved to offer Final Fridays. “These aren’t coming out of our municipal dollars that come from our budget. We really do appreciate the businesses for believing in those and being able to help us support them.”