Chalk the Valk

April 12, 2025

A new and exciting spring event in Lindsborg! Four and a half miles of "canvas" on the Välkommen Trail for artists of all ages to imagine and create! Come to create or to explore! Artist David Zinn will be joining in the imaginative atmosphere. What will you discover? What will your imagination put on the trail?

Registration required for participation--all are welcome to participate! NEW Registration deadline: March 22, 2025

Photo from collection of David Zinn, copyrighted

• $10 registration per participant
• Square assignments will be given on the day of the event with final registration packet at Mabee Welcome Center on the Bethany College campus
• All participants must preregister online. No squares will be given out the day of.
• Schools will be pre-assigned squares as a school group.
• Up to four registered people can work on one square. (All four must be registered.)
• Squares measure approximately 10ft x 10ft
• Registering to eat lunch in Bethany College cafeteria? You will find a large range of food options, but if there is major health/allergy concerns, please note when registering. 
• Create an Account and Register Here  
  • Registration is through the Lindsborg Recreation Department website:  
  • Create an account
  • Add participants’ names 
  • Then click on the red Program Registration box at the top
  • Choose the Participant, the Program, and the age category of the participant
  • Next you will use the comments section to list if one square for one person is expected OR if 2, 3, or 4 people will share a square. Up to four people/square.
  • Fill in the school window if applicable
  • Agree to the Terms & Conditions
  • Click on Add to Cart
  • IF YOU ARE NEEDING TO PURCHASE  A MEAL AT BETHANY COLLEGE: please click Register Another on the pop-up window, choose the participant, choose the program, then in the Session window, choose the last option Lunch at Bethany College. Then add to cart again. This must be done for every participant that would like a meal at Bethany College that day.
  • Check out to make the payment
  • IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING REGISTRATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE LINDSBORG CVB OFFICE: cvbdir@lindsborgcity.org or call 785-227-8687

Day of Event:

• Registered participants can begin drawing as soon as they arrive and have assigned squares. Please send ONE person to pick up the final registration packet. These can be picked up at Mabee Welcome Center on the campus of Bethany College. Please avoid gathering in large groups around registration pickup. Community maps, prepaid meal bracelets and additional event info will be included in the packets. Lost meal bracelets will not be replaced.
  
• Registration # and name of artist/artist must be clearly marked adjacent to or in the finished artwork.
• All work will be judged by professional artists.
• Cash prizes to be awarded to 1st place in each category.
• Bethany College Scholarship awards to be chosen by Bethany College staff (see Bethany College flyer).
• Judging begins at 1:00pm.
• Winners must be present to win at 3:00pm presentation.

Parking for busses:

• Behind Presser Hall along 2nd Street 
• Swensson Park 
• Hahn/Stroble-Gibson Athletic Complex 
• Bethany College's address is 335 E. Swensson Street
• Campus Map

Materials: 

• All participants must provide their own chalk. Water-based, temporary chalk only.
• No permanent fixatives
• No tempera powder
• No paint
• No permanent markings of any kind
• No nudity
• No political content
• No crude language or images
• All images must be appropriate for all ages
• All work must be applied in chalk stick form

No rain date. No refunds.

Whether you participate in the contest, or just want to chalk a spot on the Välkommen Trail, you will need to register and pay $10. There will be no registrations taken the day of the event. The north part of the Välkommen Trail will be sectioned off for this day's event. 

Prizes/Scholarships and Contest Start Time Information:

• 1st Place cash prizes per category per square
• Scholarship opportunities (see Bethany Flyer)
• ***START DATE/TIME:  Artists that wish to begin their work prior to the Saturday event for students may begin as early as THURSDAY, April 10. Please contact our office 785-227-8687 to verify square assignment.

Contest Categories--prizes awarded per square (squares measure 10 feet by 10 feet):

• Grades 7th-9th: $300
• Grades 10th-12th: $500
• College-Adult: $500

Special gift certificate prizes for Trollslända and Indigo Moo'd for these categories:

• PS-K ages
• 1st-2nd grades
• 4th-6th grades

Photos from the collection of David Zinn

Q & A time with professional artists including interactions with renowned artist David Zinn! Learn more about making a career out of your passion for art!

Event Information Packet

Event Schedule

Create an Account and Register Here

FAQ:

Will my 5-year-old (or any age below 7th grade) need to register? Yes, but he/she will not be competing for a prize. 

Can I have one section of the trail to myself--do I have to have four people to one section? You can have one section to yourself! 

By registering to take part in Lindsborg Chalk the Välk 2025, you grant permission for the use and reproduction of your name, photograph, and likeness of your entered work for publicity and/or recruiting by Bethany College and the City of Lindsborg, including the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Sponsored by Lindsborg Parks Department, Lindsborg Recreation Department, Bethany College, Arts on the Prairie, Lindsborg Arts Council, and Lindsborg CVB.