By SALINA POST
ABILENE - For the fourth year in a row, Abilene has finished in the Top 10 of the Best Historic Small Town category in USA Today's 10Best Readers’ Choice contest.
Abilene was the only Kansas finalist in the 2022 contest.
Although Abilene was in the top spot through much of the public voting period, it slipped to second place in the final days when rankings were hidden.
“While we hoped to bring home the gold, coming in second in a nationwide contest is quite impressive,” said Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau director. “This award speaks to Abilene’s reputation as a great place to visit and celebrates the community’s efforts to preserve and promote its history.”
The top 10 winners in the 2022 Best Historic Small Town category are as follows.
Wickford, R.I.
Abilene
San Elizario, Texas
De Smet, S.D.
Gettysburg, Pa.
Taos, N.M.
Natchitoches, La.
Berkeley Springs, W.V.
Natchez, Miss.
Additionally, Abilene came in at No. 4 in 2021, No. 2 in 2020, and No. 8 in 2019.
The announcement of Abilene's ranking adds to the list of good things happening there, Roller Weeks noted in a news release.
In May, Abilene received a $22,000 Attraction Development Grant to construct the World’s Largest Belt Buckle. Its Visitors Guide received a Communicator Awards Award of Distinction, and Travel + Leisure named Abilene one of the Best Small Towns for a Summer Vacation.
Recently, TravelAwaits readers selected Abilene as the Best U.S. Small Town to Visit in the Best of Travel awards for the second year in a row. Abilene also took home top place in the Friendliest Small Town in the U.S. contest.
“These awards are not luck; this isn’t our first rodeo. We know how to rally support for our community,” Roller Weeks said. “I am so proud of the good things happening in Abilene and appreciate voters recognizing these efforts.”