Forget the eggnog, cheeseballs and mistletoe: At this Christmas party, cotton candy, soda and a giant slippery slide were the big hits.

No, this wasn’t your neighbor’s ordinary holiday party. It was the 55th annual Bromelsick Christmas Party for Douglas County youths in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H clubs.

“This is the first time I’ve been to party quite like this,” said Lyle Howell, a member of Eudora’s Boy Scout Troop 64. “You can go back through the line at the concession stand for free.”

Organizers were expecting 750 to 1,000 youths to show up at the indoor arena of the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds to partake in the annual tradition.

This year, the party had an indoor carnival theme. The arena featured eight inflatable rides, such as slides and obstacle courses, and six carnival-style games for children to win prizes. And, of course, there were the concession stands.

The event was free for children and their parents, as it has been for the last 55 years.

In 1950 Lawrence businessman Alfred Bromelsick – who never married nor had children – died and left his entire estate to the county’s Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H clubs. But the gift came with a couple of strings attached. One of the conditions is that the organizations have a Christmas party each year, complete with a tree, carols and treats.

The groups did all that and more this year, said Cindy Riling, who helps organize the party.

“The kids seem to be having a good time,” Riling said. “I see a lot of smiling faces. I just like seeing the kids smile. I like that they don’t have to do anything but have a good time.”

Bromelsick, who made his money in banking, agriculture and real estate, also stipulated in his will that the groups would have a memorial service for him each year. The organizations continue to uphold that tradition as well.

The Bromelsick trust, which has helped fund the purchase of the Hidden Valley Camp for the Girl Scouts and the Bromelsick Camp for the Boy Scouts, provides about $16,000 per year to the organizations, Riling said.