Lititz Community Choice Calendar FAQ

This is my Lititz Community Choice Calendar, or L3C. Started in 2022, this unique project was inspired by tabletop photo books, Scholastic book fairs, and town/ community cookbooks.

Each image in this custom calendar was captured by me and chosen by community vote out of more than 100 curated images. Each month, 10 or more images were posted for the community to vote on. The images that received the most votes made it into the calendar. The images are themed appropriately to their respective month’s season, holiday, or event.

Each calendar was designed by me to put the image first, with a focus on readability, clarity, and simplicity. They were printed by a local print company with a focus on quality.

This year there are two sizes. The standard size is 9x13” and features images that are 8x12”. The small size is 5.5x7.5” and features images that are 5x7”. The size of the images are specifically chosen so that when you are done with the calendar, you can cut out your favorites and frame them!

Additionally, $1 from each sale goes to Lititz Springs Park!

The small calendars are $16 + tax and the standard size is $30+tax.

(Shipping and handling not included)

I understand the desire for a product like a calendar to be as cheap as possible. However, this one is a bit different. As I mentioned, this is more than just a calendar. Not only is the quality much higher than most calendars, but it has some more cool features as well. Each image is actually sized to be cut out and perfectly fit into common photo frames. The larger calendar features images that are 8x12, and the smaller 5x7. The calendar has been extensively curated, including a selection process where over 100 images were narrowed down to just 12 by community vote. I also designed the calendars myself, and they are printed at a local print shop, Cornerstone Graphics in Ephrata.

So what you’re buying are twelve 8x12 or 5x7 landscape prints of Lititz and a calendar designed by me and printed locally.

On top of all that, I include a binder clip as a hanger as the calendar does not have a hole for hanging.

I do! If you’re ordering online, simply select “pickup” at checkout and avoid a charge for shipping.

You will be able to pickup orders at the Welcome Center at Lititz Springs Park. Please keep a copy of your confirmation email handy when you pickup!

Yes! I can ship anywhere in the United States. Standard Size: Shipping starts at $5 for one and $2 for each additional calendar.

I understand that is a large amount for shipping, however taking into account the cost of materials and the price to ship via USPS, I actually make less money on shipped calendars than I do on calendars sold in person or hand delivered.

Short answer: The funds from pre-orders help me fund the initial print run of calendar orders from my local supplier and let me focus on quality instead of sacrificing quality for affordability.

Long answer: Pre-orders help fund this project! The funds from pre-ordering are used to ensure I can focus on delivering a high-quality product with a local supplier. These two things are very important to me. I am always looking to ensure I’m delivering the highest quality products and making sure I have an abundance of funds ensures I’m able to not sacrifice quality for the sake of affordability. I’m also able to support a local business - in this case Cornerstone Graphics Inc in Ephrata. As a small business, I know I cannot compete on price, but it’s important to me to compete on service and quality. Using a local printing company who shares my focus on quality while offering a reasonable price ensures I can meet my own standards of quality, service, and supporting local business. The best way I can do that is to set aside funding for the project from the beginning. That’s why pre-ordering is so important!

Pre-orders also help me estimate how many products I’ll need to order and gauge popularity. This lets me order the minimum amount of calendars I’ll need and helps keep the price per unit as low as possible, which then keeps the price for you as low as I can manage.

For people who pre-order, I also offer delivery as soon as possible! This means the day I receive the calendar, I am hand-delivering them to locals and packing them to ship as early as the next morning.Those who are picking up their orders at the Welcome Center also get early access. People who pre-order get the calendars days earlier than those who do not and also guarantee they will receive one in the event they sell out.

This year, those who pre-order are also entered to win a single 8x12 print of their choice.

Pre-orders start August 30th!

Deliveries will begin the first week of October. Those who pre-ordered will be among the first to receive their order. In fact, ordering and sales will be paused upon initial release so those who pre-ordered can receive their calendars.

Yes! I have a few partners lines up to carry my calendar, but the only one announced right now is the Welcome Center at Lititz Springs Park.

When the calendar is released in October, you’ll be able to purchase one without needing to purchase online or pre-order.

Another big difference with my calendar is that there is no hole to hang it.

Based on feedback from last year, I’m including a small binder clip you can use to hang it without damaging the images so they’ll be ready for framing at the end of the year!

2023’s calendar sold out in February of 2023, so I’m not too worried about it selling out.

However, iI do sell out I will add a waitlist to my site to track track demand. If demand is high enough, I’ll order a limited run.

The small is likely to sell out as I am order fewer of those than the standard size.