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Santa Fe Trail Days Tradition and celebration resumes
I
t’s clear the people of Pawnee County have a healthy appreciation for their heritage and their association with the Santa Fe Trail. For many years, Larned has marked the beginning of summer with a week-long celebration known as Santa Fe Trail Days. The event took a different direction in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of one week of mass gatherings, there were several smaller “pop-up” events spread over several weeks. But all of the traditions of Santa Fe Trail Days resumed in 2021, which also marked 200 years since
the Santa Fe Trail opened as a commercial highway. At the end of May, everyone was invited to hitch up their wagons and come on down to Larned for a weekend of fun for all ages. Traditional events include an evening parade, outside movie, food and craft vendors, burger battle, biscuits and gravy feed, touch-a-truck, mechanical bull, concerts, beer garden, rodeo and much more. The weekend wrapped up with a community worship service led by the band Cloverton. Watch for the 30th annual Santa Fe Trail Days in 2022.
