For Heidi Gluck and other artists, home recording studios make more music possible
Chris North Turns to Ceramics Tour Austin (Bats, Museums, and All)
Kathy Rose-Mockry on Lawrence’s Liberation
The Award-Winning Teenage Nature Photographer
Catios Are the Must-Have Addition (So Say the Cool Cats)
The Thriving Market of Short-Term Rentals (and the Superhosts Behind Them)
• Next-day appointments
• Commission on Cancer accreditation
• Multidisciplinary cancer teams
• Personalized, targeted therapies
• Clinical trials & genetic testing
• Well-being & survivorship programs
Hope is closer than you think.
As a regional destination for oncology and hematology care, LMH Health Cancer Center is your connection to lifesaving expertise and technology close to home. Our team is led by board-certified physicians with elite training from NCIdesignated cancer centers and a shared
commitment to the highest standards of quality care. From traditional therapies to clinical trials, genetic testing, support programs, regional partnerships and more, we ensure the care you need to thrive after a cancer diagnosis—and we deliver it all with a personal touch that feels like home. Learn more at lmh.org/cancercenter
Find hope in lifesaving cancer care.
This issue marks the 20th anniversary of Lawrence Magazine.
Our magazine began during the golden age of glossy print publications and has survived—even thrived—despite the tremendous upheaval within the industry. In the past two decades, we’ve continued to print issue after issue as much-hyped digital platforms and rival publications have come and gone.
For this success, we are indebted to our advertisers and readers who support and hold us to our mission of bringing authentic and relevant stories that explore and celebrate all aspects of Lawrence.
And we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the 80 editions of this magazine: writers, photographers, illustrators, designers, copy editors, models, sales executives, managers, interns, delivery drivers, our llama correspondent and our chicken wrangler.
Nathan Pettengill, editor
But most of all, we thank everyone who has given us their time to sit down with us for interviews and photo shoots and thus trusted us with their words and their images to faithfully represent their interests, life stories, expertise, and personal spaces.
EDITOR
Nathan Pettengill
DESIGNER / ART DIRECTOR
Shelly Bryant
ADVERTISING
Joanne Morgan 785.832.7264
jmorgan@sunflowerpub.com
AD DESIGNER
Alex Tatro
COPY EDITOR
Leslie Clugston Andres
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Wende Dailey Amber Fraley
Lauren Kanan Susan Kraus
Bill Stephens Nick Spacek
Darin M. White
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Fally Afani Jason Dailey
Susan Kraus Bill Stephens
Doug Stremel
PUBLISHER
Bill Uhler
DIRECTOR
Bob Cucciniello
features smorgasbord
30 Club Catio
A compromise between adventure and security, catios allow indoor cats to safely sample the outdoors without endangering birds or other small creatures
37 The Airbnb Options
Three superhosts share their experience of operating short-term rentals on the nation’s most popular short-term rental platform
On the Cover
8 Feels Like Home
Musicians thrive with home studios, and traditional dancers work to make a new generation feel at home
12 Rock Chalk Liberation
In her first full-length book, Kathy Rose-Mockry chronicles the rise and struggles of Lawrence’s gay rights activists of the 1970s
16 She’s Back, with Ceramics
Artist Chris North returns to Lawrence with a new art form
21 Lawrencium Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch people
24 The Young Naturalist
High school student
Caleb Hawkins is earning a reputation as a wildlife photographer by carefully studying the animals and habitats close to him places
28 Return to Austin When’s the last time you checked in with the Texas capital?
Musician Heidi Gluck is recording her upcoming album from her home studio. Photograph by Fally Afani
OPPOSITE AND ABOVE
Feels like home
Musicians
thrive with
home
studios,
and traditional dancers work to make a new generation feel at home
Recording from home
In a musical town like Lawrence, there have been quite a few recording studios over the years, from Ed Down’s Audio House in the 1960s through ’90s and ’00s staples, such as Colin Mahoney’s Z’Gwonth and Doug and Brian Byers’ Mercy Recording Studio, to say nothing of Ed Rose and Black Lodge just down the road in Eudora.
These days, however, recording studios come in all shapes, sizes and locations. The community-accessible Sound+Vision Studio in the Lawrence Public Library is available to anyone with a library card and has an array of instruments. You’re also just as likely to find a studio set up behind someone’s house or down in their basement.
The reasons behind investing the time, effort, and money vary from person to person, but Sean Hunt, also known as Lawrence rapper Approach, sums things up nicely.
“I started putting together my studio piece by piece to work on my time and dime,” Hunt says.
Hunt’s Prosidio Gardens studio takes up about half of a basement, what he calls “a fair size,” but that’s only one kind of studio you can find throughout Lawrence. Scott Walker’s studio is in a garage behind
his house; Til Willis has an upstairs loft, and Matthew Mulnix recorded the Lawrence Songwriter Showcase project from his front room.
But perhaps Heidi Gluck’s studio best reflects how flexible home recording can be.
“We all have a home studio. ‘Studio’ is a pretty loose term nowadays since recording software comes preloaded on laptops,” the singer-songwriter explains. “Mine is a bit more than that but still very humble. It’s fairly mobile and moves depending on what’s going on in the rest of my home life.”
When Gluck was finishing her most recent album, Migrate or Die, she worked from her basement, which she describes as “a quieter and more separated space.” She is currently recording from a small open room toward the front of her house.
Flexibility and mobility are hallmarks of several home recording engineers.
“I can move my basic setup wherever,” Willis says, having recorded Grinding of the Stars with his band, Erratic Cowboy, in drummer Austin Sinkle’s barn and hauling gear to a Colorado cabin built in 1900.
“I have done a lot of stuff in houses and apartments, and I love squeezing the best sound out of a given area,” says Walker. “I want to make recording people in their own spaces a primary focus.”
Despite that ability to move around, almost all the musicians contacted for this story emphasized that having a space within one’s home or immediately nearby makes a world of difference when it comes to being creative.
Musician Heidi Gluck records music and relaxes at her home studio.
“I can make as much noise as I want whenever I have the time to,” Walker continues.
“Feeling a space is truly private is worth so much for audio work in your home,” agrees Gluck.
Hunt echoes that feeling, saying that it has allowed him the time to try things out and not feel rushed.
“I have learned how to play the drums because I had the time, space, and freedom to experiment,” Hunt explains.
The same goes for Gluck. In her younger years, she was frustrated by the gatekeeping engineers must do to keep things running efficiently for a band’s session. She would have ideas she wanted to try, but time was limited. Once she got her hands on her own gear and had her own time, she could explore different techniques.
“Recording yourself is a great way to get better at playing and especially singing,” Gluck says. “Being able to listen back, humble yourself, and course-correct on the fly without another person involved is huge for musical development.”
The biggest benefit for Gluck, though, has to do with being a single mom.
“Motherhood can be really isolating,” Gluck says, explaining that a mom’s calendar is no longer her own, with travel or late-night music often out of the question. She even quit making music for a few years to focus on providing for herself and her son, though she kept getting inquiries to play or sing on other people’s recordings. “After a job loss and other big life setbacks, I returned to music and got set up with some bare-bones, hand-me-down gear so that I could say yes to those inquiries, participate in those sessions remotely, make some side money, and start demoing my own songs.”
Gluck would put her son to bed and then record for a few hours. That work led to other work and in-studio work with other musicians and producers at other studios. She says that after thinking back to those difficult times, it seems like a miracle that she is still making music.
Now that her child is grown, she appreciates being able to continue her solo work on her own time and without the massive cost of hiring a studio and engineer.
“It’s a wondrous, wonderful thing in that you don’t have to have a partner to come to the dance. You can come and just have a blast because you mix with everybody.” –Byron Wiley –
“It also allows me to help other musicians finish their recordings,” Gluck says. “And I love doing that work.”
Lawrence Barn Dance Association
It’s another Saturday night in a Lawrence elementary school gymnasium. People stand across from one another in two lines, waiting for a group of musicians with fiddles, banjos, acoustic guitars, and an accordion to kick off the music … and the dancing. This is the Lawrence Barn Dance Association’s contra dance, and while some aspects might be familiar to those who square-danced in gym class, everyone is in the gym by choice and definitely having fun.
The Lawrence Barn Dance Association formed over 40 years ago. One Saturday a month, the group meets in and around Lawrence to dance together under one roof. Byron Wiley, one of the group’s board members, says the dances stretch back centuries, reflected in the music performed.
“The music that we dance to is pretty traditional, and a lot of musicians know the work,” explains board member Lisa Nelick.
“Old-time American, not bluegrass. There’s a big difference,” Wiley adds. “Old-time music, it just fits like a glove with this kind of dancing.”
Also called New England-style contra dance music, old-time music is meant for dancing, although
the Lawrence Barn Dance Association doesn’t adhere exclusively to one particular style. Nelick points out that traditional Irish music has been mixed in, and bands have ranged from the Wakarusa Roundabout to Kaw Creek to Spencer and Rains.
“As long as there’s the beat, we can hear it,” notes Wiley. “Some people, they can mix reels and jigs with the Irish and it gives us a big ‘whoosh!’ when it switches from one to the other.”
“We’re lucky in Lawrence to have a pretty significant music presence,” Nelick says. “And some of our main standbys for traditional music, they’re also teachers. We’re passing down the traditions, and we’re trying to grow our community as a whole.”
Nelick and Wiley say restoring that community after the long pandemic shutdown has been challenging. But the pandemic pause also allowed the group to assess where it is going and how it might attract a new generation. As Nelick notes, contra dancing can be seen as old-fashioned. As membership ages, the group might see its numbers shrink, so bringing in younger people and adapting to their preferences are crucial.
“We’re watching other communities struggling with that, and there can be some issues that are hard to bring up,” Nelick explains. “People of the next generations are a little more sensitive to things like gender roles, and we are trying hard as a group to be inclusive of everyone.”
Nelick adds that one of the most effective ways to attract younger dancers is to ask, “What are you looking for?”
Based on what the Lawrence Barn Dance Association has heard, most people want to feel safe while having fun. They don’t want to pay too much, so the association keeps costs down and tries
to further its historical commitment to being a welcoming community.
“We just pay a little more attention to it because of how things evolve in the world, but we always have been very welcoming over time,” Wiley says. “That’s felt good for me and felt good for others.”
In reaching out to younger dancers, the association also draws on one of its biggest strengths—the live music that accompanies each dance and that the group features on their social media posts.
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, a reel is worth a million,” Nelick says.
Those sounds will always be accompanied by a message of welcome—as long as folks come with clean, comfortable shoes and a willingness to let their feet guide them.
“If you can walk and if you know your left from your right, you can contra dance on the first night, no problem,” Nelick says. “We have them as young as eight, as old as in their 90s, and people who have never done it before—and they’re out there dancing with everyone else from the start.”
Before the dance starts, the Lawrence Barn Dance Association’s callers usually lead a beginner’s workshop that introduces the basic moves and gets people oriented. Experienced dancers will seek out the inexperienced to help them throughout the evening. Dancers don’t even need to bring someone with them.
“It’s a wondrous, wonderful thing in that you don’t have to have a partner to come to the dance,” Wiley concludes. “You can come and just have a blast because you mix with everybody.”
More information can be found at lawrencecontra. wordpress.com.
STORY BY Lauren Kanan PHOTOGRAPHY BY Doug Stremel
Rock Chalk Liberation
In her first full-length book, Kathy Rose-Mockry chronicles the rise and struggles of Lawrence’s gay rights activists of the 1970s
It sometimes takes a nudge from a friend to accomplish something great.
Kathy Rose-Mockry had not necessarily pictured herself as a writer. Though she was surrounded by books, research, and academics as the longtime director of KU’s Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity, writing a book had never occurred to her. However, upon completing her PhD dissertation at age 60, two friends encouraged her to turn her dissertation into a book.
Ten years later, in September 2024, Rose-Mockry releases her book, Liberating Lawrence: Gay Activism in the 1970s at the University of Kansas, through the University Press of Kansas. Liberating Lawrence tells the story of the formation and early years of the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front (LGLF), a University of Kansas student organization that began in 1970 and strove to provide gay students a safe place to interact and educate the community about the experience of being gay.
Rose-Mockry notes that this is not a book of statistics. It shares stories. She conducted 67 interviews with people involved with LGLF and says these moving interviews led to a “very meaningful” writing process as she sought to convey their experiences.
“These are people’s lives, and here’s what they actually experienced and how the lack of justice affected them in such a personal way,” Rose-Mockry says. “And I think anybody reading it could apply the stories to their experience: How would I respond if I were faced with that?”
In one section of the book, for example, participants relate the fight for the LGLF to receive group recognition on campus. The KU chancellor at the time, Laurence Chalmers, denied the group’s request for recognition three times, which led to a 1971 lawsuit that received national attention.
LGBTQ people in Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City.
As a part of his project, Stout interviewed a student from Lawrence High School. Upon completing the project, the LHS student reached out to Stout and asked him what he planned to do with his research. Stout told him he didn’t intend to do anything with it until perhaps after graduation. A bit later, the LHS student found David again and handed him a poster that read “Out of the Johns and Into the Streets!” It was a flier encouraging gay community members to gather, and without Stout’s permission, he had put Stout’s personal phone number on it.
“And so David just said it was an inadvertent start,” Rose-Mockry recalls. “He didn’t sit down and devise a plan and say, let’s create this group. The group was started. His name was on the flier.”
Looking back 54 years later, Stout recalls being in “panic mode” when he saw the poster. He called a friend immediately, and she encouraged him to pick a meeting time, date and place so he would have information ready when his phone started to ring.
“Her suggestion worked, and that’s exactly what I did. I don’t remember the exact date we met for the first time, but it was in early June 1970,” Stout writes in an email to Lawrence Magazine from his home in Taiwan. “Seven of us met at my place, 924 New Hampshire. After that first meeting, we met at least once a week, and every meeting continued to grow in attendance for the rest of the summer.”
OPPOSITE Kathy Rose-Mockry based her book on dozens of interviews with activists from the Lawrence gay communities of the 1970s and later.
One detail about the group’s initial formation that Rose-Mockry shared in her interview with Lawrence Magazine involves an important extra character: David Stout.
In 1970, David Stout was a student at KU who completed a class project researching resources for
Decades later, Stout funded Rose-Mockry’s dissertation research so that the history of the LGLF could be accurately documented. When Stout read RoseMockry’s dissertation, he learned of “an earlier attempt to start gay liberation” one year before the founding of the LGLF. Rose-Mockry’s research provided parts of the community’s history that Stout had not known, so he encouraged Rose-Mockry to turn her work into a book.
“Each of us who lived through those years knew the details of our individual experiences, but Kathy was the only one who could stand back and see the whole picture and piece it together for all of us,” Stout writes.
Van Go’s Adornment
Holiday Art Show & Sale
discouraged,” RoseMockry, 70, says. “You have to be committed enough to be able to move through and create a structure, alter it when it’s needed and know that you are going to push through during the hard parts.”
Rose-Mockry says starting the book “right on the heels of retiring” in 2019 was an advantage. Starting around 11 a.m., she would write for about 8 or 9 hours almost daily.
Appendix B
One of Kathy Rose-Mockry’s favorite chapters in her book is Appendix B, a section about lesbian communities in Lawrence in the 1970s. Even though the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front originally had two co-presidents of different genders, it quickly became a male-dominated group. In response, separate lesbian communities arose, and RoseMockry enjoyed expanding her research to include the lesserdocumented lesbian communities in Lawrence in the 1970s.
Rose-Mockry says she found writing this section “particularly interesting because that was new information to me, and it’s information that isn’t available anywhere, to my knowledge.”
She says she hopes that readers will come away from this section, as with the rest of the book, with a greater understanding of the history of Lawrence’s gay communities as well as with “more compassion, more understanding, more empathy with some of the current issues that are going on today.”
What is Kathy Rose-Mockry reading?
• TheDeepestWell by Nadine Burke Harris
• Embattled Lawrence,vol.2, edited by Dennis Domer
• IThoughtItWasJustMe (ButItIsn’t) by Brené Brown
Her family’s support was also invaluable. Her son, William Mockry, is also a writer, and they often had writing parties at her house in West Lawrence. From this experience, Rose-Mockry would encourage first-time writers to “go with the flow and see where it takes you.” She adds that “all people have the potential to tell a story, whatever it is— fiction, nonfiction—if you’re true to your voice.”
STORY BY Darin M. White
Jason Dailey
AABOVE Chris North continues her artistic career in Lawrence, but with a new focus on ceramics.
OPPOSITE North mainly creates “hand-built” ceramics, meaning she constructs layers of clay by hand rather than spinning the clay on a potter’s wheel.
She’s Back, with Ceramics
Artist Chris North returns to Lawrence with a new art form
fter Chris North graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s in visual communication, she set up a design agency that soon began producing images all Lawrencians would recognize, such as the original “T” design for Lawrence Transit.
For North, taking up a creative profession and making an impact with her designs was not a surprise.
Born in Des Moines and having grown up in Overland Park, North had always been supported in her art: Her parents set an example and encouraged her creativity. “Both my parents were very crafty— my mother sewed, refinished furniture, and painted ceramic molds, and my dad was an avid gardener. I understood early on that you could make it yourself if you had an idea,” she remembers.
North brought those ideas, again and again, to her work in her design agency. In 2001, after several years running this firm and teaching design and illustration in Lawrence, North left for Portland so her husband could pursue a job opportunity on the West Coast. There, she taught at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, at Portland State University, and at Clark College in Washington. After some time, she began
working as a marketing manager for an architecture firm and needed a creative outlet that didn’t include staring at a computer screen.
That’s when she sought out ceramics and sculpture—her “second act” artistic professions.
“I needed to work from heart to hand,” North explains. She took a class in ceramics at Oregon College of Art and Craft, which has recently dissolved, and discovered that she responded viscerally to clay and the process of forming it.
“Clay is wonderful. I like it for the medium and what I can do with it,” North explains. “Clay is forgiving, and then it’s not. In clay work, you have to learn patience. The deadline is what the clay says it is.”
In the 16 years since returning to Lawrence, North has continued to focus on ceramic sculpture. Her work is completely “hand-built,” which refers to constructing the clay by hand rather than throwing it and shaping it on a potter’s wheel.
She describes that process, “the tactical and visceral kind of connection when making” a clay sculpture, as central to her work. With much of her work, she also encourages viewers to join in that experience by picking up and exploring the finished work.
She says if the ceramic feels good to create, then it should feel good for others to touch and view.
North’s creations are bounded by the limitations of what clay can do when fired in a kiln or allowed to dry. After all, North says, “clay is also chemistry.”
But she also enjoys pushing the boundaries and shapes of traditional ceramic objects while staying within recognizable forms. She explains this as being able to create a bowl “that is not a bowl” but is recognizable enough to be a bowl.
And, like any artist, North returns to favorite themes that she explores and adapts.
ABOVE North believes that a good ceramic creation should be interesting to touch.
“Some people have a form that they always go back to,” North says. “For me, it is a closed vessel. I find these satisfying to make. I create a clay pillow, capturing air to create the form. The forms are inspired by the sea-worn boulders along the Oregon
Coast revealed after a heavy storm. I call them gathering vessels, sometimes letting the audience determine what they should hold. Making the vessels is contemplative.”
Once these forms dry, North often applies a terra sigillata, a powder-fine clay suspended in water, brushed on the surface, and burnished onto the unfired, dry clay sculpture.
Back in Lawrence, North may create work less influenced by the coast, but she says her new prairieland studio with large windows allows her to adapt and create new works based on her surroundings and creative curiosity.
“I am a naturalist,” North says. “I love to observe and be in nature. Reflections on the intersection of nature, world conditions, and encounters give life to my ideas.”
Lawrencium
Number of years Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch has been open to the public 49
Number of acres of pumpkins the Schaakes plant each year 25–30
Number of varieties of pumpkins planted
Approximately 100
Percentage of acres planted with traditional orange jack-o’-lantern pumpkins vs. those planted with special variety pumpkins 60% vs40%
Number of hours Schaake family members work the you-pick pumpkin patch on a typical fall Saturday. “We’re up at 5 or 6 [a.m.] and are done by dark,” Schaake says. 12+
Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch
For nearly a half-century, visiting this family-owned field of pumpkins just east of Lawrence has been a fall tradition for families, school groups, and more. Janet Schaake credits her kids with keeping the annual tradition going, simply because they love it so much. “The kids all put themselves through college with their pumpkin money,” Schaake notes. Though they all have other jobs and homes now, Schaake family members come home every year to help their parents run the pumpkin patch. “We couldn’t do it without them.”
To this day, it’s mostly the Schaake family themselves running the patch though they do hire high school kids to help on the weekends when the crowds are biggest.
“We’ve seen a lot of families grow up,” Schaake says. “We’re on the third generation with some families.”
“A lot”
Number of people who visit each year. “Several thousand,” says farmer and owner Janet Schaake. “We don’t really know. It’s a lot of people.”
ONE MONTH
Time it takes to plant all those pumpkins. “We start getting ready for the pumpkins around the first part of June and hope to have them all planted and in the ground by July 4th,” Schaake says.
1972 & 1975
The years the patch began. The Schaakes began selling pumpkins in 1972 at various locations. In 1975, they decided it was easier to have the public come to them. “We got tired of loading up every weekend and taking them there, so that’s when the you-pick started,” Schaake explains.
320 DOZEN (OR 3,840)
Number of cookies sold at the pumpkin patch each year
565
Largest (in pounds) pumpkin ever grown and measured at the Schaake Pumpkin Patch
520
Gallons of apple cider sold each year
500
DOZEN
(OR 6,000)
Number of apple cider and plain donuts sold at the pumpkin patch each year
The Young Naturalist
High school student Caleb Hawkins is earning a reputation as a wildlife photographer by carefully studying the animals and habitats close to him
“Several years ago, it was not uncommon to hear Caleb running through our house, heading straight for one of the doors, and I would not see him for hours,” says Ruth Hawkins, Caleb Hawkins’ mother. “More likely than not, Caleb would have heard a new bird chirp or seen a new species fly over, and he needed to observe it in person.”
Now 17 years old, Caleb still dashes out of the house—often for even longer periods.
“Now that he is older, he is not so impulsive. Still, if he hears a new sound, he will investigate, but in a more intentional manner,” Ruth explains.
On almost any day, Caleb watches the weather and is aware of the light at dusk and dawn around his rural home southwest of Lawrence. He puts up trail cameras to learn wildlife behavior and patterns, then uses these clues to capture wildlife with his digital images. This spring, for example, his goal was to photograph wild turkeys. It took persistence, time and patience, but he finally got the shots he hoped for.
Caleb’s outdoor photography has already won recognition and competitions. In the most recent annual photography contest sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Caleb’s images took first place in each category he entered: Hunting and Fishing, Game Species, and Non-Game Species. Caleb has also won and placed highly in national contests for home-schooled students.
The young photographer has also earned a reputation as a wildlife spotter. By spending hours outdoors, Caleb notices what types of wildlife or migratory birds are moving through the area and shares this information online.
“I think he is so focused on what he is doing that he loses track of time, but he always shows up at home when he gets hungry.”
– Ruth Hawkins –
OPPOSITE Caleb Hawkins photographs wildlife, such as this mule deer, during all seasons of the year.
ABOVE Hawkins frequently finds his subjects, such as this Wilson’s snipe, in Douglas County.
Hawkins photographed this Gadwell duck in Douglas County and this wild turkey in Franklin County.
“Adult bird-watchers pay attention to what he reports,” says Michael Pearce, Caleb’s distant relative and a Lawrence-based veteran wildlife reporter who has often contributed to this publication. “If he reports seeing something rare, people may dash to their cars and drive many miles to see what Caleb has found. His accuracy in identification is that good.”
Caleb’s interest in photography—and his ability to pursue it—owes much to mentors, including Pearce and others such as Dan Witt, a retired doctor and wildlife photographer who lives in Hoisington, near the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area.
“When Caleb first began, he was using a point-and-shoot camera,” Ruth recalls. “But people noticed what he was doing and responded over the internet, donating birding books, binoculars, and other items. Dan gave some of his equipment to Caleb and even hosted us as a guide through the Cheyenne Bottoms, showing Caleb how to capture images.”
Caleb’s goal is a career in wetland management or wildlife biology so he can create more habitat for the ducks, geese, and shorebirds he loves to photograph. Wildlife biologists explore ecosystems, document wildlife populations, and monitor habitat changes. They may also measure trees, coarse woody debris, and vegetation to assess whether habitats are suitable for at-risk species.
“All of that sounds good to me,” Caleb explains.
For now, Caleb continues doing what he loves. On this day, he spent several hours tracking a pileated woodpecker through the woods and fields around the house.
Ruth says she worries less about Caleb now that he’s older and she knows what to anticipate.
“I think he is so focused on what he is doing that he loses track of time,” she explains, “but he always shows up at home when he gets hungry.”
Results that speak louder!
Return to Austin
When’s the last time you checked in with the Texas capital?
The low skyline I remembered is now dominated by high-rise construction: hotels, offices, apartment buildings. I snap one photo just to count the building cranes that arch like massive, metal herons over us. Below us, the city lights shimmer and dance on the water’s surface as the sun sets. I’m overwhelmed by all the development in the past years, even though this trip is meant to be a nature tour.
It was our last evening of a weeklong visit in Austin, and we’d signed on for a boat tour of Lady Bird Lake that culminates in the perfect position to see the nightly bat flight. The bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge and are believed to be the largest bat colony in North America: roughly 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. This seasonal (mid-March to late October) bat attraction happens every evening around sunset.
Not all the bats fly every night. My initial expectation—to witness a sky blackened by bats—was mitigated upon learning that the bridge is also a giant bat maternity ward. Bats fly thousands of miles to Austin, have their pups, and migrate back to Mexico in the fall. The only mammals capable of sustained flight, they give birth, nurse their young like other mammals, and then fly off.
The upshot is that the autumn bat rollout can be twice as big as in spring.
We did see bats, but more lines of bats, twisting upward until they disappeared. The lake tour, on the other hand, exceeded my expectations. As the boat meandered around the lake, a well-informed guide shared bits and pieces of Austin history, architecture, botany, geology, city development, notable figures and nature. We passed cranes, ducks and geese, kayaks and paddleboards gliding through the shimmery water.
Even so, the views of the city continued to catch me by surprise, and I heard myself “oohing” and “ahhing” every few minutes. I lived in Austin for several years; I thought I knew the city fairly well, but it keeps growing when you aren’t looking. And if you haven’t been there in some time, consider returning and seeing it with fresh eyes.
Why Austin?
Austin is a big city with lots of options: fab art museums, a presidential library stuffed with history, a zoo of mostly rescue animals, dozens of parks and hiking trails—a balance of the outdoor and indoor.
You can’t do it all, so don’t even try. Instead, start with research and select activities based on interests. Balance one indoor activity a day with outdoor recreation and exploring.
Festival Dates
If your travel time is flexible, you can plan your visit around the myriad festivals (I’m penciling in the Reggae Fest for next April). Juneteenth is big, whether at Huston-Tillotson University or Historic East Austin. The August LGBTQ+ Film Fest overlaps with the Pride Parade, festival, music and more. Austin City Limits Music Festival is a six-day extravaganza in October, but very crowded. More low-key?
The Zilker Hillside Theatre presents free musicals Thursdays–Sundays all summer.
Top 5 Year-Round Recommendations
If there are no festivals or events that you have to see, remember that Austin can be hot—for some, uncomfortably so—in the summer, so consider planning a fall or winter trip instead. Here are five must-see attractions that will be open year-round.
Texas Capitol: Built in 1888, with a pink dome, it’s taller than the U.S. Capitol (because, Texas) and spreads over 8.5 acres (that’s building footprint, not land) with 500 rooms. Start at the Visitors Center (kids like the LEGO replica). The history in the Bullock Museum is interactive and hands-on, and the Texas African American History Memorial, on the South Lawn, is impressive and gripping.
LBJ Presidential Library: Our nation’s 36th president must have known that all the phone conversations he recorded would one day be listened to by ordinary people—but, still, it seems uncanny and fascinating to listen to top matters of state decades later as one of the library’s key exhibits. Other sections of the library provide a sweeping yet intimate view of the times and the presidency. I think the information here is even more fascinating for Boomers, who perhaps have forgotten many of the details—a definite must-see.
Blanton Museum of Art: The patio and grounds will grab you, and the building itself is a work of art (seriously, you walk inside art) with dozens of galleries and exhibitions.
The Contemporary Austin–Laguna Gloria: Art fills an Italianate villa and 14 acres of gardens and paths along the banks of Lake Austin.
The Broken Spoke: Austin has many good bars and music halls, but this classic dive offers two-step lessons. My husband and daughter had a blast learning some steps along with other folks with two left feet.
Do the Districts
When I lived in Austin decades ago, East 6th Street was the happening place. It’s still great fun, but Austin has mushroomed with several distinct districts, each with their own shops, music venues, restaurants and clubs. Be sure to take some time to explore beyond one district. Do it by foot, if possible. Go slow and enjoy absorbing the district’s vibe.
Downtown (East 6th Street): The original district—this is where you’ll find some Austin institutions such as Antone’s Nightclub (blues and R&B), Esther’s Follies (a nearly 50-year run of comedy, magic and music that always delights and surprises), The Driskill (1886 classic grand-dame hotel and bar), Cielo Nightclub, Flamingo Cantina and more.
West 6th Street: A good place to explore during the day and at night. Several key locations are on or just off this street, such as Book People, Texas’ largest indie bookstore; Whole Foods Market’s flagship store, with a rooftop plaza/playground; and Waterloo Records, a vinyl heaven with release parties and in-store performances.
Red River Cultural District: Running from 7th to 12th streets east of the capitol, this is home to Stubb’s Bar-B-Q (with an outdoor amphitheater), the Empire Control Room concert venue, Cheer Up Charlies (LGBTQ+) and many more clubs and restaurants.
Downtown 2nd Street: This tree-lined neighborhood has unique boutique shopping, coffee joints, bars and restaurants. The Moody Theater is home to Austin City Limits, which provides taping tickets free by lottery and a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour during the day.
Warehouse District: High-end restaurants, unique cocktail bars, and a cluster of LGBTQ+ clubs (Oilcan Harry’s, Coconut Club, Rain on 4th). Highland Lounge is the biggest gay bar in the city, containing six bars. The farmers market gathers at Republic Square on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
East Austin: Not a limited district per se, but an expansive part of Austin with tree-lined streets and clusters of shops and restaurants. Once “across the tracks” (or I-35), African American and Latino communities established thriving, self-sufficient neighborhoods. Six Square is regarded as a Black Cultural District, with the African American Cultural and Heritage Facility, George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center, and Huston-Tillotson University (the first university in Austin). Try Black Austin Tours for truthful history from engaging storyteller Javier Wallace.
Rainey Street: South of 2nd Street along I-35, it’s an upscale but funky enclave of restaurants, food trucks, nightlife, and music venues surrounded by high-rises. Find a place to perch and watch the fun. (The thirdstory balcony of the Olive Bar is a gem of a place to people-watch.)
South Congress (SoCo): is a linear district, ranging from uber-upscale sushi at the 12-seat Otoku to the Continental Club for nightly music and more. Every place has a clientele of locals, often within walking distance.
Humorist Terry Pratchett wrote that “in ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.”
And to some extent, neither have people. Cat owners still go to great lengths to provide comfort for their feline companions, and the latest trend in cat luxury is the catio.
A “catio,” a portmanteau of “cat” and “patio,” is an enclosed outdoor space specifically designed for cats. Often, the catio connects to the house by a short tunnel or door. Catios allow cats to safely enjoy the sights, smells, and sunshine of the outdoors in an environment that protects both the cat and other animals. And in that sense, a catio might help with cats’ longevity. Many cats desire—or demand—being outdoors, but the average life of an outdoor cat is two to five years. In comparison, an indoor cat can live to be 17 or older, and most cat owners will tell you that is still not long enough.
Catios, then, are a compromise in the best interests of the cats. The structures provide indoor safety with at least some of the sensations of the outdoors.
Catios, whether attached to a house or freestanding, can come in various shapes, sizes and swag and are limited only by imagination. Prefabricated catios are available, with smaller wire catios costing just under $100. Patiosized wooden variations cost $300–$400, and large yard-sized structures cost around $700. They can also be custom-made to fit a home’s entry or exit or to cater to a particular cat’s habits.
A compromise between adventure and security, catios allow indoor cats to safely sample the outdoors without endangering birds or other small creatures
Story by Wende Dailey
Photography by Jason Dailey
Calloday’s catio
Bob Calloday is one person who has set up his catio—and much of his home—with his cats in mind. He has five indoor cats, three of whom slowly emerge to greet visitors. Bee-Bop is in the catio eating a meal. The oldest cat, Betty White, is usually the first to walk up to a guest.
“Betty White is a talker, the sentinel and speaker of the bunch,” Calloday explains. “At 10:30 a.m., she starts telling me it’s time for lunch.”
Not to be outdone, an impressive tomcat sidles up with a regal demeanor and a commanding 14-pound presence.
“That’s Freddy Purrcury,” Calloday says by way of introduction. “He likes to jump on my chest at night and collapse it.” Freddy is a handsome guy, a tuxedo cat with distinctive markings.
Each cat has a favorite spot in Calloday’s North Lawrence home, which is designed with perches and comfortable hideaways especially for cats. Shelves, strategically placed on the wall, lead up to a ledge just below the ceiling and span the entire wall, providing a perfect vantage point for cats to rule over their realm. Decorative pillows feature the lovable faces of beloved pets now passed.
In his yard, Calloday provides shelter to a group of feral cats. They might not call this
shelter home, but it seems to be their home base. Calloday has named those that frequent the yard and considers them extended family. Often, he has captured feral cats, had them spayed or neutered, then released them where they were found; it’s been his practice since moving to Lawrence in 2020.
Calloday’s simple wire catio serves as a border between the lives of his two cat families. Standing on the back porch in sight of the feral cat shelter and connected to the home by a cat-hatch, it allows the indoor cats to be outside whenever they choose—not to roam, but to feel the sun and hear the sounds of nature through the long years of their lives.
[The catio] allows the indoor cats to be outside whenever they choose— not to roam, but to feel the sun and hear the sounds of nature through the long years of their lives.
‘Simple and clean’
When Liz Vogt set out to build her catio at her East Lawrence home, she had a clear vision of something “simple and clean.”
Having recently relocated to her Lawrence home from a rural farm in Ohio, Vogt was familiar with different types of fencing and had constructed areas for chickens and goats.
So, she looked at an area of her home and decided it would easily work for a catio made from horse fencing purchased at a local farm supply store.
Working with the help of friend Delores “Dee” Meyer, whom Vogt credits with being “clever enough to suggest and locate the main climbing post,” Vogt and Meyer cut the wire panels to size, pounded in the metal posts, and zip-tied the catio together. In all, it took only 10 hours for the friends to transform an area along the back of her home into a generous catio, accessed via a window that can be securely shut for safety and for seasonal weather.
“It’s not a oneperson project,” cautions Vogt. “I was lucky to have Dee, who knew what she was doing— she was a good catio engineer.”
“The catio has added so much to their lives. They have more space and interest in the outside.”
The access door does create a bit of drama—these are cats, after all.
“Chester and JoJo often will sit on opposite sides of the door wondering when the other is going to move,” explains Vogt.
And then there is Hercules, who avoids the drama by using his bulk to muscle through the door whenever he chooses.
Vogt says the catio allows her three cats to observe the yard’s wildlife, which includes rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, other cats, and—of course—birds.
“JoJo loves to birdwatch. She wakes me up each morning so that I open the window to the catio. She’s ready to go before sunrise,” Vogt explains. “The catio has added so much to their lives. They have more space and interest in the outside. Sometimes, they sleep out there. I think they’re healthier being more active and engaged.”
Build and renovate
The home of Aaron Brooks and Tasha Kinser in south-central Lawrence has a large, custom-built wooden catio that has been a work in progress since 2019.
The impetus for the catio was Zella, Kinser’s cat who has since passed. Zella loved going outside and would make that clear to Kinser and Brooks by standing at their door meowing and scratching until her objective was achieved.
In order to keep Zella safe, Brooks built Zella an outside home but has since taken it apart and relocated it as the humans have moved and welcomed another generation of cats into their lives: Dexter (who overlapped with Zella), Maeve, and Meliodas.
Over the years, Brooks and Kinser have made some catio modifications, the most recent ones thanks to Meliodas, the youngest of the three cats but already an experienced catio-breaker.
When Meliodas isn’t probing weaknesses in the catio structure, he can often be found lounging with Dexter and Maeve in their multilayered structure with wooden scratching posts.
“The catio allows them to relax and get outside stimulation as opposed to just being cooped up
all day,” Brooks says. “The enclosure also gives them confidence that they are safe and can simply enjoy themselves.”
The size of the catio also allows Brooks and Kinser to easily enter to either spend time with the cats or clean the area as needed. And when they do, Brooks says, the cats treat their people like honored guests. “When we step in, they come up to us, purr and rub their faces on us. They enjoy being out there, and they really enjoy when we join them.”
“The catio allows them to relax and get outside stimulation as opposed to just being cooped up all day. The enclosure also gives them confidence that they are safe and can simply enjoy themselves.”
airbnb the
Three superhosts share their experience of operating short-term rentals on the nation’s most popular short-term rental platform
Story by Lauren Kanan | Photography by Jason Dailey
It’s called “The Rooster House.”
Walking in, guests will easily spot the decorative chicken in the kitchen and the rooster figurines in the hutch.
Angela Finch and her partner, Louis Schmitt, came up with this poultry-themed idea situationally. When Schmitt first purchased the house on Rhode Island Street, the previous owners left behind some rooster figurines. Louis’ upbringing on a farm and his own collection of chicken décor made the theme an easy choice.
While a theme might be a fun decorative idea for any home, it is one of the crucial tricks of the trade for homes such as these, registered on the popular Airbnb rental platform.
Some 250 properties are listed on Airbnb for rent in and around Lawrence. They cover a wide range of sizes, styles, locations, and costs—from $50 to just over $1,000 per night.
Among those listings is a group of locations owned or managed by people Airbnb identifies as “superhosts.” This designation means that the owners/managers maintain a guest-feedback rating of at least 4.8 out of 5, receive at least a 90% response rate on their reviews, have less than a 1% cancellation rate, and have hosted people for over 100 nights. We met with three superhosts to explore their properties and to hear their thoughts about the impact of Airbnb on Lawrence, possible future regulations, and what being a superhost requires in terms of décor, style and hospitality.
The Rooster House
Many of the guests at Finch and Schmitt’s two Airbnbs are former Lawrence residents. They miss Mass Street. They miss that distinctive and quirky Lawrence vibe. When they return to town, they are looking for equal parts vacation and nostalgia.
So Finch and Schmitt’s Airbnbs, all homes close to Mass Street, tend to do well on the popular rental app.
Finch has been running Airbnbs in Lawrence for the past six years. It all began when she and Schmitt bought a house together in 2018. They decided to turn the two homes they previously lived in into Airbnbs. One of those homes is “The Rooster House.”
In addition to the roosters, one of the quirks and selling points of the Rooster House is its pool table, which takes the space of a traditional dining room table. Finch said that she likes to eat out and experience the city when she is on vacation. She expects many of their guests feel the same way, so the lack of a dining room table is not detrimental. The three-bedroom house also features local artwork, including a piece made by Schmitt’s father with paint and a jackhammer.
Finch and Schmitt are both self-employed, so they have the flexibility to spend a lot of time working on their Airbnbs—and there is plenty of work. They are at their properties every week, checking in and doing any necessary repairs. For that reason, they prefer the short-term nature of Airbnbs to long-term rentals because “we are able to stay on top of what needs to be fixed” and “we are able to address it as soon as we can.”
Finch believes that because the Airbnb properties are tied to verified owners, they are better kept and a better asset to neighborhoods than, for example, a rental property held by an out-of-town owner or investment group.
“It would be much easier for us to get a check every single month and not worry about our properties, but we do really take pride in having homes that are well taken care of,” Finch says.
Over the years of offering short-term rentals, Finch has had mostly positive guest experiences, but she says, “Any horror story you’ve heard is a possibility.”
When Finch began renting Airbnbs in 2018, she said there were virtually no restrictions or rules from the city. As the years passed, more regulations and stipulations appeared. Finch isn’t opposed to laws but is not a fan of inconsistent rules. Since 2018, it seems that every couple of years, the city adds another restriction or “hoop to jump through,” which makes Finch believe the city wants to lower the number of Airbnbs.
Tensions between some cities and Airbnb rentals are widespread. Perhaps the most famous example is Barcelona, the Spanish tourist destination whose residents and government officials have pushed back against the platform, claiming that it turns too many homes into rentals and prices out residents.
Finch believes Lawrence isn’t at that point and that Airbnbs can continue to be a strong element in attracting new and returning guests.
“I hope that it is something that Lawrence can sustain,” French says. “If it means adding some restrictions so that it doesn’t get out of hand, I’m all for that. But I think banning them altogether would be a travesty for tourism.”
Regulations
The City of Lawrence requires registration and an annual payment of $50 for shortterm rentals. Rules regarding short-term rentals are detailed in Chapter 6, Article 13A of the city codes. Among other regulations, the codes state that short-term rentals are 29 days or shorter and that no licensee, owner, or person can own, own in part, or operate more than three short-term rentals at a time. All short-term rentals are to pay an annual licensing fee of $17 and are inspected at the time of licensing and then every other year.
Some regulations regarding Airbnbs appear to be in flux or in discussion by the city and county. On February 14, for example, the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office sent letters to owners of short-term rentals notifying them that their assessment classification would change from residential to commercial. Then, on March 1, the Appraiser’s Office sent another letter noting that the change in assessment classification had been put on hold due to “concerns of uniformity and appropriate classification for a variety of home-based businesses.”
Cori Wallace, communications director for the City of Lawrence, told Lawrence Magazine that short-term rentals are not a focus of the city’s strategic plan and that she cannot speculate on their future in the Lawrence community.
“Our work to develop affordable, long-term housing largely means that we support the development of housing, and short-term rentals aren’t a stable or long-term part of that muchneeded segment of housing,” she wrote in an email to Lawrence Magazine. “Shortterm rentals are part of our community, but we want to encourage long-term, stable, affordable housing for residents/tenants.”
On Mass Street
Rick Miller got into the Airbnb business when his daughter opened Latchkey Deli on Mass Street. Miller learned that two apartments were above Latchkey and examined the possibility of renting them out. Currently, Miller operates an Airbnb out of one of the apartments and continues to prepare the other.
One of Miller’s favorite aspects of this Airbnb is its history. As you enter the Airbnb from the outside, you can see a mosaic on the front stoop that reads “Dr. Chambers.” When working on the stoop, Miller discovered the mosaic and used paint stripper to reveal it. He then walked the short distance to the Watkins Museum of History and found out that Chambers was a doctor who opened a surgical practice in Lawrence in 1917.
Miller’s apartment also features ghost signs from IW Spencer Groceries, which also operated around 1917. The Airbnb’s bedroom features an antique brick wall that says “1033 Groceries” on it.
In addition to its antique charm, Miller also outfitted the onebedroom apartment with local artwork, including prints from local
crop artist Stan Herd. In the kitchen, guests can draw on a huge chalkboard wall during their visits.
Echoing fellow Airbnb superhosts Finch and Schmitt, Miller says one of the benefits of operating an Airbnb instead of a longterm rental is the ability to keep the space in good order.
“When an apartment is used as an Airbnb, it gets cleaned several times a week … and as things go wrong, I can fix them,” Miller says. “It’s not like leaving an apartment for a year and then coming back and seeing, you know, how much stuff you have to do to get it ready.”
Miller, who’s been running Airbnbs for two years, plans to continue operations for a “long time.” He says the Airbnb business has been great for him and that the City of Lawrence has worked well with him. For example, when he calls to schedule an inspection, the city inspectors are usually there the next day.
“You have to have your ducks in a row,” Miller notes, “but they help you get that done.”
Miller thinks the tourist market in Lawrence could accommodate more Airbnb properties, and he encourages others to look at renovating properties with an eye toward short-term rentals.
“The most wonderful part of our practice is when your family becomes part of ours.”
– Ranjbar Orthodontics
Hollywood in Pinckney
Carrie Neighbors’ Airbnb journey started with a bad long-term rental situation. She and her husband, Guy Neighbors, owned a long-term rental in Eudora, and the renters trashed it. It took them about six months to get it livable again. At the end of the process, their son came up with the idea of turning the property into an Airbnb.
For the six years since then, Carrie has been operating Airbnbs. She says she loves doing it, and Guy adds that they’ve met many wonderful people.
Many of their customers tend to be long-term workers: IT specialists in town on an extended project, construction workers, traveling nurses on an extended assignment, and professionals coming to help prepare for the opening of the Panasonic battery plant.
Carrie says that guests benefit by receiving an extended-stay discount and having the amenities of home and that hosts benefit by not having to do as many turnovers and cleanings.
“There are some downsides, though,” Carrie notes. “We get lower rates and higher utility bills—but we are happy with whatever we get, and it’s good to have a balance.”
The Neighbors’ properties have a washer, dryer, massage chair, breakfast food, snacks, drinks, an air purifier and a PlayStation or Xbox. They also each have a theme. Their two-bedroom house in the Pinckney neighborhood, for example, has a sunflower-themed main floor and a Hollywood-themed second floor with fun details like a Marilyn Monroe pillow and Aubrey Hepburn wall art.
Being a superhost also means paying attention to the property’s yard. Guy recently renovated the Pinckney property’s patio space and drainage underneath it.
Carrie says that constant attention and improvement are typical of good Airbnb properties.
“Most hosts are going to fix the place up, so it’s not like it’s an eyesore in that community,” Carrie says. “Most likely, the Airbnb house will have the most beautiful yard and be the most beautiful house in the community.”
While Carrie believes that the city and the county have made mistakes in the past by seeking to excessively tax Airbnbs, she says that the current regulations are reasonable and allow Airbnbs to thrive.
“Lawrence benefits from having a range of Airbnbs,” Carrie says. “When people stay in an Airbnb, they live like a local—they go out and experience the city and spend money at businesses. And the neighborhoods benefit because the owners want good ratings, so they’ll keep up the properties and help the entire block look beautiful.”
events fall 2024
Open Fridays
September 20
spencerart.ku.edu
As it does on most every Friday, the Goddard Study Center at the Spencer Museum of Art allows guests private viewings with collection material not currently on display. Free admission, but reservations suggested.
Young Frankenstein
September 20–22, 26–29 theatrelawrence.com
Theatre Lawrence presents Mel Brooks’ classic comedy of love, electrification, and catchy tunes.
Mona Cliff
September 25
spencerart.ku.edu
Artist Mona Cliff talks about her art and specifically about the work behind her fabric work included in the ongoing Native Fashion exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art.
Final
Fridays
September 27
explorelawrence.com
This Friday (and the last Friday of every month), Lawrence galleries, studios and businesses open their doors for an evening of new art showings and artist-hosted events throughout the city’s Downtown and Arts District.
Indecent
September 27–29 kutheatre.com
University of Kansas Theatre presents a retelling of a censored 1923 Broadway production about the love story between a prostitute and the daughter of a brothel owner.
Rev it Up! Hot Rod Street Festival
September 28
revitupcarshow.org
Over 200 hot rods, dragsters and more converge around South Park with food trucks and free
musical performance by Miss Amber Foxx. A charity fundraiser with free admission for the Ballard Center.
Bonnie Garmus
September 30
hallcenter.ku.edu
Hall Center for the Humanities hosts a conversation with Bonnie Garmus, author of the bestselling novel Lessons in Chemistry
Don Quixote
October 4–5
lawrenceartscenter.org
Lawrence Ballet Theatre presents full-length production with original choreography to Ludwig Minkus’ musical score of this Spanish classic.
Shoreline Shuffle
October 5 trailhawks.com
Lawrence Trail Hawks running club holds its annual 5k race along the Clinton Lake shoreline. All proceeds benefit Monarch Watch.
Heidi Gluck and the Lawrence Community Orchestra
October 5
lawrenceorchestra.org
Singer-songwriter Heidi Gluck joins Lawrence Community Orchestra for a celebration of women’s voices, as musicians and composers.
Kaw Valley Farm Tour
October 5–6
kawvalleyfarmtour.org
For one weekend, dozens of farm, ranches, wineries and other food producers open their gates to visitors for tours, samples and children’s activities. Ten dollars will get entry for your entire car/van load for the entire weekend.
The President’s Own
United States Marine Band
October 13
lied.ku.edu
A free concert featuring Sousa marches, new compositions, and patriotic favorites.
events fall 2024
Indigenous People’s Day
October 14
haskell.edu
Celebration honoring Native and Indigenous communities; city holiday and classes closed at Haskell Indian Nations University.
Lawrence Zombie Walk
October 17
Civic-minded zombies assemble with donations for the Lawrence Humane Society at South Park at 6 p.m., then shuffle through downtown as the sun sets over Massachusetts Street.
Late Night in the Phog
October 18
kuathletics.com
The University of Kansas basketball teams kick off their winter season with their traditional night of scrimmages, skits and musical performances. This year’s Late Night features Grammy-winning rapper Nelly.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
October 24–26
theatrelawrence.com
Theatre Lawrence presents the popular rock musical chronicling the journey of Hedwig Schmidt and their botched gender reassignment surgery, from East Germany to Kansas to (possibly) an aftermath of Platonic perfection.
Ghosting Lawrence
October 24–27
lawrenceartscenter.org
A theatrical and musical tour of haunted or legendary Lawrence sites.
Cherokee Basket Weaving
October 26
spencerart.ku.edu
Artists Lisa LaRue-Baker and Lulu Smith demonstrate making traditional Cherokee baskets as part of the ongoing “Native Fashion” exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art.
The Temptations
October 30
lied.ku.edu
Legendary Motown group with over 60 years of performance history arrives for an evening at the Lied Center.
Hookman
November 1–3 and 5–7
kutheatre.com
KU Theatre presents a dark slasher comedy that explores the challenges of leaving home and growing up.
Sanders Saunter
November 2 trailhawks.com
Lawrence Trail Hawks running club holds 10k, 25k, and 50k races to benefit nonprofit Falling Forward Foundation.
Kelley Hunt
November 9
lawrenceartscenter.org
Acclaimed Kansas blues pianist and singersongwriter performs at the Lawrence Arts Center.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
November 11
libertyhall.net
Acclaimed experimental post-rock Canadian group performs at Liberty Hall.
John McCutcheon
November 16
libertyhall.net
Legendary folk musician performs at Liberty Hall.
Mummenschanz
November 17
lied.ku.edu
Acclaimed experimental visual theater and puppetry performance troupe celebrates 50 years with a global tour that includes a stop in Lawrence.
An Evening with Tree Frog
November 23
thegranada.com
Celebrated Lawrence rock group performs at the Granada.
Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland
December 4
lied.ku.edu
A combination performance of circus acrobatics and holiday music arrives at the Lied Center.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
December 6–8, 12–15, and 19–22 theatrelawrence.com
Theatre Lawrence presents a staged retelling of Ronald Dahl’s classic 1964 children’s novel.
Lawrence Old-Fashioned
Christmas Parade
December 7
lawrencechristmasparade.org
One of the most popular holiday events in the Midwest with authentic horse-drawn wagons and carriages parading through downtown Lawrence.
