Travel Kansas 2015

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Take a Ride

Restored carousels beckon

Savor Fruits of the Earth in Miami County

Rodeos

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cynthia mines

Welcome to the 20th Travel Kansas

Around Kansas

Dodge City Days features longhorn cattle drive Lucas’ Bowl Plaza wins accolades Lyle Lovett at Symphony in the Flint Hills Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant returns Assaria restaurant gets national acclaim

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Kansas Grasslands

Well worth the time to explore

Ornate Opera and Movie Houses Live On 10

A new generation discovers historic theaters

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Fruits of the Earth harland Schuster

Agritourism grows in Miami County

Vintage Carousels

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Restored merry-go-rounds offer a nostalgic ride

harland Schuster

Kansas is Home to World-Class Rodeos 22

Take in America’s original extreme sport

Jim Richardson

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Calendar Highlights

Festivals, fairs, concerts, parades abound across the state

In 1995 we produced the first Travel Kansas magazine – with only black and white inside pages – as a special insert in the Wichita Times. We knew Kansas had many secrets to share, and it has been gratifying to see the magazine grow into its own publication and become a colorful showcase for all that Kansas has to offer.

True Kansans know what a rich heritage this state embraces, and we are grateful to have a vehicle to share that with you. Whether it’s the omnipresent grasslands, a grand symphony on the prairie, a quirky public restroom, a nationally ranked restaurant in a town of 413 residents, or world-class rodeos, you won’t find that unique combination anywhere but in Kansas.

A personal thank you to our talented art director Susan Burdick, whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with for more than 30 years, and to photographer Harland Schuster. They both have an eye and enthusiasm for Kansas that greatly enhance the magazine. Thank you also to our advertising partners who make this publication possible. We are honored to be able to help them promote their communities and attractions.

Thank you all for joining us on this journey. As always, we like to hear your comments and ideas.

Keep traveling Kansas,

Cynthia Mines, Publisher|Editor

2015 Travel Kansas™ A Wichita Times Publication Publisher/Editor

Cynthia Mines | art director Susan Burdick

Contributing Writers

Iralee Barnard, Lyndsey Jo Bickel, Kim Hanke, Joan Stibal

Cover photo

Leavenworth’s C.W. Parker carousel is still giving rides a century after it was built.

Photo by Harland Schuster published by

The Wichita Times®

A locally owned publication since 1993. Call or email cmines@aol.com to purchase additional copies.

111 N. Mosley Ste. 201, Wichita, KS 67202 | 316-264-5850 | wichitatimesonline.com © 2015 Matrix Media Inc.

Dodge City Days celebrates 55th milestone

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Michael Snell

he longhorn cattle that made Dodge City famous will again stream through the streets of the Old West town during Dodge City Days July 24-Aug. 2. Last year marked the first full-fledged longhorn cattle drive through Dodge City streets in well over a century.

Spearheaded by the Wild West Heritage Foundation and Boot Hill Casino & Resort, the 2014 cattle drive featured 59 longhorn cattle and honorary marshals Buck Taylor from “Gunsmoke” and Johnny Crawford from “The Rifleman.” The 2015 cattle drive is Saturday, Aug. 1, on Wyatt Earp Boulevard.

This year’s 10-day Dodge City Days will mark the 55th anniversary of the festival which celebrates the area’s Old West heritage. More than 50 events include: a PRCA championship rodeo, street dances, Cowboy Classic golf tournament, sanctioned barbecue cook-off, Western Parade,

harland Schuster

community chuckwagon breakfast, International Park Festival, Food Truck Wars, Saddle Up bike ride, carnival, art show, and the crowning of Miss Rodeo Kansas.

In 1960, the Dodge City Chamber brought together two existing rodeos under one umbrella to create Dodge City Days, which continued to add dozens of events over the past half century, said Dan Schenkein, chamber president.

A $4 button provides free and discounted admission to events. For more info, visit dodgecitydays.com or wildwest cattledrive.com.

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2014 longhorn cattle drive through streets of Dodge City. Above: Alumni and current Boot Hill gunfighters face off at High Noon.

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Bowl Plaza in Lucas named No. 2 place ‘to go’ in the country

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ucas’ mosaic masterpiece beat out some stiff competition to earn second place in America’s Best Restroom competition. After being chosen as a Top 10 finalist by Cintas Corp., public voting chose Lucas over restrooms in Florida, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., California, Illinois and Texas.

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Penn., the most visited public garden in America, beat out Lucas for the No. 1 spot. Longwood Gardens’ restrooms feature a “green wall” of ferns and natural light. The Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis came in third.

Known for its grassroots art, the Lucas community appropriately created a public restroom incorporating hundreds of found objects in intricate mosaic designs on the exterior and interior of the restroom. The restroom entrance is shaped like an open toilet seat and the plaza features a ceramic depiction of items being flushed down a toilet. The concrete walk morphs into a giant roll of toilet paper.

After community volunteers completed the project, the opening was celebrated with a First Flush in June 2012.

Lucas, located 18 miles north of I-70 in Russell County, is known as the Grassroots Capital of Kansas. After using the facilities there, don’t forget to visit the Grassroots Art Center (grassrootsart.net) and Garden of Eden (785-525-6395).

Building a unique public restroom befitting the Grassroots Capital was a community endeavor in Lucas. Photos by Cynthia Mines

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he 2015 Symphony in the Flint Hills will return to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Chase County, site of its inaugural concert 10 years ago, for the June 13 event. The Kansas City Symphony will be joined in the sunset concert by guest artist Lyle Lovett.

The Symphony in the Flint Hills debuted in 2006 at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and then moved to a different Flint Hills site every year. This is the first time the event has returned to the same location.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning Lovett, who lives on part of his family’s original homestead in Texas, performed at the 2010 Symphony in the Flint Hills and visited the area in 2000 to film the documentary “The Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie.”

“It is an honor to feature an artist who shares our passion for the tallgrass prairie,” said Christy Davis, executive director.

This year’s theme of Grasslands of the World will be carried out through educational programs with The Nature Conservancy.

“The Symphony in the Flint Hills represents one of the most powerful venues for telling people about the ecological, economic and cultural importance of the tallgrass prairie,” said Rob Manes, director of The Nature Conservancy of Kansas.

Gates open at 1 p.m. for prairie walks, wagon rides, a musical instrument petting zoo, a prairie art exhibit and heritage presentations. The concert begins at sunset and is followed by a dance.

Tickets are $90 for adults and $50 for children under 12 and can be purchased at kcsymphony.org or by phone at 816-471-0400. For more info, visit symphonyintheflint hills.org.

Walk down into this marvel of pioneer engineering, The Big Well.

At 109 feet deep, this experience will take your breath away! www.greensburgks.org

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Kevin Brown

Symphony in the Flint Hills returns to roots for 10th year

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Peace Treaty Pageant takes center stage in Medicine Lodge

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or the first time since 2011 the outdoor Peace Treaty Pageant will return to Medicine Lodge for performances Sept. 25-27.

With a cast of hundreds – including men, women, children, horses and cattle – the pageant chronicles 300 years of southwest Kansas history in a natural amphitheater at Memorial Peace Park.

Until 2011, the pageant had been performed every three years since 1927, the 60th anniversary of the 1867 Peace Council and the signing of the peace treaty between the U.S. government and the Plains Indian nations of Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche and Kiowa.

Set against the panoramic backdrop of the Red Hills, the pageant depicts the birth of the prairie; Native-American settlement; exploration by Coronado, Zebulon Pike and Lewis & Clark; pioneer settlement by stage coach and wagon train; and Lincoln and the Civil War. The pageant is staged near the actual site of the council where the Medicine River (named by the Kiowa for its medicinal waters) and Elm Creek flow together.

The event also includes pow wows, Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo, parades, street dance, bank robbery reenactments, and music by Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy.

The largest re-enactment in Kansas will be performed at 1 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $25 for adults and $6 for children 7-12. They can be purchased through Select-A-Seat. For more information, visit peacetreaty.org.

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Assaria restaurant ranked among 100 best in the country

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Kansas Sampler Foundation

he only restaurant between Omaha and Tulsa to be named a 2014 Diners’ Choice Award winner for the Top 100 Best Restaurants in America by Open Table, the online reservation system, is in Assaria, population 413. No restaurants in Kansas City or St. Louis made the cut.

Led since 2006 by Executive Chef Kevin O’Brien, Renaissance Cafe was recognized for its authentic Northern Italian cuisine, house-made breads, pastas and desserts. The menu also includes steaks and seafood.

O’Brien grew up in Hoisington, graduated from Marymount College in Salina, then studied culinary arts at Oklahoma State University. He started his restaurant career at Bodean Seafood in Tulsa (another top 100 honoree). While still in school, he learned Italian cuisine from a Tuscan chef while working at the Tulsa Summit Club.

He returned to Bodean’s in 2000 to help open a new Italian restaurant called Biga.

O’Brien said he returned to the Salina area for family health issues and worked at the Captain’s Table and Salina Country Club before “deciding to lose the jacket and tie and get back in the kitchen.”

The Renaissance Cafe, which is located south of Salina, was founded in 2000 in a former high school by Roy Applequist and Great Plains Manufacturing.

The top-100 restaurants, based on 5 million customer reviews, are located in 32 states and Washington, D.C. Open Table represents 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states.

Renaissance Café is open for dinner Thursday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended.

For more info, visit TravelKS_TravelKS 2/16/15 4:33 PMRenaissancecafeassaria.com.

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Excellent Hiking & Biking Trails Boating, Water Sports, Fishing & Hunting New Aquatic Center & Active Recreation Department Life Center & Day Care Services State of the Art Health Care Facilities Fiber Optic Broadband Service Centrally Located & Public Transportation Quality Schools & Housing Family Friendly & Safe Communities Shopping, Dining & Lodging Rich Culture & History

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Trail Days Café & Museum The Trail Days Cafe & Museum provides a unique experience with food and history. Located in the Terwilliger Home alongside the famed Santa Fe Trail!

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Take time to explore

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Kansas’ Prairie Grasses

By Iralee Barnard

Iralee Barnard, author of Field Guide to the Common Grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (University Press of Kansas, 2014) shares her favorite places in Kansas to explore native grasses. She is a botanist who has worked at Kansas State University and for the National Park Service in Chase County.

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s a prairie state, Kansas was once dominated by wild grasses sprinkled with colorful flowers. Native prairie plants still may be found across the state, and Kansas has some special places to explore for those who enjoy the discovery and dazzling variety of native flora.

Kansas’ prairie landscape gradually changes from west to east as rainfall becomes more plentiful. In the west, where rainfall is less, plants grow short. The middle third of the state is ranked as midgrass prairie, and tallgrass in the east.

Spring is a great time of year to visit Smoky Valley Ranch, a 16,800-acre ranch southwest of Oakley in Logan County. It is a prime example of native shortgrass prairie and has scenic chalk bluffs and rocky ravines. Huge cottonwoods line the Smoky Hill River.

Visitors may walk trails through the native pastures to see and learn about the local plants, animals and geology. Many kinds of wildlife – including pronghorn, burrowing owls and buffalo – still roam the ranch. In May and June, the Smoky Valley prairie is dotted with patches of colorful wildflowers and a thick gray-green carpet of buffalograss grows no more than five inches high. Needle-and-thread grass gets its name from sharp, pointed seeds attached to eight-inch long threadlike awns that top the plants, drooping and swaying in the breeze.

Kanopolis State Park, located southwest of Salina in Ellsworth County, is rich in native plants. Here in the Smoky Hills region with rolling hills and red sandstone bluffs, you can walk canyon trails where beaver and wild turkeys are plentiful. A large number of ferns grow in the canyons, including marsh, sensitive and cliff brake ferns.

The grasses at Kanopolis are showy all year long. In this midgrass region, our state grass, little bluestem, grows two to three feet tall and is common. Rough dropseed is also frequent in the area and may be found by looking for tangled patches of exceptionally long and narrow grass leaves tapering to a threadlike point. The flowering heads of this grass are slender and stiffly upright. In the summer don’t miss a favorite Kansas wildflower – butterfly milkweed with its bright yellow to deep orange blooms – standing out among the grasses.

In September the wildflowers and tall Large photo: Kanopolis State Park (Ken Barnard). Inset photos (from left): Smoky grasses are in their prime at Tallgrass Valley Ranch (Ken Barnard), sand dropseed Prairie National Preserve. Located in and little bluestem close-ups, Tallgrass Prairie Chase County south of Council Grove, National Preserve (photos by Iralee Barnard). the nearly-11,000 acre preserve is home to the iconic big bluestem. This grass grows to eight feet tall and has roots that reach depths of 12 feet or more. Because the seed head branches into three parts it is often called “turkey foot.” Indiangrass is topped by beautiful golden plumes, and switchgrass has airy, open seed heads that may be five feet tall. There are wonderful opportunities to walk through these tall grasses on the Bottomland Trail. Many kinds of sunflowers and goldenrods will also be in their glory late in the season.

Kansas’ public lakes, parks and natural areas contain many beautiful and interesting native plants. No matter the season, they are magnificent to explore.

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Opera houses, movie palaces continue to delight audiences 10 l

hile the heyday of grand opera houses and movie palaces may have faded, dozens of Kansas communities have cared enough about local architectural gems to restore and polish them for future generations.

Kansas’ rich history includes what appears to be the country’s oldest continuously operating cinema as well as the first theater to be lit totally by neon rods and one of the first opera houses to use electricity. And the Dodge Theater hosted the first movie premiere outside of Hollywood in 1939 when 90,000 people showed up to ogle the stars of the “Dodge City” movie.

Kansas City-based Boller Bros. architects designed more than 30 Kansas theaters, including the Brown Grand in Concordia, Granada in Emporia, Jayhawk Theater in Topeka and Fox theaters in Salina and Hutchinson. Several Kansas communities had ornate Fox theaters, a chain popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and Fox theaters still operate in Hutchinson, Newton, Hays, Pittsburg and Salina. Many of the state’s theaters have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A donation of historic photographs made to the Franklin County Historical Society a few years ago led to the realization that Ottawa’s Plaza Grill and Cinema Theater likely was the oldest operating theater in the country.

The executive director of the Franklin County Historical Society contacted the theater owner, Peach Madl, to let her know about the photographs from the early days of 1900. The historical society also had newspaper articles written about movies being shown in Ottawa early in the century.

Denmark’s Korsor Biograf Teater, which opened in 1907, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest operating cinema in the world, but the Ottawa photographs and newspaper articles indicate the Ottawa theater was operating in 1905 as The Bijou. The Plaza Cinema Movie Memorabilia Museum opened at the Plaza in 2014 to showcase movie memorabilia.

Plaza Cinema and movie museum, Ottawa; Blair Theatre, Belleville (Kansas Sampler Foundation photo); Brown Grand, Concordia; Augusta Theatre (Crystal Socha Photography); Granada Theatre, Emporia.

Clockwise:

Opposite page: The

Fox Theatre in Hutchinson had the state’s first flashing neon marquee. Photo by Harland Schuster

Following is a sampling of historic theaters currently operating.

Astro Theatre, Marysville The former Isis Theatre is in use while being renovated into a three-plex movie theater that will also house a small diner.

For info, visit astro3.com.

Augusta Historic Theater When it opened in 1935 the Augusta theater was one of the first in the world to use neon illumination throughout the interior. The two-story art deco theater shows first-run movies and hosts special events.

Elaborately painted murals cover two walls of the theater, and architectural details give the theater an Egyptian feel.

The Augusta Arts Council purchased the theater in 1989 and restored it. For schedule, visit Augustahistorictheatre.com.

Blair Theatre, Belleville

Chief Theatre, Coldwater

The Blair Theatre opened in 1928 with 720 seats. The Spanish Colonial style facade with its terra-cotta and red brickwork is notable for its vintage marquee and vertical sign. For movie schedule, visit theblairtheater.com.

The art deco Chief Theatre has been a mainstay of downtown Coldwater since opening in 1928. In 2002 the theater was purchased by local citizens who formed a nonprofit group to oversee restoration and updating. The theater shows first-run movies on weekends and hosts stage productions. Call 620-582-2737 for more info.

Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia Built in 1907, the restored Brown Grand Theatre features a 642-seat theater with two balconies, gold decorative molding, eight box seats with brass rails and a giant painting of Napoleon (the original owner of the theater was Col. Napoleon Bonaparte Brown) on the curtain. The theater hosted operas and vaudeville until 1925 when it became a movie house.

Self-guided tours available. For upcoming shows, visit Browngrand.org.

C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City After being closed for 26 years, the renamed C. L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City reopened in late 2008. The original opera house was built in 1882 but destroyed by fire in 1898. The former Junction City Opera House, with its distinctive four-face clock tower, once again hosts local productions and concerts. For calendar, visit jcoperahouse.org.

Continued on page 12.

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Continued from page 11.

Colonial Fox Theatre, Pittsburg Featuring Italian Renaissance Revival architecture, the Colonial opened its doors in 1920. The Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation was founded in 2007 to save the theater. Hosts a variety of productions, colonialfox.org.

Columbian Theatre, Wamego The inspiration for the Columbian Theatre came after local banker J.C. Rogers visited the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as the Columbian Exposition because it celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage. Rogers bought several large paintings and artifacts there

and constructed the two-story limestone theater in 1895 as a place to showcase them and host vaudeville shows. The theater houses the largest collection of decorative arts, including six murals, from the 1893 fair. See ColumbianTheatre.com for upcoming live performances.

Fox Theatre, Hutchinson When it was built in 1931, the Bollerdesigned Fox was considered one of the finest examples of art deco theater architecture in the Midwest and the marquee was the first flashing display of neon in the state. The movie premiere for “Picnic” was at the Fox in 1955. The Fox was named the State Movie Palace of Kansas by the Kansas Legislature in 1994. It reopened in 1999.

BET YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING THIS. From handmade arts to craft beers, from live music to inspiring cuisine, to the stunning Flint Hills, there is always something happening in Emporia. Find out for yourself what our locals love.

For classic movies and live performances, visit hutchinsonfox.com.

Granada Theatre, Emporia Built in the Spanish Colonial style, the Granada Theatre opened in 1929 with 1,400 seats and a dedication address by William Allen White. Stars such as Ginger Rogers danced on the Granada stage. The Emporia Granada Theater Alliance formed in 1994 to restore the building, which reopened in 2007. See Emporiagranada.com for upcoming shows.

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as a Spanish garden or court with twinkling lights overhead. The Orpheum hosts live performances, classic movies and concerts; visit wichitaorpheum.com.

1893 murals at Columbian Theatre, Wamego (Dave Mathias); Chief Theatre, Coldwater (Harland Schuster); McPherson Opera House. photos Left to right:

Plaza Grill & Cinema Theater, Ottawa

founding, it was one of the first to use electric lighting and acclaimed to be the finest between Kansas City and Denver. After a 25-year renovation, the opera house reopened in 2010 and now hosts live events, concerts and occasional movies. For schedule, see mcphersonoperahouse.org.

Orpheum Theatre, Wichita Opened in 1922, the Orpheum represents one of the finest remaining examples of the atmospheric school of theater architecture. The theater was designed

The oldest continuously operating theater in the country, and possibly the world, shows first-run movies and houses a movie memorabilia museum. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. daily except Monday.

Admission is $6.75 for adults with discounts for seniors, military and children.

For more info and movie schedule, see plazacinemagicexperience.com.

Stiefel Theatre, Salina Opened as the Fox-Watson Theatre in 1931, the restored and renamed Stiefel Theatre features chandeliers, mirrored ceilings, ornate staircase and gold leaf throughout. For schedule of concerts, see stiefeltheatre.org.

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2015 Ciderfest Weekends: Sept. 26-27, Oct. 3-4

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Fruits of the Earth in Miami County

Eastern edge of state beckons with wineries, cider mill and other homegrown venues

By Cynthia Mines

In the rolling hills south of Kansas City, on the far eastern edge of the state, agritourism is a growing industry with vineyards, wineries, pecan orchards, an alpaca farm, a working cider mill and other locales attracting a steady stream of visitors.

While only a half hour’s drive south of Kansas City, Miami County is a world away from the bustling metropolitan area: The county’s two best-known towns -Paola and Louisburg – share only 10,000 residents between them, but a survey of the award-winning wine produced there dispels any notion that this rural area lacks sophistication.

Kansas has proven itself a viable climate for vineyards, and there currently are 50 farm wineries in operation,

but only in Miami County can you take a trolley from winery to winery plus stop at the recently opened 1874 New Lancaster General Store, which sells its own wine plus other Kansas products.

Not far away is Louisburg Cider Mill, which not only produces apple cider but also Lost Trail Root Soda and freshly made apple cider doughnuts. The country store stocks cider as well as apple butter and jelly, Kansas jams, preserves, mixes, candy, barbecue sauces and other food products.

Stephen and Kristin Graue started Middle Creek Winery in a former horse barn in 2010. above: Last fall they opened the New Lancaster General Store.

LEFT:

Photos by Cynthia Mines

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In season, visitors can watch apple pressing and enjoy a dipped caramel apple.

A large photo of John Ulrich Smith, the area’s first vintner, greets visitors to Middle Creek Winery, which is located in a former horse barn. Smith, a Swiss emigrant, planted his first vines northwest of Paola in 1869 and produced his first wine in 1872. Prohibition, however, halted his successful operation in 1881, and he considered having to tear up his vineyards to be his life’s greatest disappointment.

Prohibition came to Kansas earlier than the rest of the country, said Dennis Reynolds, who, along with his wife Cindy, started the county’s first modern-day winery.

“Prohibition devastated the wine industry in eastern Kansas,” Dennis said. “Missouri kept going until national prohibition.”

Dennis and Cindy planted a vineyard in 1998 because of “our love of wine and we wanted to get back to our agricultural roots,” Dennis said. When they opened Somerset Ridge Winery in 2001, it

was the first one to open in Miami County since Prohibition, according to Dennis.

Kansas wineries received a tourism boost two years ago when the state legislature approved the sale of wine by the glass at wineries, Dennis said. Now visitors can relax and enjoy a glass of wine in addition to tasting.

Somerset grows 20 acres of grapes onsite and manages other vineyards in the area. The largest of the area wineries, Somerset’s wines are sold in 250 retail outlets across Kansas. One of Somerset’s most popular wines is Oktoberfest, a Germanstyle white that won the national Jefferson Cup award in 2010, according to Dennis.

The Reynolds were instrumental in forming the Somerset Wine Trail, which is the route followed by the Miami Trolley Company, which was started by Brian and Michelle Roberts three years ago after riding a trolley at wineries in Hermann, Mo. They learned the business from the owners there and purchased their first trolley from them; last fall they added a second trolley to the Miami County route.

After Don and Cathy Warring, owners of NightHawk Winery, started their vineyards with 200 vines 14 years ago, they began experimenting with wine making in the kitchen and dreamed of a place where good wine and friendship would bring “together like-minded people to share the riches of our vineyard” as the mission statement on their labels reads. They named the wine for the night hawks which swoop over the

“We recreate the timeless marriage between good wine and friendship by bringing together like-minded people to share the riches of our vineyard.”

century-old walnut grove where they live and make wine.

“We were drawn to the romance of vineyards and bringing people together,” Cathy said. They began labeling wine in 2008 and doing tastings in a tiny tasting room. In 2010 they added a tasting area and event space with fireplace and French doors opening onto a patio with a 15-mile view.

“We’re happy to see wineries growing in Kansas,” Cathy said. “People are amazed to see Kansas can make good wines.”

Stephen and Kristin Graue, the owners of Graue Vineyards, Middle Creek Winery and the New Lancaster General Store, planted their first vines in 1998 on land they’d purchased in 1995.

“It was a historic piece of property with vineyard remnants,” Kristin said. Their winery and tasting room is in a former horse barn.

Continued on page 16.

– NightHawk Winery mission statement

Top: Visitors

to NightHawk Winery relax on the patio. LEFT: Somerset Ridge’s vineyard. above: Three Miami County wines: NightHawk, Somerset Ridge, Middle Creek.

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Continued from page 15.

After attending wine schools and universities to learn the art of vineyard management, wine chemistry and winemaking, they began Middle Creek Winery in 2010.

In late 2012 they purchased the New Lancaster General Store, which had been built in 1874 as a grange coop. The building housed a post office, anti-horse thief headquarters, a creamery and a pool hall before the Graues renovated it and reopened it as a general store last fall.

Visitors can taste Middle Creek Wines at either the winery location or at the general store. In addition, they are producing a New Lancaster line of wines. The general store, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, also sells knitted items made of local alpaca wool, food products, art, soaps and other products. A separate seating area accommodates groups. The

Top: Visitors

sample wines at Somerset Ridge.

Tom Schierman (righT) started Louisburg Cider Mill with his wife Shelly in 1977. Photos by Cynthia Mines Above and right:

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store still has its original wood floors and a ladder that slides along the tall shelves for easy stocking.

The Graues grow 32 acres of grapes and produce more than a dozen kinds of wine.

Their award-winning Cayuga White is aged in Ozark oak and the Cheyenne Red, which has chocolate overtones, has won best of class in Kansas competition. Experimenting with peach wine led to a product that sells out quickly each year. They also make blackberry wine from local berries and mead wine with locally produced honey. “To be designated a Kansas wine it must have 70 percent Kansas grapes,�

Stephen said.

The oldest of the homegrown familyrun attractions is the Louisburg Cider Mill, which was founded by Tom and Shelly Schierman in their century-old barn in 1977. The second generation of

the Schierman family is now involved in the business, which employs 60 in peak season in the fall when 40,000 gallons of cider are produced each week.

When they first started, a century-old 22-inch press was used to turn apples into cider, Tom said. They went to a 60-inch press before moving to more automated production which can now process 100,000 pounds of apples a day (it takes 16 pounds of apples to make one gallon of cider).

Tom figured out much of the manufacturing process as they went along, and pasteurization starting in 1981 allowed them to ship the all-natural, 100 percent cider to retail outlets, which now span 20 states.

Cider production goes on six months of the year; the rest of the time they produce root beer and other beverages. The old-

fashioned draft-style Lost Trail Root Beer was created from a formula discovered

by Shelly’s great great grandfather Joe Marshall.

A six-week fall celebration at the Cider Mill – which has been named one of America’s 10 best – features a corn maze, pumpkin patch, Cider Fest (the last weekend of September and first weekend of October), barbecue, entertainment, hayrack rides and the opportunity to watch cider production.

“Miami County is the perfect place for agritourism,” Tom Schierman said.

At the end of a long day, visitors have the option of staying at a bed and breakfast or “glamping” (a recent trend for glamorous camping) with views of vineyards and gardens in a spacious, elegantly appointed tent furnished with cozy quilts and soft lighting at Hoot Owl Hill, which was opened by Brenda and Steve Wrischnik in 2013.

Visiting Miami County The Louisburg Cider Mill and wineries are open year-round. In the warmer months there often is live music and other events. During Farm Day Tour weekends (this year May 9-10 and Oct. 17-18) more than 20 venues are open to the public. For a map and information, visit ADayontheFarm.com or call 913-294-4335.

Hoot Owl Hill, 30750 Osawatomie Rd., Paola, 913-271-7451, HootOwlGardens.com, offers glamping, bed and breakfast, yoga and meditation retreats, on 14 acres overlooking gardens and 400 grapevines.

Louisburg Cider Mill and Country Store, 14730 K68 Highway, Louisburg, 800-748-7765, louisburgcidermill.com, open daily year-round.

Middle Creek Winery, Hoot Owl Hill 4353 W. 351st St., Louisburg, 913-377-4689, middlecreekwinery.com, open noon to 5 p.m. Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m.

Sunday. Picnics welcome.

Miami County Trolley, 913-306-3388, miamicountytrolley.com, weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekdays with minimum of 10 reservations, $20/person. Advance reservations necessary.

New Lancaster General Store, 36688 New Lancaster Rd., Paola, newlancastergeneralstore.com, open weekends, wine tasting, Kansas products.

Nighthawk Vineyard & Winery, 16381 W. 343rd St., Paola, 913-849-3415, nighthawkwines.com, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed February. Also sells local cheese, Kansas sausage, Sunday brunch.

Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery, 29725 Somerset Rd., Paola, 913-294-9646, somersetridge.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, $6 tasting fee includes souvenir glass. Hosts Art in the Vines on Memorial weekend.

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intage carousels offer a nostalgic whirl

By Kim Hanke

T

Harland Schuster

Top to bottom: Topeka’s Carousel in the Park offers rides. Abilene’s carousel features horses that rock back and forth.

Leavenworth is home to the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum. A hand-carved horse on the Abilene carousel.

Cynthia Mines

ake a spin back to your childhood on one of three vintage carousels around the state.

Start the ride in Abilene on the oldest: the restored 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel, which features 24 handcarved horses and four chariots.

The horses on this carousel rock back and forth, more similar to the way a real horse moves than later carousel horses which went up and down, said Jeff Sheets, executive director of the Dickinson County Historical Society.

The Abilene carousel originated as a traveling carnival ride, being disassembled and transported by horse-drawn wagon or train for 50 years before it was sold to a drivein theater in Wyoming, according to Sheets.

C.W. Parker, the carousel’s creator, moved to Abilene at age five and became interested in carousels when he came across one while on a walk with his daughter. He purchased several rides for her and then decided the amusement business would be a good venture.

During the first half of the 20th century, the C.W. Parker Amusement Co. was one of the world’s largest manufacturer of carousels – or Carry-Us-Alls as Parker called his brand. Parker had three carnivals on the road at a time and he also made Ferris wheels, baby wheels (with cages), cups and saucers, and other amusement rides, Sheets said.

Parker’s carousels progressed from being powered by steam engines to gasoline Continued on page 20.

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Take a Ride 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel, Heritage Center 412 S. Campbell, Abilene 785-263-2681 heritagecenterdk.com Open daily year-round, carousel rides are $2 (included in the $2 children’s admission to the museum). Adult admission to the Heritage Center museum (which includes the Museum of Independent Telephony) is $6.

Rides are an additional $2.

C.W. Parker Carousel Museum with 1913 carousel 320 S. Esplanade, Leavenworth 913-682-1331 firstcitymuseums.org/carousel Open Thursday-Sunday, closed January and holidays. $6 adult admission ($3 for children) includes tour and carousel ride.

Carousel in the Park 635 SW Gage Blvd., Topeka

Harland Schuster

Rides on 1908 carousel offered weekends mid-March through October (daily in summer) for $1, 785-251-2991.

Carnival Heritage Center 113 East 6th Street, Kinsley 620-659-2201 carnivalheritage@gmail.com Open by appointment, donations accepted.

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Leavenworth’s carousel horses carry C.W. Parker’s trademark bared teeth. Opposite page: The Leavenworth carousel includes two Kansas jackrabbits. Photos by Harland Schuster.

Continued from page 19.

and then electricity. The original steam engine that powered the carousel is fired up once a year, during the annual Chisholm Trail Day festival (this year on Oct. 3), to run the carousel, according to Sheets.

“Around 1958 the carousel was sold to a drive-in theater in Riverton, Wyo., to entertain the kids before movies started,” Sheets said. When the drive-in was shut down in 1975, the owner offered to sell the carousel to the Abilene museum. A group agreed to purchase it and original steam engine for $8,900.

“That was a lot of money in 1975 and we almost didn’t buy it,” Sheets said. “But we thought it would be a great bicentennial project.”

The carousel horses were not in good shape, however, and it took nearly a decade past the intended opening during the 1976 bicentennial to repair the horses and mechanical workings. In some cases, new hooves and ears had to be carved for the horses.

Many volunteer hours and donations from the community went into the restoration with children bringing pennies to school to donate to the project, Sheets said. The restored carousel was taken to

area fairs in 1984 to help raise money for a building to house it.

Now located on the grounds of the Dickinson County Museum, the carousel currently gives about 7,000 rides per year.

It is on the National Register of Historic Places, was designated a National Historic Carousel by The National Carousel Association and was voted one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs.

C.W. Parker moves to Leavenworth While located in Abilene, Parker employed three to four wood carvers from Germany to create the horses. He also employed a lot of carnival workers for his traveling shows and “people in Abilene didn’t like them wintering there,” Sheets said. After local complaints that his building blocked traffic and would have to be moved, Parker moved his business all the way to Leavenworth in 1910.

Old #118 is the centerpiece of the C.W. Parker Museum, dedicated to preserving the memory of the carousels produced in Leavenworth. The museum, which opened in 2005, houses the fully-restored 1913 carousel with 24 horses, three ponies, two Kansas jackrabbits, a chariot and a spinning Lovers Tub.

A group of local carousel enthusiasts discovered #118 at Circusworld in Baraboo, Wisc. It was dilapidated and infested with mice. They purchased it in 1997 and brought it to Leavenworth for restoration, which took eight years and an estimated 800 hours per animal.

Each animal had to be disassembled and cleaned, and many parts had to be recarved. Each horse features real horsehair tails and two of the Parker trademarks: bared teeth and ornate carvings of flowers, animal heads or ears of corn behind the saddle’s cantle. Volunteers also repainted the carousel’s centerboards with scenes of turn-of-the-century Leavenworth and a portrait of Parker.

The music for the carousel is supplied by a 1920s era Artizan band organ.

The two-story museum has two other carousels in its collection – a primitive hand-cranked model from the 1850s (the oldest in the United States) and the aluminum Liberty Carousel, manufactured in the 1950s by C.W. Parker’s son, Paul. In addition to the carousels, the museum also features a collection of original patterns, tools, photographs and advertising memorabilia from the C.W. Parker Co. Horses from other manufacturers are also on display.

Ride 1908 carousel in Topeka Gage Park in Topeka is home of a 1908 Herschell-Spillman carousel with 22

hand-carved horses and 13 other types of animals, including dogs, zebras, chickens, rabbits, wild boars and more.

Built in New York, the portable carousel traveled with a carnival all across the country, eventually finding a home in Longview, Texas. In 1957, Charles Boyles, owner of Boyles Joyland, purchased the carousel and brought it to Topeka. When the Boyles sold Joyland in 1986, the City of Topeka acquired the carousel and it has undergone its third known restoration. The carousel houses a 1909 Wurlitzer band organ.

Kinsley carnival museum Continue the stroll down memory lane with a visit to the Carnival Heritage Center which opened in Kinsley in 1996 as a way to preserve the area’s rich carnival history.

Kinsley’s carnival heritage began in 1908 when local farmer Charles Brodbeck sold a quarter of farmland to buy his first carousel. His son, Fred, thought there was money to be made, so he borrowed $15

to take the ride on the road. The nickel rides were the seeds for six family-owned carnivals headquartered in Kinsley over the past century.

The center houses the Carousel of America, a 1900 Heyn Double Decker Carousel, the only one of its kind in North America. The carousel’s 32 animals are in the process of being restored. The center also displays artifacts, photographs and classic carnival games, preserving the traditions of the family carnival.

Joyland carousel goes to Botanica The 1949 Herschell carousel, a longtime favorite at Wichita’s now-closed Joyland amusement park, was donated to Botanica in 2014 and plans are under way for its restoration and eventual opening in the Children’s Garden.

Restoring the 36 horses and two chariots will take several years, said Marty Miller, Botanica executive director. A fundraising campaign has been started to restore the carousel to its original condition and to construct a building and garden plaza area for it.

Wichita artist Marlene Irvin, whose work has appeared in the Painted Ponies calendar and on the cover of Carousel News and Trader magazine, will completely refurbish the horses. She was also one of the main artists who designed and painted the carousel for Michael Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch.

Discover

the wide open spaces.

Traveling through Kansas?

Check out the Flint Hills Discovery Center!

A family-focused interactive learning center exploring the science & history of the Flint Hills. www.flinthillsdiscovery.org 315 S. 3rd Street Manhattan, KS 785.587.2726

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By Joan Stibal

22 l

ound up the young’uns and “get Western” at one of the many thrill-packed rodeos across the Sunflower State this year. Rodeo has the unique distinction of being the only modern sport evolving directly from everyday chores of the working class – in this case, the cowboy.

The “granddaddy” of rodeos in Kansas is the longest continuously run rodeo in the state, the Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City, which will celebrate its 78th year in 2015. Established by what’s now recognized as “Rodeo Royalty,” it started in Emmett Roberts’ Chase County pasture in the early 1930s. In 1937 an arena and stands established the rodeo in Strong City.

Emmett and Clara’s oldest child, Marge, was the rodeo ring leader. Marge and her siblings learned to ride by climbing on colts their dad brought home by the truckload and “breaking” them while riding back and forth to school.

Marge traveled with the Clyde Miller Wild West Show the summer she was 13, and joined the show when she graduated from high school. Brothers Ken and Gerald soon joined her. Marge went on to become one of the best female bronc riders of her time and the first Roberts to win a national title. She also trained and performed with trick horses.

The Dodge City Roundup Rodeo rodeo brings in world-class contenders. Photos by Harland Schuster Above: Barrel racing at the Pretty Prairie Rodeo. © FotoCowboy Left and top:

Ted Harbin, Spokesman PRCA Roundup Rodeo

Gerald was All-Around Champion Cowboy twice in the 1940s, and Ken was World Champion Bull Rider three times. Their father Emmett became a top rodeo producer and was named Rodeo Man of the Year in 1977. He served as head of the Flint Hills Rodeo Association (FHRA) board for 37 years.

“We try to put on the best show we can,” said John Weiss, current director of the FHRA, which attracts contestants from all over the country.

This year’s event June 4-6 starts with a parade on Saturday afternoon. The FHRA also sponsors a Ranch Rodeo, usually the last week in September. “It’s more like real cowboy work,” Weiss said. “We have trailer loading, cattle sorting, branding and other working ranch events.” For fun, they’ve thrown wild cow milking into the mix.

Kansas is home to dozens of rodeos each year, from Little Britches to high school, college, amateur, ranch and Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA)-sanctioned rodeos. Kansas was in the national spotlight in November 2014 when 12-time PRCA AllAround Cowboy World Champion Trevor Brazile won the national finals in steer roping – and his 20th gold buckle – at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane.

Continued on page 24.

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Continued from page 23.

Another Kansas rodeo favorite is the PRCA Roundup Rodeo – arguably the state’s largest rodeo with 700 contestants, large purses and national prestige – which takes place each year during Dodge City Days.

“Our primary purpose is to hold true to the foundation of the U.S. – the cowboy way of life,” said Ted Harbin, rodeo spokesperson. “There’s so much history in Dodge City, so much to do and see. Our rodeo is a showcase of the very best rodeo has to offer.”

The 2015 Roundup will mark its 55th

We’ve got it all Ready for you!

Chamber & Tourism EST. 1842

231 EAST WALL STREET • FORT SCOTT, KS 66701

620.223.3566 | 800.245.3678 fschamber@fortscott.com

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Julie Graber, Pretty Prairie Booster Club Board year and kicks off with an Xtreme Bull Blowout on July 28. The PRCA rodeo starts Wednesday and ends with the PRCA Championship rounds on Aug. 2. This year’s roundup features rough stock from the renowned Harry Vold Rodeo Company and clown Cody Sosebee, one of the best-known entertainers in the rodeo industry.

Another great rodeo celebrating 78 years in 2015 is the Pretty Prairie Rodeo, billed as “Kansas’ Largest Night Rodeo.”

The Pretty Prairie Rodeo also began as a pasture rodeo but was moved to the local football field after a coach suggested it be played at night under lights.

The Graber name has been closely associated with this rodeo – from pasture owner to football coach to board directors.

But “we’re not all closely related,” said Julie Graber, executive secretary of the Pretty Prairie Booster Club board, which puts on the show. “It’s a big community effort. We have more than 300 people on our volun-

teer list that make this rodeo happen. All kinds of talents are needed, and all kinds of folks step up. I think that’s what makes it special.”

Pretty Prairie, this year July 15-18, is a fast-paced rodeo with high entertainment value. It has great professional cowboys performing and still retains a special flavor of its own. “Pretty Prairie is a small town,” Graber said. “Small towns are built on family values, and we try to keep that instilled in everything we do at the rodeo.

It’s patriotic and family friendly. It combines the taming of the West with sport.

Not anywhere else can you see that. It’s a wholesome combination.”

So, pull on your boots and jeans, get ready to have a good time and marvel at the horses, bulls, cattle and legacy of the cowboys and cowgirls who tamed the American West. Many county fairs host late-summer rodeos; for other rodeo dates, check out the calendar beginning on page 28.

Abilene’s Wild Bill Hickok PRCA Rodeo, which has been named one of the country’s top five outdoor professional rodeos five times, this year will host a new event: The National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo Competition and Cowboy Entertainment Spectacular. The 70th annual rodeo will be July 29-Aug. 1 at the fairgrounds in Abilene.

After 17 years in three other states, the reins for the poetry competition have been passed to Geff Dawson, a former winner and native of Abilene. The Poetry Rodeo is fashioned after a stock rodeo, pitting the skills of one cowboy poet against the others. Poetry will be performed in front of a panel of five judges. For more info, call 785-263-2231.

photos above Left to right:

Dodge City

Roundup (Michael Snell), Miss Rodeo Kansas 2014 Katera Harter in Dodge City and Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City (Harland Schuster),

calf roping and mut-

ton bustin’ in Dodge City (Michael Snell).

The name, “rodeo,” is from the Spanish word, rodear, meaning to circle or round up cattle. Most of the roping events reflect work that still goes on managing cattle in Kansas. Cowboy “games” such as steer wrestling and bull and bronc riding provide sheer entertainment and sport. Starting with the pageantry of the grand entry parade – with cowboys, cowgirls, running

horses and flags flying – rodeo is patriotic, fast-paced, fun and family friendly.

Knowing a few rules helps understand the competition:

✪

In roping and steer wrestling (bulldogging) events, horses stand in a “box,” with a string or flag as a barrier that they have to cross when they bust out after the calf or steer. If the horse crosses the barrier too soon and breaks it, it’s a 10-point penalty.

leg of the calf. Team penning is the only current rodeo sport in which both men and women can compete together.

✪

In the bronc- and bull-riding events, the rider’s spur must be above the point of the animal’s shoulder when the animal’s front feet hit the ground or the rider is disqualified.

✪

In barrel racing, if the contestant knocks over the barrel, they get a five-second penalty.

✪

In steer wrestling, all four feet of the steer must face the same direction when they hit the ground.

✪

In team penning, contestants are disqualified if the “header” does not change the direction of the steer before the heeler catches the calf. It’s a five-second penalty if the “heeler” catches only one

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March March 1-May 17 “Save the Last Dance”

exhibition, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

March 1-July 31 Rice County Hometown

Teams Exhibit, Coronado Quivira Museum, Lyons, 620-257-9341.

March 2-31 15th Annual Parade of Quilts,

Yoder, self-guided tour, YoderKansas.com or 620-465-2220.

March 6-7 15th Annual Marble Crazy,

Moon Marble Company, Bonner Springs, marblecrazy.com, 913-441-1432.

March 13, 15 Wichita Symphony Orchestra

features Kansas native Samuel Ramey as Bluebeard with artwork by Dale Chihuly, Century II, WichitaSymphony.org, 316267-7658.

March 14 St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl, Historic Downtown Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

March 14-22 Go Wild Spring Break, bird

spotting activities, special animal demos, Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

March 17 32nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day

Parade, noon, Leavenworth, 800-844-4114.

March 17-21 NJCAA Women’s Basketball

National Championship, Bicentennial Center, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

March 21 Våffeldagen, Lindsborg, originating

in Sweden, this is a day dedicated to the waffle and the arrival of spring, visitlindsborg.com.

March 21 Elvis-Rock ’n ’Remember Tribute,

McPherson Opera House, 800-324-8022.

March 21 Spring EXPO, White Auditorium,

March 29 “American Music in Motion” Salina Symphony, fusion of classical music and contemporary dance, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, salinasymphony.org.

April April 3 Joe Nichols in Concert, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

Emporia, 620-342-1600, emporiakschamber. org.

April 3 Easter Egg Hunt, 3:30 p.m., Big Brutus, West Mineral, 620-827-6177.

March 24-26 50th Annual Mid-America

April 3-20 Tulip Time, Topeka, 785- 234-1030.

Farm Expo, Bicentennial Center, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

March 27 Dust Bowl Marathon, five towns, five states, five days, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

March 28-April 05 Messiah Festival of the

Arts, Lindsborg, 117th Midwest Art Exhibition at Sandzen Gallery, performances of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Bach’s “Passion According to St. Matthew” and Handel’s “Messiah” on Easter Sunday, visitlindsborg.com.

March 28-May 13 Midwest Wild Weather

exhibit, explore science concepts such as evaporation, condensation, heat, tornadoes and more, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

See what state has to offer at Sampler Festival The 26th version of the Kansas Sampler Festival will take place May 2-3 at Wamego City Park. The annual moveable feast of all that Kansas has to offer is a showcase for communities, musicians, artists, entertainers, food vendors and other products.

Wamego, the smallest town ever to host the Kansas Sampler Festival, broke attendance records last year, said Michelle Crisler, a local organizer of the festival. The festival has again sold out exhibitor space for 2015, and the newly introduced photographer tent will be expanded this year, Wamego City Park will again host the Kansas Crisler said.

Sampler Festival in 2015.

The primary purpose of the Kansas Sampler Festival is to provide a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy, and learn in the state, said Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation director.

Started by the foundation on the Penner farm near Inman in 1990, the festival outgrew the space and began moving to a different location every two years. The 2016 and 2017 festivals will be in Winfield.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 7-12. For more information, visit kansassamplerfestival.com.

April 4 Easter Extravaganza, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

April 4 Easter Egg Hunt, courthouse lawn, 11 a.m., Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

April 4 Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Louisburg Cider Mill, Louisburg, 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

April 5 Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m., Big Brutus, West Mineral, 620-827-6177.

April 10-26 “Deathtrap,” Salina Community Theatre, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

April 11 Eisenhower Marathon, Abilene, 800569-5915.

April 11-12 Civil War Encampment Weekend, Fort Scott National Historic Site, 620223-3566.

April 14-Aug. 2 “K is for Kansas,” exhibition at Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, smokyhillmuseum.org.

April 16-18 Grant County Spring Fling, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

April 17-18 Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale,

quilt auction, crafts, food, Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, kansas.mccsale.org.

April 17-19 Fort Hays State University NIRA Rodeo, 785-628-4689.

April 17-19 34th Annual William Inge Theatre Festival, celebrating America’s greatest playwrights, theater performances, workshops, Independence, www.ingecenter.org/festival, 620-332-5491.

April 18 Bridge2Bridge 5K Run/Walk, a race

through Topeka with different surfaces, scenes and sounds, downtowntopekainc.com.

April 18 Civil War Day, Cowtown, Wichita,

cowtown.org.

April 18 Party for the Planet, Rolling Hills

Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

April 18 Spring Crank Up! Tractor Show, Ag

Heritage Park, Alta Vista, AgHeritagePark. com, 620-767-2714.

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April 18 12th Annual Wheat State Antique

Truck Show, Newton, www.athskansas.org.

April 18-Sept. 7 “Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats,” Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

April 23 Party for the Planet, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.,

Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita , scz.org.

April 23-26 Spring into the Arts Festival, art

and music downtown and at Warkentin House, Newton, newtonarts.org.

April 24 Spring Gallery Walk, downtown

Hays, haysartscouncil.org, 785-625-7522.

April 24-26 “Quilters,” Junction City Little Theater musical theatre tribute to pioneers, C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City, 785238-3906, www.jcoperahouse.org.

April 24-May 10 “Footloose,” Columbian

Theatre, Wamego, 785-456-2029.

April 24-May 26 Paintings by Cathy Fiorelli and pottery by Gary Lincoln, Gallery XII, Wichita, 316-267-5915.

April 25 Riverfront Open Air Art Fair,

Atchison, 913-367-4ART, atchisonkansas.net.

April 25 Grand Gala Ball to celebrate the

150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, presented by the Flint Hills Victorian Dance Society, Kansas Brigade Band performing period music, Cottonwood Falls, 620273-6020.

April 25 Lindsborg in Bloom, celebration of

peace, love and all things 1960s, visitlinds borg.com.

Visit Visit

LEAVENWORTH

April 26 Flint Hills Festival, noon to 6 p.m., food and music of the Flint Hills, including Kelley Hunt and others, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

"The "The First First City City of of Kansas" Kansas"

April 28-May 3 Glass Blown Open Disc Golf

Experience Experience our our 28-block 28-block historic historic downtown downtown shopping shopping district district filled filled with with small small businesses businesses and and boutiques, boutiques, and unique restaurants, then explore our and unique restaurants, then explore our fascinating fascinating attractions attractions and and historic historic Fort Fort Leavenworth.

Leavenworth.

Tournament and block party, Emporia, 620208-3472, dynamicdiscs.com.

April 30, Get Around 2 It!, Blue Earth Plaza, Manhattan, 785-776-8829.

May May 1-3 Kansas Cowboy Mounted Shooting Sports, Bar K Bar Arena, Lyons, 620-257-5166.

May 2 Pots N Pedals, downtown Sterling, 620257-5166.

May 2 World Penguin Day, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

Contact Contact us us to to plan plan your your next next visit visit to to the the First First City City of of Kansas!

Kansas!

www.visitleavenworthks.com www.visitleavenworthks.com (913) (913) 682-4113 682-4113

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@leavenworthcvb @leavenworthcvb

May 2 11th annual Newton Downtown Car Show, newtondowntowncarshow.com, 316283-0391.

May 2 Abilene Fly-In Breakfast, Abilene Airport, 785-263-6700.

May 2 9th Annual Marble Day Celebration, downtown Bonner Springs, marbleday.com, 913-667-1703.

May 2 Tractor Cruise, National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com, 913-721-1075.

May 2-3 Millfest, McPherson County Old Mill

Museum, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com.

May 2-3 26th Annual Kansas Sampler

Festival, Wamego City Park, Wamego, 785456-1861.

Photo by IM Design Group

May 3 6th Annual Sand Plum Bicycle Classic, Hutchinson, 620-663-6179.

May 3 Cinco de Mayo, Wright Park, Dodge City, 620-225-0240.

May 3 Cinco de Mayo Celebration, noon6 p.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, scz.org.

May 3 Car Show, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org.

May 3 Buffalo Bell Stampede, 10K and 5K race

Riders will take off at 6 a.m. May 30 from downtown Emporia for the 200-mile Dirty Kanza race.

to benefit the Leavenworth Historical Society, 913-682-7759.

Dirty Kanza dispels myth that Kansas is flat

May 3 Salina Symphony: “Women in Music,” Stiefel Theatre, Salina, salinasymphony.org.

The 10th annual Dirty Kanza, bicycling’s premier endurance race over gravel, will take off May 30 from downtown Emporia in front of the historic Granada Theatre. The race gets under way at 6 a.m. with the first finishers returning 12 hours later.

The rugged 200-mile Dirty Kanza race through the Flint Hills attracts both professional and amateur riders from across the United States and around the world. The 1,500 slots in the Dirty Kanza 200 and Dirty Kanza Half Pint (100 mile) get taken within hours of registration opening. At presstime, slots were still available for the Dirty Kanza Lite 50 and Lite 20. For more information, visit dirtykanza200.com.

May 8-9 VE Day 70th Anniversary

Commemoration, Abilene, 800-569-5915.

May 8 All Schools Day Parade, McPherson, 800-324-8022.

May 9-10 Art of the Book, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

May 9 SculptureTour Salina 2015 Unveiling/ Block Party, Historic Downtown Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

History Comes Alive in Ulysses & Grant County

May 9 Fort Leavenworth Annual Historic Homes Tour, fundraiser for Fort Leavenworth Army Museum, see homes dating to the mid1800s, 800-844-4114.

V

isitors who take the Cimarron Cutoff from the Santa Fe Trail find themselves at the Lower Spring campsite nestled in the heart of the Cimarron River valley, a site now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

May 9-10 Miami County Farm Tour, 913294-4045, miamicountyks.org.

May 9-June 21 Hometown Teams Traveling

Smithsonian Exhibit, Kiowa County Historical Museum, Greensburg, 620-723-1125, kiowacountyksmuseum.org.

Stop and Stay Awhile Frazier Park features hiking & wildlife viewing. Dining options include Kansas-fed beef, a wide variety of the BEST Mexican food and catering for visiting groups.

May 10 Mother’s Day Celebration Louisburg

Cider Mill, 913-837-5202, louisburgcider mill.com.

May 10 Wild About Moms!, Rolling Hills Zoo,

Above: Jeff Trotman portrays early settler Jedediah Smith

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

along the Santa Fe Trail.

May 15-16 Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo & BBQ, Abbyville Rodeo Grounds, Abbyvillerodeo.com.

Historic Adobe Museum An interpre-

May 15-16 Flour Power Festival, Abilene Fairgrounds, 785-263-6688.

May 15-17 Kansas Paint Horse Association,

Bar K Bar Arena, Lyons, 620-257-5166.

May 15-Aug. 2 Titanoboa: Monster Snake,

Sternberg Museum, Hays, Sternberg.fhsu.edu, 785-628-5664.

May 16-17 Spring Golf Disc Tournament, Concordia and Miltonvale, 785-614-1698.

tive center for the Santa Fe Trail which includes the Hotel Edwards. 300 E. Oklahoma, (620) 356-3009.

Open daily (except major holidays).

8

wonders of Kansas!

H I S T O RY

For information on planning your visit call (620) 356-4700; or visit us on the web at www.ulysseschamber.org

KANSAS SAMPLER FOUNDATION ©

m e n t i o n t h i s a d f o r v i s i to r d i s c o u n t s

l 29

eXPeRienCe

atChison HISTORY. MYSTERY. ENTERTAINMENT.

May 17 Run For The Wall, veterans from all

wars and their supporters’ annual pilgrimage from California to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – “The Wall” – in Washington D.C. stop in Junction City, 785-238-2885, junctioncity.org.

May 21-25 Greensburg Memorial Weekend Celebration, Carnival, Arts and Crafts Festival, 5K, rodeo, alumni activities and more, greensburgks.org, 620.723.4102.

May 22-24 Little Britches Rodeo, Dodge City Roundup Arena, 620-225-2244, dodgecityroundup.org.

May 23, Bill Snyder Highway Half Marathon,

Manhattan, 785-776-8829.

May 23-24 Art in the Vines, Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Paola, 913-915-7177, somersetridge.com.

May 23-25 Highlights in History, Fort Scott National Historic Site, 620-223-3566.

May 23-25 Steam Engine rides, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Located approximately 45 minutes north of Kansas City, Atchison offers you an exciting variety of year-round events, museums, tours, shopping, dining, arts and entertainment options that provide exciting, affordable, and unique experiences for the whole family!

Birthplace of Amelia Earhart • Lewis & Clark Historic Site Muchnic Art Gallery • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Cray Historical Home Museum • Haunted Atchison Tours Shopping • Amelia Earhart Festival • Historic Trolley Tours

aPrIL-May Funky Junk Flea Market Open Air Fair Kiwanis Club Flea Market Farmer’s Market (through Oct.) Citywide Garage Sale

JunE-auGuST Summer Sounds Concert Series Juneteenth Celebration Forest of Friendship Celebration Atchison Garden Tour LakeFest Outdoor Concert Amelia Earhart Festival Ladies Summer Night Out Atchison County Fair SEPTEMBEr-OCTOBEr Haunted Atchison Season Kiwanis Club Fall Flea Market Fall Retail Open House Theatre Atchison Stage Play Taste of Atchison KC Catfish Midwest Tournament Oktoberfest Witches Night Out

nOVEMBEr-DECEMBEr Holiday Retail Open House Cash for Christmas Contest Santa House on the Mall Theatre Atchison Holiday Play Sights & Sounds of Christmas Ladies Night Out PLuS SO MuCH MOrE! For a complete list of events and things to do in Atchison, visit our “Events Calendar” on our website.

Also, be sure to sign-up for the weekly eNews to stay in the know!

Call us today and let us help you plan your trip! www.atChisonkansas.net

(800) 234-1854

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May 25 Antique Tractor & Engine Show,

Lehigh, 620-483-3370 or 620-382-6722.

May 27-30 14th Annual Cabela’s National

Team Championship Fishing Tournament, walleye fishing’s most coveted crown, Milford Lake, 785-238-2885, junctioncity.org.

May 29 Dream Night at the Zoo,Rolling Hills

Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

annUaL eVents January-MarCH Atchison Chocolate Tasting Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre Atchison Stage Play Atchison Area Bridal Show Spring Retail Open House Children’s Art Show

May 23-Sept. 20 In the Dark, discover the mysteries that the darkness holds such as caves, the deep sea, the forest at night and underneath the ground, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

May 28-30 WEEE Entertainment, downtown Ulysses, carnival rides, concessions, games, 620-356-4700.

May 29 Paintings by Jan Klassen and

sculpture by Don Lind, Gallery XII, Wichita, 316-267-5915.

May 29-June 6 Riverfest 2015 offers dozens of events in the downtown Wichita area, including concerts, food, a parade, kids’ activities and fireworks, wichitariverfest.com.

May 30 Dirty Kanza 200 Bike Race and Finish

Line Party, downtown Emporia, 620-342-1600, Dirtykanza200.com.

May 30 Steampunk Day, Cowtown, Wichita,

cowtown.org.

May 30 Spring Wild Flower Tour, Maxwell

Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

May 30 High Tea in the Grand Ballroom,

McPherson Opera House, McPherson, 800324-8022.

ONE DOLLAR OFF ADMISSION

Offer good at • • • • •

Botanica Exploration Place Mid-America All-Indian Center Old Cowtown Museum Wichita Art Museum

(Limit 4 admissions per coupon) Not valid for special events and cannot be combined with any other offer.

No cash value.

Travel Kansas 2015

SAVE

WICHITA • Visit all the Museums on the River today! l 31

June June 4-6 Annual Good Ol’ Days, Fort Scott

downtown, 620-223-3566.

June 4-6 78th Flint Hills Rodeo, Strong City, 20

15

26th ANNUAL

kansas

flinthillsrodeo.org.

June 5 ZooLaLa!, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

June 7 Hometown Teams Royalty Reception, Coronado Quivira Museum, Lyons, 620-257-9341.

June 6 Symphony at Sunset, outdoor concert

by Salina Symphony, Eisenhower Presidential Library Campus, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

June 6 Zoo Garden Tour, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

June 6 Spring Wild Flower Tour, Maxwell

Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

Architecture • art • Commerce • Cuisine CUstoms • Geography • History • PeopLE

May20152-3

June 6-13 15th Grassland Heritage Festival,

Elkhart, free fishing derby for kids and seniors, entertainment, ice cream social, Santa Fe Trail Day, cowboy cookout meal, concert, ghf.mtcoks.com.

includes original stage production about Kansas orphan train riders, Concordia, orphantraindepot.org, 785-243-4471.

best of Kansas

June 6-7 Mulvane Mountain/Plains Art Fair, Washburn University, Topeka, 90 artists, live music and food court, Washburn.edu.

June 5-13 Sunflower Music Festival, orchestra concerts, chamber music evenings, Washburn University, Topeka, sunflowermusicfestival.org.

June 5-6 National Orphan Train Celebration,

Sample the

experimental and modern biplanes, pancake feed, vendors, biplane rides, Junction City, 785-210-7500, nationalbiplaneflyin.com.

June 6 Miner Day Reunion, 1 p.m. Big Brutus, West Mineral, 620-827-6177.

June 6 National Biplane Fly-In, antique,

June 7 Blue Sky Miniature Farm’s Special Day on the Farm: the Wonderful World of Miniature Horses, 650 Locust Grove Rd., Hays, 785-625-6725.

June 7 Main Street Festival, downtown Dodge City, 620-227-9501, mainstreetdodgecity.org.

June 10-14 “Aida,” Music Theatre of Wichita,

Century II, MTWichita.org.

June 11-14 Smoky Hill River Festival, Oakdale Park, Salina, Artyopolis kids’ area, four entertainment stages, two art shows and food galore, 785-309-5770 or riverfestival.com.

June 12 National Teachers Hall of Fame Induction, Emporia, 620-341-9131, Nthf.org.

Wichita’s Premier Art Destination Since 1977

412 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67202 | www.wichitagalleryxii.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-4pm | 316-267-5915

Join us in 2015 for

Wamego City Park • Wamego, KS

Find more information on hours, admission and weekend passes at www.kansassamplerfestival.com

A project of the

Kansas Sampler Foundation ksf@wamego.net • (785) 456-1861 Photo by Colin MacMillan | www.macmillanworks.net

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Century II Performing Arts Center / 225 W. Douglas / 316.265.3107 / mtwichita.org

r o w g e w ith us in M m o C arion County When you find yourself in Marion County, you will find communities enriched with deep historical heritage dedicated to preserving the past and embracing the future.

Located in central Kansas, Marion County is a great place for shopping, driving the Santa Fe Trail, exploring museums, having a picnic at any of our beautiful parks, swimming at the County Park & Lake or boating at the Marion County Reservoir. End the day with a meal at any of the 25 restaurants and relax at one of the more than 10 bed & breakfasts or motels. But first take a moment to watch the dramatic sunset and see stars that appear brighter than they do in the city.

Lodging

Country Dreams B&B 2309 Clover, Marion • 1-800-570-0540 countrydreamsbedandbreakfast.com

Historic Elgin Hotel B&B, LLC 115 N. 3rd St., Marion • 620-382-3200 Marionelgin.com

Country Haven Inn 804 Western Heights, Hillsboro 1-877-404-2836 countryhaveninn.com

NorthShore Guest House 1475 240th, Marion • 620-382-7275 Northshore-guesthouse.com

Doyle Creek Bunkhouse 2704 110th, Florence • 620-878-4294 Doylecreek.com

The Outdoors Inn 25 Jerome St, Marion • 620-382-3228 Prescott House B&B 1864 E. 4th, Peabody • 316-215-1864 prescotthousebnb@gmail.com

Eight buildings in a village-like setting tell the story of Mennonites who emigrated from the Ukraine in 1874 Open Tues. - Sat. March-November Closed Dec. - Feb. except by appointment 200 N. Poplar, Goessel • 620-367-8200 Enjoy special events, shopping, museums and history at each of Marion County’s 12 unique communities: Burns, Durham, Florence, Goessel, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Lincolnville, Lost Springs, Marion, Peabody, Ramona, and Tampa

GrowMarionCounty.com

Marion County Economic Development • 200 S. 3rd, Suite 4 • Marion, KS 66861 • 620-382-8830

l 33

June 12-21 “Damn Yankees,” Great Plains

Courthouse, Friday evening bluegrass jam session, flinthillsfolklifefestival.com.

children’s activities, food, Ottawa City Park, 785-242-1411.

June 12-28 “Westside Story,” Salina

Community Theatre, Salina, visitsalinaKS.org.

June 13-14 Juneteenth, Atchison, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

June 19-20 Echoes of the Trail, Fort Scott, 620-223-3566.

June 13 Great Planes on the Great Plains Fly

July 17-18 19th Amelia Earhart Festival,

June 19-20 Territorial Days, Lecompton, 785-887-6148.

Theatre, Abilene, 785-263-4574.

In, Hays Regional Airport, 785-628-7370.

June 13 Symphony in the Flint Hills, Tallgrass

Prairie National Preserve in Chase County, 620-273-8955, Symphonyintheflinthills.com.

June 13 National Festival of Breads,

Manhattan Conference Center, 785-539-0255.

June 13 Prairie Days at Little House on

downtown fair, aviation displays, fireworks, Atchison, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

June 18-21 Smallville Kansas Festival,

downtown Hutchinson, vendors, entertainment, food, costumes, theater production, Smallville Comic-Con at Kansas State Fairgrounds June 20-21, smallvillecomiccon.com.

the Prairie, celebrate the pioneer spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder at the site where the family lived in Indian Territory, littlehouse ontheprairiemuseum.com, 620-289-4238.

June 19-20 International Forest of Friendship Celebration, honoring men and women of aviation and aerospace, Atchison, 800234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

June 13-14 18th Annual Flint Hills Folk Life Festival, lawn of the historic Chase County

June 19-20 SWAN Arts Festival, featuring regional and national artists, live music,

tr a nsport a t i on

June 19-21 Washunga Days Festival, Council Grove, washunga.com 620-767-5413.

June 19-24 Race Across America Bicycle,

racers will be passing through Ulysses as they travel coast to coast, 620-356-4700.

June 20 Bluegrass on the Lake, Marion County Lake, 5 to 10 p.m., marioncountyparkandlake.com.

June 20 Run-Shunga 5K Walk/Run, Council Grove, councilgrove.com 620-767-5413.

June 20 Paola Heartland Car Show, 913-294-4335, paolachamber.org.

t r a in sport a t i on®

Hop on board in Dodge City, Garden City, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Lawrence, Newton or Topeka a nd go a n y w he r e

train yourself to relax. v i s i t a mtr a k .com or c a ll 1. 8 0 0.us a . r a i l

Amtrak, Trainsportation and Enjoy the journey are registered service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

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June 21 Father’s Day Celebration, Louisburg Cider Mill, Louisburg, 913-837-5202, www.louisburgcidermill.com.

June 21 Father’s Day Car Show, Rolling Hills

Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

June 21 Father’s Day Car Show, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

June 25-28, 2015 Kicker Country Stampede,

July 4 Old-Fashioned 4th of July, Eisenhower Park, Abilene, 785-263-7266.

July 4 Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, Sterling, 620-257-5166.

July 4 Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, Boot

Hill Museum Complex, and fireworks display, Memorial Stadium, Dodge City, 620-227-8188, boothill.org.

Tuttle Creek State Park, Manhattan, 800-795-8091.

July 4 Fort Leavenworth: Fireworks and Salute to the Union, Merritt Lake, 913-684-1702.

June 27 Bonner Blast 4th of July Celebration, Bonner Springs, 913-667-1703.

July 4 4th of July Celebration, 5K Run, games, firework display, Marion, 620-429-1492.

June 27 Bonner Springs Arts

July 4 94th Annual 4th of July Celebration

Festival, downtown Bonner Springs, bonnerspringsartsalliance.com, 913-667-1703.

June 27 TAP THAT Topeka: A Capital

& Fireworks Extravaganza, largest ground fireworks display in Kansas, Peabody, 620983-2174, peabodyks.com.

Brew Festival, craft beers and hard ciders from around the country, Topeka, downtowntopekainc.com/.

July 4 Ramona Redneck Parade & 4th of July Celebration, 785-965-2621, RedneckinRamona.com.

June 27-28 Beef Empire Days, Garden City,

July 4 6th Annual Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival, Lake Shawnee, Topeka, TopekaBluesSociety.org.

620-664-7230.

July

July 8-12 “Billy Elliot,” Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

Explore Kansas

and stay at these exclusive

Hotels & Motels managed by

Burlington

Country Haven Inn | 1-800-942-8369

Coffeyville

Sleep Inn & Suites | 1-877-424-6423 Defenders Inn | 1-620-688-6900

Garnett

Garnett Inn, Suites & RV Park 1-877-448-4200

Herington

July 1-4 Wild West Festival, Hays Municipal Park, concerts, fireworks, parade, carnival, wildwestfestival.com, 785-623-4476.

July 8-12 Kansas Wheat Festival, Wellington, wellingtonks.org, 620-326-7466.

Herington Inn & Suites 1-800-597-4581

July 10 5th Annual Riverfront Music Festival,

July 1-4 Sundown Salute, the largest free multi-day Independence Day celebration in Kansas, vendors, crafts, stunt bike show, carnival, car show, food vendors, fireworks extravaganza, bands nightly, parade at 10 a.m. on July 4, Heritage Park, Junction City, 785238-3103, sundownsalute.org.

Fort Scott, 620-223-3566.

Hesston

July 3-4 World of Outlaws, Dodge City

July 10-11 Tractor Daze, Swap Meet and Mud Run, National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com, 913-721-1075.

July 10-12 IPRA-ICRA Rodeo, Saddle Club

Arena, Columbus, 620-674-8820.

Raceway Park, national series, 620-225-3277, dodgecityraceway.com.

July 10-19 “”The Dixie Swim Club,” Great

July 3-4 Uniontown Independence Day Bash

July 14-18 82nd Annual Fiesta Mexicana,

and fireworks, Fort Scott, 620-223-3566.

July 3-4 Santa Fe Trail Ranch Rodeo, Council

Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

July 3-5 Steam Engine rides, Abilene & Smoky

Valley Railroad, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Plains Theatre, Abilene, 785-263-4574.

parade, traditional food, music and dancing, Oakland neighborhood, Topeka, OLG-Parish. org/Fiesta.

July 15-18 78th Pretty Prairie Rodeo, Kansas’

largest night rodeo, dance following, 800638-2702, pprodeo.com.

AmericInn Lodge & Suites 1-620-327-2053

Hillsboro

Country Haven Inn | 1-877-404-2836

Hoisington

Rodeway Inn & Suites Choice Hotels 1-888-489-9290 or local 1-877-406-6022

Lyons

Celebration Centre Inn & Suites 1-866-372-0882

Parsons

Sleep Inn & Suites | 1-877-424 -6423

Salina

Super 8 – I-70 | 1-800-800-8000 or local 785-823-8808

WaKeeney

Super 8 Motel | 1-800-800-8000 or local 785-743-6442

ity

ctiitoisnC

Jun

Thaodt !

Go

Kansas-owned and locally operated

www.junctioncity.org

800.528.2489

High Plains Management and Development, LLC

l 35

July 25 Summer Sunset Concert, Old Prairie

Town, Topeka, visittopeka.com.

July 25 National Day of the Cowboy, Old

Abilene Town, 785-263-2681.

July 26 Steam Engine, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, 785- 263-1077.

July 26 Century Bicycle Tour, Louisburg Cider Mill, Louisburg, 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

July 29–Aug 1 Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo,

Abilene, 800-569-5915.

July 30-Aug. 1 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo, Abilene, 785-765-2357.

July 30– Aug. 3 Central Kansas Free Fair, Abilene, 800-569-5915.

Topeka celebrates spring April 3-20 with more than 100,000 tulips and daffodils blooming at Lake Shawnee’s Ted Ensley Gardens, Old Prairie Town, Gage Park’s Doran Rock Garden and Reinisch Rose Garden.

July 16-19 Franklin County Fair & Rodeo,

July 22-26 “Big Fish,” Music Theatre of

July 17-18, 24-25 Broadway RFD presents

July 23-26 Kustom Kemps of America

Ottawa, 785-242-1411.

“Wizard of Oz,” longest running outdoor theater in Kansas, Lindsborg Band Shell, 8 p.m., visitlindsborg.com.

July 17 Zoo Keeper Zone, Rolling Hills Zoo,

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

July 17-18 Junction City Rodeo, open

competition rodeo, Junction City, 785-2106536. www.junctioncity.org.

July 18 Art & Wine Stroll, Downtown Paola, Paola Chamber of Commerce, 913-294-4335, www.paolachamber.org.

July 18-25 Miami Co. Fair & Rodeo,

Miami County Fairground, 913-294-4306, miamicountykansasfair.com.

July 22-23 NCK Rodeo, NCK Arena,

Concordia, 785-614-1162.

Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

(KKOA) Leadsled Spectacular Car Show, Oakdale Park, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

July 24-28 K-18 Baseball State Tournament, Lucas, www.k18baseball.com.

July 24-Aug. 2 Dodge City Days, parade, barbecue, dozens of related events, including a PRCA Rodeo July 29-Aug. 2 and Longhorn Cattle Drive Aug. 1, 620-227-3119, dodgecitydays.com.

July 25 Show ‘N Shine Truck and Car Show,

National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com, 913-7211075.

July 25 National Day of the Cowboy, Flint

Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

S a t u r d a y , S e p t e m b e r 19 46th annual Hillsboro

Marion’s 37th annual

July 31-Aug. 1 Rhythm and Brew, Tallgrass Tap House/Manhattan City Park, 785-776-8829.

July 31–Aug. 2, Goessel Country Threshing Days, 620-367-2229, wheatco.org.

August Aug. 1 Smoky Valley Classic Car Show, Swensson Park, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com.

Aug. 1 Youth Rodeo, Council Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

Aug. 4-9 Tri-Rivers Fair, Rodeo & Draft Horse Show, Saline County Livestock & Expo Center, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

Aug. 5-9 “Hello, Dolly,” Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

Aug. 6-Oct. 3 Art by Rice County Artists

Exhibit, Coronado Quivira Museum, Lyons, 620-257-9341.

Aug. 7-16 Great Plains Theatre, “Ring of Fire,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Aug. 8 Vintage Baseball Game, Eisenhower Campus, 1 p.m., Abilene, 800-569-5915.

Aug. 8 3rd Annual Susan Convention, celebrating everyone named Susan, Concordia, 785-243-4303.

Aug. 8-9 Back to School Blast, Rolling Hills

Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Aug. 14 Zoo Brew!, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Aug. 15 Gorham Street Dance, 785-483-0463.

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Exhibitors from 16 states • German Food Fest 620.947.3506

hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.org Find us on

& Craft Show 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shady, relaxed atmosphere f o o d co u rt • f r e e s h u t t l e 620.382.3425 • marionks.com

1 D at e 2 F a i r s i n M a r i o n C o u n t y 36 l

Aug. 15 Float Your Boat Cardboard Boat

Races and Milford Lake Outdoor Water Festival, build a boat out of only cardboard and duct tape that is capable of holding at least two people, carnival, Milford Lake, junctioncity.org.

Aug. 18-Jan. 31 “The 1960s, Part I,”

exhibition, Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, smokyhillmuseum.org.

Aug. 29 Bullmania, Pretty Prairie Rodeo event, pprodeo.com.

Aug. 21-23 BeefFest, Lyon County Fairgrounds, Emporia, a celebration of the grass cattle industry, competitions, smoke-off, steak dinner, ranch rodeo, 620-342-0138, beeffest.com.

Aug. 29 Lyons Chamber Fair on the Square, Rice County Courthouse, 620-257-5166.

Aug. 22 Street Dance, live music, 8-11 p.m.,

Main Street, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com.

Aug. 22 4th Annual Fly Around Dine Around,

Kansas Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, cosmo.org.

Aug. 22 Yoder Heritage Day, parade, quilt

auction, buggy races, 620-960-0439.

Aug. 22 Santa Fe Days, Maxwell Wildlife

September Sept. 5-7 Steam Engine rides, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, 785-263-1077.

Sept. 5-7 Highlights in History, Fort Scott National Historic Site, 620-223-3566.

Sept. 5-7 Labor Day Parade & Festival,

Florence, 620-878-4296, florenceks.com.

Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

Sept. 5, 12 Fall Wildflower Tour Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

Aug. 22 Big Brutus Polka Fest, 7 to 11 p.m.,

Sept. 5-Oct. 12 Kansas City Renaissance

on grounds of Big Brutus, Columbus, 620827-6177.

Aug. 25 Fall Gallery Walk, Downtown Hays,

haysartscouncil.org, 785-625-7522.

Aug. 28-29 Roots Festival, Downtown Paola,

913-294-6427, www.rootsfestival.org.

Aug. 28-29 Tiblow Days Festival, downtown

Bonner Springs, live music, carnival, crafts, food, parade, car show, BBQ contest, bsedwchamber.org, 913-422-5044.

Aug. 28-29 When Pigs Fly In & BBQ Contest,

McPherson, 800-324-8022.

DINE

Photo by Laurel Kenney

Aug. 21-23 Tootlefest, Miltonvale celebration, 785-427-3115.

The 2015 McPherson Scottish Festival begins Friday, Sept. 25, with a Clan Fire Ceremony honoring the Scottish clans. Saturday and Sunday feature highland athletic and bagpipe competitions as well as Celtic music and children’s activities.

Festival, Bonner Springs, weekends plus Labor Day and Columbus Day, kcrenfest.com, 913721-2110.

Sept. 11-13 Huff ‘n Puff Hot Air Balloon

Sept. 6 Evening on the Riverwalk, Council

Sept. 11-13 Power of the Past Antique Engine

Grove, councilgrove.com, 620-767-5413.

Sept. 6-7 Clyde Watermelon Festival, parade,

Festival, Lake Shawnee, huff-n-puff.org. & Tractor Show, Forest Park, Ottawa, 785-242-1411.

demolition derby, watermelon feed, 785-446-3300.

Sept. 11-20 Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, kansasstatefair.com.

Sept. 7 Labor Day Festival, Burdick, 785-466-6465.

Sept. 12 Kansas Book Festival, Kansas

Sept. 11-12 Hog Wild BBQ Contest, sanctioned event with live music and salsa contest, Leavenworth, 800-844-4114.

Sept. 12 Great American Market, outdoor

Statehouse, Topeka, kansasbookfestival.com. flea market, food, car and cycle show, Emporia, 620-340-6430, emporiamainstreet.com.

PLAY SHOP SPLASH

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Lodging Special

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Sept. 12-13 Flint Hills Shakespeare: “Merry

Wives of Windsor,” Columbian Theatre, Wamego, 785-456-2029.

Sept. 13 Family Day, Flint Hills Discovery

Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

Sept. 15 53rd Annual Grant County Home

Products Dinner, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Sept. 16-20 Walnut Valley Festival, Winfield, five stages of music plus international competitions, food and crafts, wvfest.com.

Sept. 17 8th Annual Taste of Atchison, 800-

234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Sept. 18-20 Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show,

Show, Marion, 620-382-3425, marionks.com.

Institute, Salina, landinstitute.org.

Sept. 19-30 Dinosaur Revolution exhibition,

Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Sept. 25-27 5 Star Arts Festival, Abilene, 785-263-2231.

Sept. 24-26 Bald Eagle Rendezvous,

Sept. 25-27 Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, Bourbon

Lecompton, 785-887-6148.

County Fairgrounds, Fort Scott, 620-223-3566.

Sept. 25 Fall Corn Picking & Old Settler’s Day,

Sept. 26 Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair, Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Alta Vista, 620-767-2714.

Sept. 25-26 Jammin’ in JC Blues & BBQ Festival, blues bands and a four category BBQ contest in historic downtown Junction City, 785-238-2885, jammininjc.com.

Sept. 25-27 Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty

947-3506, hillsboro-kansas.com.

Pageant, outdoor pageant with a cast of hundreds chronicles 300 years of history, including the Council of 1867 between the U.S. Government and the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche and Kiowa nations, ranch rodeo and other festivities, Peacetreaty.org.

Sept. 19 Annual Art in the Park and Craft

Sept. 25-27 Prairie Festival 2015, Land

Forest Park, Ottawa, 785-242-1411.

Sept. 19 Art Gone Wild!, Rolling Hills Zoo,

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Sept. 19 Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair, 620-

Sept. 26 AMBUCS Oktoberfest & German Car Club Show, Oakdale Park, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Sept. 26 Fall Home and Garden Tour, Bonner Springs, usd204.net/educationfoundation, 913-667-1703.

Sept. 26 Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair, Salina,smokyhillmuseum.org.

Sept. 26 Aaron Douglas Art Fair, Topeka, aarondouglasartfair.com.

Sept. 26 Fall Fest, downtown Concordia, parade, rides, crafts, food, car show, family activities and music festival, 785-243-4290.

Historic Lecompton Territorial Capital of Kansas 1855

Pre-Civil War Sites Open Wednesday-Sunday: Territorial Capitol Museum and Constitution Hall Territorial Days June 19-20 Bald Eagle Rendezvous September 24-26 Christmas Vespers December 6 Tours: 785-887-6148 Lecompton Exit east of Topeka www.lecomptonkansas.com

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Sept. 26 Octoberfest, Dodge City, 620-

music on weekends, Louisburg, 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

Oct. 3 34th Annual Oktoberfest, Atchison,

Sept. 26 Old Settler’s Day, Marion, Parade, food and games, Central Park, 620-382-3425, marionks.com.

Oct. 1-31 Zombie Toxin Haunted House,

weekends, Junction City, zombietoxin.com.

Oct. 3 Lincolnville Octoberfest, 620-924-

Oct. 2 Oktoberfest, Hays, haysusa.net, 800-

Sept. 26 Vesper Vintage, Vesper, junque,

569-4505.

Oct. 3-4 Steam Engine rides, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Oct. 2-4 Mountain Man Rendezvous, Maxwell

Oct. 3-4 Cider Fest, Louisburg Cider Mill, 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

Oct. 2-31 3rd Street Asylum Haunted House, 200 E. Third Street, Bonner Springs, weekends, 3rdstreetasylum.com.

Oct. 2-Nov. 13 Haunted Trolley Tours and special events, Atchison, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Oct. 3-Jan. 17 Flint Hills Masters exhibition, a collection of paintings and sculptures interpreting a sense of place and a love for the Flint Hills by more than 50 artists from around the world, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, 785-587-2726.

Oct. 3 Apple Festival, pioneer life demon-

Oct. 4 Tour de Florence, check-in 8 a.m.,

255-5834.

repurposed, antique, rescued, primitive, vintage, 785-527-0465.

Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

Sept. 26-27 Cider Days, arts and crafts

festival with food, entertainment, petting zoo and historical re-enactments, Kansas Expocentre, Topeka, topekaciderdays.com.

Sept. 26-27 McPherson Scottish Festival,

800-324-8022.

Sept 26-27 Cider Fest, Louisburg Cider Mill, 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

Sept. 26-27 Fabulous Finds on Hwy 99,

Emporia, 620-340-6430.

strations, folk arts and crafts, foods, Old Prairie Town in Ward-Meade Park, Topeka, 785-368-2439.

Oct. 3 Fall Fest, downtown Ulysses,

Sept. 26-Oct. 25 Granny Mae’s Pumpkin

620-356-4700.

Patch in Dorrance, 785-483-9667.

Oct. 3 37th Annual Chisholm Trail Day,

Abilene, 785-263-2681.

October

Oct. 3 Blessing of the Animals, Rolling Hills

Oct. 1-3 Gordon Parks Celebration, Fort Scott

Community College, 620-223-3566.

Oct.1- 31 Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch,

Louisburg Cider Mill, apple pressing, live

Zoo, Salina, rolllinghillszoo.org.

Oct. 3 William Allen White Legacy Day,

Emporia, William Allen White Children’s Book Awards at Emporia State University, 620-342-1600.

800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

5208, marioncountyks.org/lincolnville.

downtown Florence, 620-382-7722.

Oct. 4 Atchison County Corn Shucking

Contest, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Oct. 4 Annual Fall Ranch Rodeo, Council

Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

Oct. 8 29th Annual Taste of Newton, 6-8 p.m.,

downtown, dozens of food vendors, local ethnic specialties such as verenike and Mexican fare, ToNewton.com.

Oct. 8-10 3i Show, Western State Bank Expo Center, huge trade show featuring industry,

Wellington 115th Annual Kansas Wheat Festival July 8-12, 2015 This century-old tradition dates to 1900 when residents gathered to celebrate a record-breaking wheat crop. Join us to salute the area’s rich agricultural history with days of activities.

Or visit us year-round Stroll through our historic downtown, see a first-run movie at the Regent Theater or visit the Chisholm Trail Museum, Panhandle Railroad Museum or National Glass Museum.

Sample some of the region’s best barbecue, steaks and Mexican food, or step back in time at the old-fashioned Penny’s Diner.

Photo by Susan Treft

100 95 75

Live Well,

Live Wellington

Wellington

5

Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce/ Convention & Visitors Bureau

Wichita Kansas Star Casino

25

Just 14 miles on I-35 highway

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wellingtonks.org | 620-326-7466

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implements and irrigation, Dodge City, 3ishow.com.

Oct. 16-17 16th Annual Blues Masters at

the Crossroads, Blue Heavens Studio, Salina, visitsalinakd.org.

Oct. 9-10 Svensk Hyllningsfest, 75th

anniversary of festival honoring Swedish immigrants who settled in the Smoky Valley in 1869, art, crafts, foods, music, smorgasbord, visitlindsborg.com.

Oct. 16-17, 23-24 Fort Leavenworth Haunted Tour, spooky one mile walk around post stopping at more than 10 sites to hear stories and folklore relating to ghost sightings and paranormal events, 800-844-4114.

Oct. 9-10 Oktoberbest, Atchison,

800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Oct. 9-11 Hot Air Balloon Regatta, balloon Photo by Jim Richardson

glow at dusk (Friday), three races (weather permitting), Columbus, 620-429-1492.

Oct. 10 Columbus Day Festival and Hot Air Balloon Regatta, pancake breakfast, balloon races, car show, craft fair, entertainment, 620429-1492, columbusdayballoons.com.

Oct. 10 Presidential Wreath Laying Ceremony,

10:30 a.m., Eisenhower Campus, Abilene, 800569-5915.

Oct. 10 Antique Engine & Steam Show, Yesteryear Museum, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Oct. 10 Coronado Heights Run, Lindsborg,

visitlindsborg.com.

Oct. 10 Pumpkin PaZoola, Rolling Hills Zoo,

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

The 75th anniversary Svensk Hyllningsfest features arts, crafts, a smorgasbord, Swedish dancers and other events Oct. 9-10 in Lindsborg, which pays homage to its Swedish immigrant ancestry every other year.

Oct. 10 Bethel College Fall Festival, booths, exhibits, speakers, food, music, Newton, 316283-2500.

Oct. 10 Monster Myths by Moonlight, hayrack

visitlindsborg.com.

Oct. 17 Ottawa Outdoor Vintage & Antique Flea Market, Ottawa, 785-242-1411.

Oct. 17 Creepy Crawl Halloween Event, Kansas Rocks, Fort Scott, 620-223-3566.

Oct. 17-18 Fall Farm Tour, Miami County Agritourism, 913-294-4335, ADayOnTheFarm.com.

Oct. 23-31 Neewollah, three parades,

hometown musical, chili cook-off, fun run, queen’s pageant, arts and craft show and marching band competition, Independence, neewollah.com, 877-633-9655.

ride with lessons about spiders, snakes, bats, owls and other Halloween monsters, Milford State Park, 785-238-5323, ksoutdoors.com.

Oct. 10-11 ROAR Art Show, Russell County

Oct. 17 International Lineman’s Rodeo, National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com, 913-721-1075.

Oct. 24 Crawl of the Dead, a Zombie Pub Crawl, Historic Downtown Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

4-H Building. 785-483-4039.

Oct. 24 Howl-oween Pet Parade, downtown Bonner Springs, 913-667-1703.

Oct. 11 Falun Classic 34-Mile Bicycle Ride,

OVER 1,800 SLOTS | 50 TABLE GAMES | 13 TABLE POKER ROOM SM

Our signature steakhouse features USDA Prime grade steaks & inspired fresh seafood in a cozy fireside atmosphere.

One piece of advice when you visit the live-action Kitchen Buffet - come hungry!

Reservations suggested | 316.719.5148

Kansas Star’s classic deli featuring delicious sandwiches, burgers, and fresh salads.

Enjoy our Asian noodle bar with classic Asian Noodle soup harmonizing with authenic flavors and tradition.

Stop by the Star Bar for handmade Colossal Country Cocktails, just steps from the gaming action.

Let the feeding frenzy begin with our “double fisted” burgers, local craft beers & bold cocktails.

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800.522.4700 ksgamblinghelp.com

| All casino games owned and operated by the Kansas Lottery.

Oct. 24 Graveside Conversations, Historic Fort Hays cemetery, 785-625-6812.

Nov. 7 Forks & Corks: A Taste of Fort Scott,

Oct. 24 Sunset Bison Tour, Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 800-324-8022.

Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day Parade, the largest

Oct. 25 Fort Riley Ghost Tour, walking guided

tour with ghost stories and myths of Historic Fort Riley, 785-239-2737.

Oct. 31, Haunted Boot Hill, visit the first Hays

City graveyard on Halloween night to learn about its inhabitants, 785-628-2624.

t i s i V wton e N

620-223-3566.

west of the Mississippi, Leavenworth, 800844-4114.

Nov. 13 Friday the 13th Sallie House Investigation, Atchison, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Nov. 13-14 Autumn Arts Festival, Bonner

Springs, bonnerspringsartsalliance.org.

Nov. 14 Holiday Open House and Downtown Holiday Lighting, Leavenworth, 800-844-4114.

November Nov. 2-11 All Veterans Tribute Celebration,

veteran artist exhibit, Freedom Fest Run/ Walk/Ride, parade, memorial service, essay and poster contest, Emporia, 620-342-1600, visitemporia.com.

Nov. 3-7 A Second Evening of One-Acts, Russell Community Theater Playhouse, www.russelltheater.org.

Nov. 6-8 Gathering in the Grove Art, Council

Grove, gatheringinthegrove.com.

Nov. 7 Candlelight Charm, Council Grove,

councilgrove.com, 620-767-5413.

Come

stay awhile and

dine in one of our more than 24 local restaurants, shop our downtown National Historic District,

Nov. 7 Culture Dash 5k run/walk, Mid-

America All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org.

small town charm

play a round at Sand Creek Station Golf Course, see our museums and attractions, and enjoy an array of visual and performing arts.

big time fun!

• shopping • dining • adventure www.haysUSA.net • 800.569.4505

Come to Newton ...

It’s worth the travel!

Explore our event calendar and plan your next visit.

ToNewton.com

to

Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau

Inside Newton City Hall (316) 284-3642 • ToNewton.com facebook.com/VisitNewtonKS

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www.indkschamber.org

296 STEPS

TO

THE

620.331.1890

tourism@indkschamber.org

BEST VIEW

IN

KANSAS

Climb to the top of the dome and step outside - the Kansas Statehouse is the only Capitol with a dome tour that goes all the way up! After a 13 year renovation, this historic building is gleaming like it did in 1903.

Explore VisitTopeka.com to find more than 20 things to do and see in Topeka.

VisitTopeka.com 800-235-1030

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Dec. 4-5 Frost Fest Weekend, lighted holiday parade, Hays, DowntownHays.com, 785-621-4171.

Dec. 5-6 Home for the Holidays, Heritage

Dec. 4-5 Christmas Past, Historic Fort Hays

Abilene, 800-569-5915.

Kansas Sampler Foundation

decorated for Christmas in 1870s, 785-625-6812.

Dec. 4-5 Candlelight Tour, Fort Scott National

Historic Site, 620-223-3566.

Dec. 4-5, 11-12 Old Time Holiday

Happenings, vintage holiday celebration with Victorian dinner at Old Prairie Town at WardMeade Park, Topeka, 785-368-2439.

Emporia, the founding city for Veterans Day, hosts a Tribute Celebration Nov. 2-11 which includes a parade, talent show, art exhibit, memorial service and other festivities. A year after Emporia celebrated all veterans in 1953, President Eisenhower signed the bill establishing Veterans Day as a national holiday.

Dec. 4-5, 11-12 Victorian Christmas,

Cowtown, Wichita, cowtown.org.

Dec. 5 Artists’ Studio Open House, Lindsborg,

visitlindsborg.com.

Dec. 5 Holiday Open House, Smoky Hill

Museum, Salina, smokyhillmuseum.org.

Home Tours, Abilene, 800-569-5915.

Dec. 6 Christmas in the Cabin, 6 p.m., Dec. 6 Cookies with Santa, Rolling Hills Zoo,

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Dec. 6 Christmas Vespers, 40 trees decorated

with vintage decorations (Nov. 1-Jan. 1), Lecompton, 785-887-6148.

Dec. 6-7 Holiday Open House, Louisburg

Cider Mill, 913-837-5202, louisburgcider mill.com.

Dec. 10, 17, 19, 21, 22 Holiday Light Trolley

Tours, McPherson, 800-324-8022.

Dec. 11-13, 18-20 Christmas Traditions

Trolley Tours, Abilene, 785-263-2231.

Dec. 12 Lucia Day, Swedish holiday

Dec. 5 Fort Riley Tour of Homes,

celebrating the Winter Solstice, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com.

Nov. 14-15 Holiday Open House, Louisburg Cider Mill , 913-837-5202, louisburgcidermill.com.

Dec. 5 5th Annual Sights & Sounds of

Christmas, Atchison, 800-234-1854, atchisonkansas.net.

Dec. 13 Leavenworth Candlelight Vintage Homes Tour, visit the Carroll Mansion and six vintage homes, leavenworthhistory.org.

Nov. 21 Christmas Festival & Parade of Lights, Historic Downtown Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

Dec. 5,12, Old-Fashioned Christmas, Old Mill

Dec. 17 Main Street Blaze, old-fashioned

785-239-2737, fortrileyhistoricalsociety.org.

Museum, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com.

Christmas celebration, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Nov. 21-22 Tumbleweed Bazaar, Grant

County Civic Center, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

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Nov. 27 Christmas Parade, floats, bands,

lights and the arrival of Santa Claus, Junction City, junctioncitychamber.org.

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Nov. 28 Miracle on Kansas Avenue,

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community Christmas tree lighting, parade, downtown Topeka, 785-234-9336.

Nov. 27-Nov. 30 2017 Agricultural Options Exhibit, Coronado Quivira Museum, Lyons, 620-257-9341.

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Nov. 28-30 Seelye Mansion Christmas Tours,

Abilene, 785-263-1084.

0

Nov. 30 Christmas Parade of Lights &

ChiliFest, Old Dodge City, 620-225-8186, visitdodgecity.org.

Nov. 30-Dec. 5 Old-Fashioned Christmas,

downtown Sterling, 620-257-5166.

December Dec. 1 Christmas Parade, downtown Emporia,

7 p.m., 620-342-1600, emporiakschamber.org.

Dec. 1-31 Seelye Mansion Christmas Tours, Abilene, 785-263-1084.

Dec. 2 Christmas Celebration, Parade,

Children activities, food, Columbus, 620-429-1492.

Dec. 3 Christmas Light Parade, downtown

Ulysses, 6:30 p.m., 620-356-4700.

Dec. 4-20 Drive-thru Christmas Light Show (weekends only), Yesteryear Museum, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

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Abilene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 19, 20, 24 Amtrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Assaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Atchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Augusta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Baldwin City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Hogden House Museum Complex 9 historic properties • 785-472-3059

Paden’s Place Restaurant & Bar

Family Dining • Chicken Fried Steaks Specialty 785-472-3643

America’s Best Value Garden Prairie Inn

Indoor pool, spa, meeting rooms, guest laundry 785-472-3116

C&R Old West Trading Post

Western Wear • Antiques • Saddles • Accessories 785-472-3919

Hogden House Museum Complex 9 historic properties • 785-472-3059

114½ N. Douglas Ellsworth, KS&67439 Paden’s Place •Restaurant Bar

785-472-4071 • ecofc@eaglecom.net Family Dining • Chicken Fried Steaks Specialty 785-472-3643 www.goellsworth.com America’s Best Value Garden Prairie Inn

Indoor pool, spa, meeting rooms, guest laundry 785-472-3116

Get aboard the past today TRN • 05/01/2013 • 4C • 1/8 V in Baldwin City

C&R Old West Trading Post

Western Wear • Antiques • Saddles • Accessories MIDLAND RAILWAY 785-472-3919

Midland Railway• Ellsworth, HistoricalKSAssociation 114½ N. Douglas 67439 785-472-4071 • ecofc@eaglecom.net www.goellsworth.com

The Midland Railway operates excursion trains on a line originally constructed in 1867. Train rides feature an over20-mile round trip from Baldwin City via “Norwood, Kansas” to Ottawa Junction, Kansas, traveling through scenic Eastern Kansas farmland and woods via vintage railway equipment.

Join us for a train ride – bring the whole family!

Normal excursions trains June – October every year.

Special Events Include: • Easter Bunny Train • Thomas the Tank Engine • Haunted Halloween Train • Santa Express

1515 W. High Street Baldwin City, KS 66006-0005

Phone (913) 721-1211 Depot (785) 594-6982 www.midlandrailway.org

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Belleville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Bonner Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chase County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 9 Cloud County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Coldwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 13 Columbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Concordia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 44 Council Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9 Dodge City . . . . . 2, 21, 24, 25, 28, back cover Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 44 Emporia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 12, 29, 43 Fort Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Franklin County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Greensburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Hillsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Hutchinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 12 Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Junction City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 35 Kanopolis State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Kinsley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Leavenworth . . . . . . . . cover, 1, 12, 20, 21, 28 Lecompton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Liberal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lindsborg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 40 Louisburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 14, 16, 17 Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 25 Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Manhattan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 21 Marion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 36 Marion County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 36 Marysville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 McPherson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13, 37, 38, 43 Medicine Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 17 Miami County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 14, 16, 17 Mulvane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Oakley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 13 Paola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 14, 16, 17 Phillipsburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Pittsburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Pretty Prairie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 24, 43 Rice County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Russell County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Salina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside front cover, 13 Scott City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Strong City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 24 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve . . . . . 4, 9 Topeka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 19, 29, 36, 42 Ulysses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Wamego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13, 27, 32 Wellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Wichita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 21, 30, 32 Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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