Come to the statewide birthday party for Kansas! The Kansas 150 Festival celebrating the Sunflower State’s sesquicentennial takes place in downtown Wichita, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.
The “Kansas Sunflower Parade” starts at 11 a.m. along Main St. onto Douglas Avenue in front of Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center. More than 100 entries from across the state include marching bands from Goodland to Erie, the Mahaffie stagecoach, current and former Miss Kansas pageant winners, a 400-member Wichita JROTC, and a calliope from the American Guild of Organists.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., an open-air encampment and fair will be set up on the west side of Century II with booths displaying Kansas-made food, arts and crafts, and community groups. In addition there will be information about the Kansas Historical Society and attractions such as the Kansas Underground Salt Museum and the Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park, and various cultural products.
The festival concludes with a special “Kansas: Home on the Range” concert at 2:30 p.m. More than 60 performers will present the state’s history and culture through a combination of songs, poetry and video.
Admission for the concert is $5. Admission is free for the parade and encampment. For more information about the Kansas 150 Festival, please visit www.ks150.org.
