music

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
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Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

The Flint Hills culture is built on prairie grasses.  Too rocky to be tilled, the rugged limestone underlying the prairie soils spared the majority of this landscape from the homesteaders plow.  While the sodbusters moved on to more amenable locations, the ranchers established a stronghold in the Flint Hills.  The expansive cattle ranches throughout the area have effectively kept large contiguous tracts of tallgrass prairie intact to this day.   While much of the Flint Hills is in private hands, there’s no better place to experience the sublime beauty of the prairie than at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Strong City.  A multitude of hiking trails follow old ranch roads throughout the preserve, and the trails are open 24/7 affording opportunities for night hiking as well. Kids will enjoy hiking the Southwind Nature Trail to the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, a one-room country school, built in 1882 and still standing strong.

Ranch house

Stephen Jones Ranch House Photo by Mark Conard

Lower Fox Creek School Photo by Mark Conard

Lower Fox Creek School
Photo by Mark Conard

The schoolhouse is open for tours on Saturdays from 12-4 during May-June and September-October. Hard-core hikers will want to experience the expansive backcountry trails that start behind the historic stone barn, and we recommend the Scenic Overlook Trail or Crusher Hill Loop for spectacular views of wide-open prairie. Watch your step when crossing through Windmill Pasture as bison roam freely through this area and there have been recent reports of aggressive behavior. Front-country trails winding along Lower Fox Creek are sheltered from the wind and are a great spot to view a diverse assortment of wildlife.

If you’re able to visit this weekend (April 26th) there’s a special event “Let’s Experience the Great Outdoors” sponsored in partnership with Backwoods, which includes opportunities for volunteer service, kids activities, crafts, and demonstrations.  There are great hiking opportunities as part of the event and knowledgeable park rangers will lead a family-friendly hike along the Southwind Nature Trail (12:30 – 1:30), a longer nature hike into the backcountry (1:30 – 3:30) and even a special night hike from 9:00 – 10:00 PM.

After a day on the trail, take some time to experience the ranching culture of the Flint Hills,  which is still alive and strong in the nearby towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. The annual Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City will be held from June 5-7 and is the longest-running consecutive rodeo in Kansas.  Cottonwood Falls is also home to the legendary Emma Chase Cafe and Music Hall. The food is certainly good but the main attraction each Friday night is the acoustic jam session. Check out the full schedule of performers and get ready for some authentic music from the heart of the Flint Hills. It’s an experience like no other and has been named one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas Customs” by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.  Each Friday features a different genre, ranging from acoustic country, gospel, bluegrass, and old-fashioned rock-n-roll.

 

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Food and fun: Smoky Hill River Festival June 6-9, 2013

Art installation at the 2012 Smoky Hill River Festival. Photo by TravelKS

Art installation at the 2012 Smoky Hill River Festival. Photo by TravelKS

The 37th Smoky Hill River Festival has kicked off with a concert tonight followed by events all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

We lived for six years in Salina, and every year, I was surprised and amazed by the wealth of art, crafts, music, and food. Delicious, delicious fair-style, food-truck food. Funnel cake for breakfast? Don’t mind if I do. Turkey leg as big as my face? Sure!

Art installations are scattered around the park, and there’s a fine art show and demonstrations along with tents with activities for kiddos, like craft making and face painting. One of my favorite memories from River Fest (along with the blur of good food, good friends, and good music) was finding a drawing with my brother that we wanted to get for my dad for his birthday. It was an ink drawing that was reversible – flip it one way and it told one story, the other way and it told another – from despair to hope just on the perspective of the image.

Musician Amanda Barrett of The Ditty Bops perf...

Musician Amanda Barrett of The Ditty Bops performing at the 2007 Smoky Hill River Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was around $50, which for us, as high school students who mowed lawns for cash, was a lot of money. We spotted it on a Sunday, the last day of the festival, and we thought it would be just about the coolest gift we could come up with. Far and above the gifts of stapled together coupon books (1 free hug for Dad. 1 session of washing dishes).

We scraped together the $50 and came running back, hoping that the artist hadn’t sold the painting yet. He hadn’t, but we weren’t yet in the clear. We’d neglected to think through the additional amount for tax. We looked at each other in dismay – we’d lost after all. But the artist (I wish I remembered his name!) took pity on us and waived the tax. The drawing still hangs in our parent’s house today. It was a simple thing, but the kindness of the artist, when he could have just shrugged his shoulders and said sorry, has stayed with me.

Every hour throughout the weekend starting from 10am and running through the evening, there will be music performances, with the main events happening at Eric Stein stage on Friday and Saturday night. Check out the full schedule here.

Food court. Photo by TravelKS

Food court. Photo by TravelKS

Where: Oakdale Park at South Second and Mulberry. Parking and free shuttle service at Bicentennial Center

When: Gates open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings at 9:30am

Cost: A River Fest button is required, and they’re $15 at the gate if you didn’t get one ahead of time. The button gets you into all 3 days. Kids 11 and under get in FREE!

What’s your favorite River Festival memory? Let us know in the comments!