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It’s been a big year for Kansas, and the organizers of the Kansas Sampler Festival are planning an appropriately big celebration.
Leavenworth County will host the two-day festival this year, the second in a two-year stint, beginning with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday on the grounds of Ray Miller Park in Leavenworth, 4201 S. Fourth St. Last year, the state’s biggest travel show set a record for attendance since the festival began in Inman, Kan., in 1990 as a signing event for Marci and her father Mil Penner’s “Kansas Weekend Guide.” This despite at times unfavorable weather.
“It’s all about teaching Kansans about Kansas,” Keyta Kelly, the festival’s director, said of the event’s aim. “They’ll come away with a whole new understanding of what there is to see and do in Kansas.”
The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
To recognize the sesquicentennial, Kelly said the steering committee has planned some unique features for the festival this year. Though the festivities have always included a nod to the state’s past, Kelly said in 2011 there will be even more reason to look back. Aside from temporary tattoos with the Kansas 150 logo on them that will be handed out to all visitors, Kelly said there is also the “Sesqui-quest.” In that game, she said those attending will have to find two famous Kansas figures hidden throughout the crowd for a chance to win a basket filled with regional products.
“In order to find them, they will have to ask around,” as the famous Kansans will not be in character, Kelly said.
The festival’s organizers also plan to honor the mothers, as Sunday is Mother’s Day. Kelly said the first 500 mothers who show up to the gates will receive a special gift — a coupon for $2 off drinks or purchases made at the Carroll Mansion’s annual herb market, which will be conducted on the fesitval grounds this year.
“We’re trying to encourage people to say ‘it’s Mother’s Day — this is where I’m going,’” instead of staying home, she said.
Kelly said for another first this year, the organizers have set up a section of the grounds dedicated to children.
More than 150 communities will be represented at the event, with more than 275 different exhibitors and vendors offering food, drinks and other products, from Becky’s Bierocks from the tiny northwestern Kansas town of St. Francis to the brewers and vintners of the Kansas wine and beer tent. Others are booths providing a look at some different attractions that can be seen in the state — the Underground Salt Mine in Hutchinson or the Pancake Day Hall of Fame in Liberal, Kan.
It’s been a big year for Kansas, and the organizers of the Kansas Sampler Festival are planning an appropriately big celebration.
Leavenworth County will host the two-day festival this year, the second in a two-year stint, beginning with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday on the grounds of Ray Miller Park in Leavenworth, 4201 S. Fourth St. Last year, the state’s biggest travel show set a record for attendance since the festival began in Inman, Kan., in 1990 as a signing event for Marci and her father Mil Penner’s “Kansas Weekend Guide.” This despite at times unfavorable weather.
“It’s all about teaching Kansans about Kansas,” Keyta Kelly, the festival’s director, said of the event’s aim. “They’ll come away with a whole new understanding of what there is to see and do in Kansas.”
The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
To recognize the sesquicentennial, Kelly said the steering committee has planned some unique features for the festival this year. Though the festivities have always included a nod to the state’s past, Kelly said in 2011 there will be even more reason to look back. Aside from temporary tattoos with the Kansas 150 logo on them that will be handed out to all visitors, Kelly said there is also the “Sesqui-quest.” In that game, she said those attending will have to find two famous Kansas figures hidden throughout the crowd for a chance to win a basket filled with regional products.
“In order to find them, they will have to ask around,” as the famous Kansans will not be in character, Kelly said.
The festival’s organizers also plan to honor the mothers, as Sunday is Mother’s Day. Kelly said the first 500 mothers who show up to the gates will receive a special gift — a coupon for $2 off drinks or purchases made at the Carroll Mansion’s annual herb market, which will be conducted on the fesitval grounds this year.
“We’re trying to encourage people to say ‘it’s Mother’s Day — this is where I’m going,’” instead of staying home, she said.
Kelly said for another first this year, the organizers have set up a section of the grounds dedicated to children.
More than 150 communities will be represented at the event, with more than 275 different exhibitors and vendors offering food, drinks and other products, from Becky’s Bierocks from the tiny northwestern Kansas town of St. Francis to the brewers and vintners of the Kansas wine and beer tent. Others are booths providing a look at some different attractions that can be seen in the state — the Underground Salt Mine in Hutchinson or the Pancake Day Hall of Fame in Liberal, Kan.
Other vendors will be selling everything from chocolates to jewelry, goats milk soap to souvenirs and Kansas authors, artists, musicians and historical performers will all be on hand in tents or on stage all day, each day.
Some of the exhibitors will be returning from 2010, plus Kelly said there are some new booths also lined up for the festival, like the Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm of Nickerson, Kan., which will have a baby alpaca and a baby camel in tow.
Though about 8,500 came through the gates last year, Kelly said she hopes the buzz the second year and the additional features draw even more people this time around.
“We think we have done better marketing this year,” she said. “We’re really optimistic that we will at least meet the attendance we had last year.”
Those visitors, Kelly said, will hopefully be inspired to visit some of those sites and cities themselves. From specialty foods to unique celebrations, Sampler Foundation Assistant Director WenDee LaPlant said the festival aims to shed light on some of the lesser-known attractions in the state.
“On this weekend, we celebrate all that is Kansas, but the desired outcome of the festival is to inspire people to travel the state year round,” she said.
It works the other way, too — Kelly said one of the success stories that she could remember from 2010 is Dennis Bixby of Tonganoxie, who after last year’s festival has sold some of his handcarved wood products in stores throughout the state.
This year, there will be one thing that visitors do not have to worry about. The rain in 2010 rendered parts of the festival grounds muddy, but Kelly said precautions are now being taken to avoid that as much as possible. The tents have all been moved to higher ground and are closer together — rain or shine, Kelly said the festival will be open.
“Most of the booths are inside tents,” she said. “You can stay pretty dry walking around.”
Kelly encouraged those who have not been to the festival to check it out — the event is scheduled to move to Liberal for the next two years.
