Prairie Women: Engaging Women Of The Flint Hills

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If you  love  the  Flint Hills , you won't want to miss  Prairie Hollow Productions ' screening of "Prairie Women: Engaging Women Of The Flint Hills", a feature-length film profiling notable women promoting, preserving & protecting the Flint Hills, Sunday, April 15 at  Great Plains Theatre .

There is no charge for admission, but attendees are encouraged to register online.

Note: Those who love Sunflower Journeys will remember Prairie Hollow Productions' co-founder, Dave Kendall as its host for nearly 30 years. Kendall also has ties to Dickinson County. We are pleased he chose Abilene's Great Plains Theatre as one of the theatres to screen "Prairie Women: Engaging Women of the Flint Hills." 

Please make sure to arrive early.
Abilene Welcomes Bus Tours

Thanks to visitors from Arvest Bank (Arkansas) and Watonga Travelers (Oklahoma) for visiting Abilene!

Hosting a group tour, meeting or event in Abilene? Contact the Abilene CVB for assistance!



Abilene CVB Shares Abilene with New York

Thanks to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, the Abilene
Convention and Visitors Bureau had the opportunity to meet with magazine editors from the Meredith Corporation ( FamilyCircle, Martha Stewart Living, MidwestLiving, etc.) and freelance travel writers in New York. 

In addition, the Meredith Corporation recently acquired Time Magazine. Dwight D. Eisenhower appeared on the cover of Time Magazine six times (Nov. 16, 1942, Jan. 1, 1945, June 16, 1952, July 4, 1955, Jan. 4, 1960, and April 4, 1969).

Discussions focused on Abilene's 5-Star Attractions including:
  • Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home - named #1 Kansas Attraction by USA Today
  • Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad - home to the only operational steam locomotive in Kansas
  • Historic Seelye Mansion - furnished with items from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright, it's also home to a wooden bowling alley that's more than 120 years old!
  • Dickinson County Heritage Center / C.W. Parker Carousel - oldest operational Parker Carousel known to exist
  • Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum - Abilene is the Greyhound Racing Capital of the World
  • Great Plains Theatre - provides live, professional theatre and educational programs
  • Old Abilene Town - named #1 True Western Town by True West Magazine
In addition to sharing information about these attractions, some of the media pitches included:
  1. Food - Dine like a President:
       The President's favorite restaurant, Lena's (now Mr. K's Farmhouse)
  2. Business - How one entrepreneur changed the west: Joseph McCoy and the Chisholm Trail
  3. Women - Unique wedding reception venues: Eisenhower Presidential Library Ballroom
  4. Home & Garden - Frontier cabins, the original "tiny houses" (Dickinson County Heritage Center / Old Abilene Town cabins)
  5. Family - Memorable train rides for families (Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad)
  6. Sports - Rodeo at its best: PRCA's Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo
"The conversations were great!" said Julie Roller, director, Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Our visit was timely (with the upcoming Eisenhower Presidential Museum renovation, as well as the 75th Anniversary of D-Day) and we want to help these well-known publications share our stories." 

Other communities represented included: Manhattan, Dodge City, Kansas City, Chanute, Lecompton and Lindsborg.

"This was our opportunity to showcase our communities, build relationships and extend our reach far beyond traditional advertising," Roller said. "I'm excited to see what transpires!"
New Display Showcases "Old" Abilene

Ever wonder what Abilene looked like 150 years ago when longhorn cattle and cowboys roamed the streets? Check out the newest display at the  Dickinson County Heritage Center !


Greyhound Racetrack Model Receives Makeover

Thanks to John Weigle and the Arts Council of Dickinson County, the Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum's racetrack is receiving a makeover!


New Merchandise in Abilene CVB Travel Information Center

Now Available: Abilene soup and coffee mugs (new colors, too!). Eisenhower's Chili  works great in these new mugs!



Country Restaurants in Kansas

You'll find that lifelong Kansans tend to enjoy home-style food better than the faster alternatives. Nothing's better than a plate full of gravy smothered chicken fried steak or even just a slice of fresh homemade pie. So we took the idea of Kansas comfort food and brought you these 9 country restaurants right here in Kansas that'll have you salivating before you can even get there. Have you been to all of these?

Eisenhower Marathon Success Despite Cold Temps

Despite the cold temperatures on Saturday, 266 runners participated in the Eisenhower Marathon. Runners from all parts of the United States participated in the Eisenhower Marathon, including 93 marathon finishers!

Thanks to June DeWeese, the Viola family and all of the volunteers who helped make this event a success!


KANSAS! Magazine's Weekend Getaways Finalists

Abilene named one of the 20 finalists for KANSAS! Magazine's Favorite Weekend Getaway contest.

Sometimes you just have to get away. Maybe as a couple, family or just some friends needing to unplug and reconnect. What's your favorite destination in Kansas to take a weekend getaway?

Voting has begun, you can vote daily through March 16 and May 31. Winning "Weekend Getaways" will be announced in the winter 2018 issue.
Readers' Choice Guidelines
  • Vote daily between now and May 31st.
  • Winners will be determined by the total number of votes received.
  • Winners will be revealed in the winter 2018 edition of the KANSAS!.
Please vote daily for Abilene using:

Skydive K-State - 3K Day

Come watch the K-State skydivers attempt to make 300 jumps in a single day.

The K-State Parachute Club invites you to watch  3K Day on  April 14th.  Low-altitude jumps from 3,000 ft will be clearly visible from the ground, and the airplane will be dropping jumpers every 10 minutes.  During the event, the club will hold an accuracy landing contest, and spectators will be welcome to gather around the target.  Additionally, some jumpers will be training in the exciting discipline of high performance canopy piloting, flying just feet above the ground in excess of 70 mph.

When arriving for spectating, please seek out a staff member for a briefing of landing area safety and what to expect.  Lawn chairs will be allowed for watching the accuracy contest, but please be aware that jumper experience levels vary, and it will be the spectator's responsibility to avoid incoming competitors who may be slightly off-target.

Jumping will begin at approximately  7am and continue all day.  Hope to see you there!

Saturday, April 14, 2018
Abilene Municipal Airport 
7:00 a.m.
Reitz & Rust Vintage Market and Camper Show

Visit Abilene, Kansas for the Reitz & Rust Vintage Market and Camper Show. Featured in SouthernLiving this is one event you won't want to miss!

Saturday, April 28, 2018
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
$4 admission

 
Note: The Abilene CVB is proud to sponsor welcome bags for the first 100 attendees. Businesses, attractions or organizations who want to place items/information in the welcome bags must have all items to the CVB office by Friday, April 20.
Arts & Ales

Save the date! Join the Arts Council of Dickinson County for their inaugural Arts & Ales fundraiser featuring craft beer samples from Kansas breweries, live music and silent auction. 

Saturday, April 28, 2018
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Little Ike Park / Parking Lot
Downtown Abilene

Tickets:
Pre-sale - $30
At the gate - $35

Vendors Wanted

Abilene will be the scene of its first ever outdoor antique festival in the downtown area on May 12.  Five blocks will be closed to traffic and filled with vendors selling vintage, retro, antique furniture and decor, repurposed items, and food.  The event is being presented by two downtown antique malls, Mud Creek and Abilene Downtown Antique Mall and is being organized by volunteers who plan to make this an annual event.
 
Anyone interested in being a vendor can email  abileneantiquefest@gmail.com .    
Car & Truck Show

Join Holm Automotive Center for a fun-filled day celebrating their 35th Anniversary!

Saturday, May 19
10:00 a.m. - 
3:00 p.m.
Throwback Thursday: Homeless Children to be Brought Here for Homes

Information compiled by Shayley George, Curator, National Orphan Train Complex, Concordia, Kansas.

Abilene Daily Reflector, Wed. 20 March 1912
Photo courtesy of the National Orphan Train Complex, Concordia, KS

HOMELESS CHILDREN TO BE BROUGHT HERE FOR HOMES.

On Friday, March 29th, a party of homeless boys and girls from New York will arrive in Abilene in charge of an agent of the Children's Aid Society, who will endeavor to find homes for them here.

These children are not from the streets but are bright well trained children from the best orphanages of the east.

Parties taking them will be expected to treat them in all respects like a member of the family. They are to be kept until 18 years of age but may be returned at any time by notifying the agent, who will call for the child, should they prove unsatisfactory. The society reserves the right to remove a child at any time should the home prove to be unsuited to the needs of the child.

Dr. C.C. Jones, mayor of Marion was in the city and made arrangements for the distribution. He says there are 42 of these children in Marion county and that they are all doing well. He also vouches for the society and its methods and the fact that they bring only bright healthy children. The public is asked to see the children and hear the address by Miss Anna L. Hill, who will be in charge of the party. They will be at the Seelye Theatre at 10:30 and 2 o'clock on Friday, March 29. The following well known citizens have kindly consented to act as a local committee to assist Miss Hill; J.B. Case, J.M. Walters, E.B. Maiott, Judge W.S. Anderson, I.B. Martin and Dr. P.B. Witmer.


5 Star Reviews - Dickinson County Heritage Center

We loved seeing the Heritage Center. The telephone history display was great and we enjoyed seeing all of the buildings outside. The best part for me was the 1901 carousel. It is very unique and can be ridden for a very little fee.

-Judy S

"The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
June 22, 1945

train
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad

The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad's 2018 schedule is now available online. Book early to reserve prime dates!

Dickinson County Heritage Center Fundraising Auction

Join the Dickinson County Heritage Center on Saturday, April 14 for a fundraising consignment auction. 


Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home


Saturday, April 14
Remembering Vietnam Symposium
Visitors Center Auditorium

The Dwight D.  Eisenhower   Presidential   Library  and Museum at  200 SE Fourth Street  in Abilene, Kan., is hosting a gathering to honor Vietnam veterans and their families titled "Remembering Vietnam" on  Saturday, April 14 .

The event begins at 10 a.m. with a keynote address by Chris Lovett, Vietnam veteran and professor at Emporia State University, presenting an overview of the Vietnam War. A panel discussion about federal policy will follow at 11:15 a.m. At 2 p.m. there will be a panel discussion with Vietnam veterans. At 3:30 p.m. Rick Williamson, a Vietnam veteran who returned to Vietnam for a 19-day tour in 2015, will present "Vietnam: Then and Now."

Vietnam veterans and their families are encouraged to attend and share their experiences with others who understand. They can learn how to participate in "Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War," an oral histories and memoir writing project. Oral histories will be filmed April 17 and 18 and the memoir writing workshop will be held on Armed Forces Day, May 19.

"Remembering Vietnam" is presented in part by the Lawrence F. O'Brien Family, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, AARP, and the National Archives Foundation. Project is sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council, in partnership with the Veteran History Project at the Library of Congress and the Veterans Voices Writing Project.

For more information, visit:  www.eisenhower.archives.gov
.



New merchandise available in Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum
Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum

Greyhound fans from around the country will soon flock to Abilene for the  National Greyhound Association 's spring meet. 

Great Plains Theatre

Live Literature
Dust off your cowboy hat and dig out your spurs,  Great  Plains  Theatre's Live Literature returns this April with Happy Trails, a tale of mischief, magic and mayhem on the old Chisholm Trail. 

Students this year will follow a brother and sister as they move from Texas to Abilene, with a brief stop in the Old West! How did they end up in the back of a chuck wagon instead of their family pickup? How will they ever find their way home back to the present? Young viewers will learn fun and interesting facts about the history of the Chisholm Trail, the story of which still impacts our area today!

Happy Trails was written incorporating stories and poems from our statewide Creative Writing contest that encouraged elementary students to think and write about the history of our Land, especially Kansas. Winners of the contest include: Zaylah Wray of Hesston, who took first place, Tori Breen of Holton, who tied for second with a group of students from Abilene's McKinley Elementary, Elissa Sweat, Kenlie Delay, Carstyn Smith, and Maddy Keller.

Happy Trails begins its performance week on  Great  Plains  Theatre's stage on  Monday, April 9, which will be followed by a week of touring  Monday, April 16. Both touring and in-house performances still have tickets and spots available, for only $3 a ticket. For information on how your students can experience Live Literature you can email  info@greatplainstheatre.com, call the office at 785-263-4574, or stop by  401 Cottage Ave, Abilene.


Coming soon:
  • K-State Skydivers at Abilene Municipal Airport - April 14
  • Dickinson County Heritage Center consignment auction - April 14
  • Prairie Women: Engaging Women Of The Flint Hills - April 15
  • National Greyhound Association's Spring Meet - April 16-21
  • Reitz & Rust Spring Vintage Market - April 28
  • Arts & Ales - April 28
  • Antique Fest - May 12
  • Car & Truck Show - May 28
Share your news!
Have an upcoming event? Help us, help you. We do our best to stay up-to-date, but please make sure to include us in your event and special promotions. Please send announcements to: director@abilenecityhall.com.