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Abilene Tourism Advocate
April 14, 2022
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Best Historic Small Town - USA Today Readers (2021) |
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Abilene Finalist in TravelAwaits Best of Travel Awards |
Thanks to everyone for nominating Abilene! We are now a finalist for the TravelAwaits Best of Travel awards in the following categories:
- Favorite U.S. Small Town
- Friendliest Small Town
Of note: Abilene received the Best U.S. Small Town award from Travel Awaits in 2021, so let’s see if we can make it two in a row!
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Update:
We are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. (The last museum entry is 2 p.m.) Guests will be able to view the museum exhibits, Place of Meditation, Visitors Center/Gift Shop and walk the beautiful 22-acre campus.
The research room is open to researchers Wednesday and Thursday by appointment only. The boyhood home is currently closed for a preservation project. Face coverings are required during periods of High community levels. The community level is subject to change on a weekly basis.
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Abilene CVB Represents Tourism Industry in Washington, D.C. |
Julie Roller Weeks, director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau and president of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas, traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to represent the Kansas Tourism Industry at the U.S. Travel Association’s Destination Capitol Hill.
The Kansas delegation met with Senator Jerry Moran, Congressman Tracey Mann and Congresswoman Sharice Davids. The group also met with representatives from Senator Roger Marshall and Congressman Ron Estes’ offices.
Topics of discussion included: rebuilding the workforce, reigniting in-person business meetings and events, restoring international inbound travel, and reimagining the role of travel and tourism in improving global competitiveness.
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Abilene to Host Kansas Media Event |
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau is partnering with Kansas Tourism to host its 2022 Kansas Media Event. The event will host travel writers from around the country as they learn what Abilene and Kansas’ six tourism regions offer.
The event will kick off on Tuesday, August 2, with a welcome reception featuring the Slash O Ranch Longhorns, cowboy poetry from Poet Lariat Ron Wilson, stagecoach rides from Paige Westfall and Wild Heart Carriages and other special activities.
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Abilene Exhibits at African American Travel Conference |
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted a booth at the African American Travel Conference in Topeka on April 12. The event, hosted in partnership with Visit Topeka and TourKANSAS, celebrated Kansas’s tourism industry and must-see communities and attractions.
“This was a great event that allowed us to meet face-to-face with group tour planners,” Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene CVB director, said.
Topics of discussion with planners included President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s role in the Civil Rights act of 1957, the President’s orders to send federal troops to enforce court-ordered integration of Little Rock Central High School, and desegregation in Washington, D.C.
“Attendees enjoyed hearing about the new exhibits at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and understood Ike’s role in creating the Interstate System,” she said.
One attendee shared her special connection to Ike.
Judy Patterson, a disability advocate, motivational speaker and tour planner, shared she had polio as a child and wore leg braces. She was featured in an advertisement when she was a young girl in the 1950s alongside Ike that read ‘Ike says Merry Christmas and Judy does, too!’.
“It was great to meet face-to-face with these planners and share Abilene’s story!” Roller Weeks said. “I look forward to seeing them again in Abilene.”
Pictured above: Judy Patterson, African American Travel Conference attendee, shares her special connection to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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National Greyhound Association Spring Meet
The Greyhound Capital of the World, Abilene invites you to celebrate the world's fastest canine. Watch the timed trials and see these incredible dogs in action!! More Info
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Eisenhower Marathon
The Eisenhower Marathon returns on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Join runners from across the country to run through the same territory cattlemen followed when bringing their herds to Abilene on the Chisholm Trail in the 1800s. Runners love this mostly flat and all-paved course.
Will you join others in setting a personal record at the Eisenhower Marathon? There’s only one way to find out! Register today! More Info
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Saturday Mother's Day Brunch Train
Enjoy a leisurely mid-morning brunch with Mom as you enjoy a round trip train ride through Smoky Hill River valley between Abilene and Enterprise.
Amanda's Bistro is catering a great meal for you to enjoy.
You will ride and dine in our 1902 "Enterprise" dining car or our 1940s "Chicago" dining car.
The Ride takes about 2.5 hours. At Enterprise you will have an opportunity to visit the Hoffman Grist Mill and gift shop to see how flour is made and learn of the Hoffman Mill history. More Info
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Meadowlark Concert - Kansas All Star Big Band at Dickinson County Heritage Center
The Kansas All Star Big Band has emerged! The All Stars include the very best jazz musicians in the state of Kansas. Many of our members are jazz educators from Hays to Wichita to Lawrence and everywhere in between. Several musicians have doctorate degrees in jazz studies or their respective instruments. Coming from the military, cruise ship or professional big band backgrounds, these professional jazz musicians bring to Kansas the very best in big band entertainment! They all have a connection to the state in some way. Whether they are former students, natives of the area or highly sought after talent making a rare appearance, they are pleased to call Kansas home.
Gates open at 6:00 pm and the concert starts at 7:00 pm.
Come out to the Meadowlark Concert fundraiser for the Dickinson County Historical Society! There will be a dance floor set up so come on out and enjoy all your favorite big band tunes from Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Thad Jones, Count Basie and more.
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Abilene Downtown Antique Fest / Holm Automotive's Annual Free Car & Truck Show / Meadowlark Swap Meet / Arts & Ales
Save the date! Abilene is the place to be for lovers of all things old and classic. From shopping dozens of booths at Abilene Downtown Antique Fest to seeing hundreds of classic cars and trucks at Holm Automotive's Annual Free Car & Truck Show to celebrating the makers and demonstrating at the Dickinson County Heritage Center's Meadowlark Swap Meet, there will be plenty of things to see and do!
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Summer Kick-Off Concert
Enjoy food, activities, and an event concert featuring Sunset Sinners at Old Abilene Town.
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Footloose the Musical at Great Plains Theatre
Kick off your Sunday shoes with this classic movie turned musical about inspiring a town through the importance of love and dance while witnessing the powers of wisdom and forgiveness. Gotta cut loose! Learn more
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Showdown at Old Abilene Town
Professional boxing, pro/am MMA and kickboxing event by Never Surrender at the historic Old Abilene Town!
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Matilda the Musical at Great Plains Theatre
Follow the classic Roald Dahl story of an astonishingly witty girl with special powers that teaches us to use our extraordinary imaginations to change our destiny. Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty! Learn more
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Jersey Boys - The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Great Plains Theatre
Join us for the international musical phenomenon that takes you behind the story and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Come be a part of the challenges, the rise, and the ultimate triumph a group’s music that became symbolic of a generation. Oh, what a night! Learn more
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Kansas Media Event - Abilene Night
Kick-off the return of the Central Kansas Free Fair with the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kansas Tourism, and travel writers from throughout the country. Enjoy seeing a longhorn cattle drive through Old Abilene Town, cowboy poetry from Ron Wilson, live music and more!
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Central Kansas Free Fair
Located in Abilene, the Central Kansas Free Fair is one of the largest in the state. This family-friendly event offers educational activities and entertainment for all ages, including the Wild Bill Hickok PRCA Rodeo (August 3-6), which has been frequently voted one of the top outdoor rodeos. Join us for family fun in Abilene! Learn more
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After Rodeo Dance
Visit Old Abilene Town after the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo to enjoy the Lazy Wayne Band (Friday) and Savanna CHestnut and the Field Hands (Saturday).
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Chisholm Trail Days
Celebrate the historic cattle trail at the end of the Chisholm Trail.
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Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Great Plains Theatre
The classic literary character of Sherlock Holmes is teamed up once again with John Watson and over 40 other characters to solve a kooky and educational whodunnit. “Elementary, my dear Watson, Elementary.”Learn more
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Abilene Oktoberfest
Abilene Oktoberfest is excited for its 5th Annual Oktoberfest held in Downtown Abilene. There will be German Dancers, Music, Authentic German Food, & Drinks. This year we will have 3 beer gardens, multiple food vendors, Masskrugstemmen, Hammerschlagen, a corn hole tournament, and a Kids Korner that will feature bouncy houses, outdoor games, crafts, face painting, and much more. Downtown Abilene has several wonderful stores that will be open for you to explore before and during the festivities! We will have a lot of exciting announcements coming soon! Make sure to mark September 17th on your Calendar! We are excited to see you at this year's Abilene Oktoberfest.
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Heritage Day Festival
Enjoy living history, steam engine carousel rides, antique tractor show, classic car show, food, and much more at the Dickinson County Heritage Center.
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Wild West Gravel Fest
In its third year, this premier gravel ride attracts riders from across the country! The Wild West Gravel Fest is a gravel bike race in Dickinson County, KS. With races ranging from 200k to 5k, Wild West Gravel Fest appeals to racers who are new to gravel and those who dare to push themselves to the extreme. And make sure to stick around for the after-party at Old Abilene Town. Learn more
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Haunted Cowtown
The ghosts of Old Abilene Town have returned. Take a walk, if you dare, through your worst nightmare, the cursed schoolhouse, the possessed cabin, the haunted cemetery, the spooky saloon, and much more.
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Pink Friday
We've all heard of Black Friday, American Express Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, but what about Pink Friday?
Pink Friday is a small business spin on the traditional Black Friday shopping experience, reminding people to #ShopSmallFirst.
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The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre
This Holiday treat will have you leaving the theatre with warm fuzzies about a story of the Great Lakes voyages of Christmas Tree ships and a family’s positive spirit to share the power of classic inspiration and Christmas miracles. The heartbeat of life is in our stories and our songs! Learn more
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Cowtown Christmas
Visit Abilene December 3-4, 2022 for the Heritage Homes Association’s Homes for the Holidays Tour, enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas at the Dickinson County Heritage Center and Old Abilene Town, tour the historic Seelye Mansion and see more than 60 beautifully decorated Christmas Trees, ride the rails with Santa and the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, see the live production of The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre, take an evening cruise and see Griswold-style decorations, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Santa, and remember to shop small all season long at Abilene’s small businesses.
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Have an Abilene tourist-related event that isn't listed? Submit it here!
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Experience Art & Culture
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Journey to the Old West
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Live the American Story
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Explore Ike's Life & Legacy
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Enjoy Family Fun and Learning
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Celebrate Art in Abilene!
Celebrate art in Abilene!
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201 NW Second St.
Abilene, Kansas 67410
785-263-2231
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Office Hours:
Monday - Friday:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
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