Think Abilene

Think there's nothing to do in Abilene? Think again. Each week we share a newsletter full of great things happening in Abilene! 

I challenge you to take advantage of one of these great opportunities and experience all Abilene has to offer.

Julie Roller,  Director
Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau 
Abilene Si ghtings
Tuesday's rain helped to answer an age-old question. We now know the beautiful and historic town of Abilene is at the end of the rainbow. 


Kansas Tourism Division's eLearning Program

Thank you to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism for offering the following online classes free of charge:
  • 5 Steps to Outrank Your Competitors Online & Generate More Sales Without Paying Google! - January 12, 2017
  • Q: Where's the Best Place to Hide a Dead Body? A: The Second page of Google - January 19, 2017
Click here to learn more!
29 Reasons to Love Abilene

The  Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo  is an Abilene favorite! Nominated as "One of the Top 5 Medium Outdoor Pro Rodeos of 2016",  Central Kansas Free Fair  goers will enjoy rodeo at its finest!

Follow Visit Abilene Kansas on Facebook for more 
Reasons to Love Abilene, Kansas!
Featured R estaurant: Mr. K's Farmhouse

Check out the great way Mr. K's Farmhouse shows their appreciation for combat wounded veterans! 
Attraction Update:
5th Annual Winter Film Festival
 
Sponsored by: Arts Council of Dickinson County
 
Beginning Sunday, January 15 at 2:00 p.m. films will be shown at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitor's Center, 200 SE 4th Street.
 
All films are free of charge and popcorn will be provided.
 
A discussion will follow each film. 
 
*Please bring a non-perishable food item. 
*All items will benefit the Abilene Area Food and Clothing Bank.
 
The schedule and summary of the films are as follows:
 
January 15: Monuments Men  PG-13 An unlikely WWII platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.
 
January 22: Woman in Gold  PG-13 Maria Altman, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.
 
January 29: Brooklyn  PG-13 An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local.  When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. 
 
February 5: Inside Out  PG After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness - conflict on how to best navigate a new city, house, and school.

February 12: Bridge of Spies  PG-13 During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
 
February 19: The Martian  PG-13 An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Abilene Smoky Valley Rail Road


HELP SAVE THE ALCO S4

The Alco S4 engine is due to be scraped...but we want to save it!

This engine, which is located in Missouri, cannot be moved by rail, so it must be trucked to its new location, which we hope will be Abilene. This engine will be given to the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad if we are able to move it. This engine would be a backup for the present diesel engine.

To move this engine will require a special built trailer to haul this 230,000-pound load. This i s where your help comes in. We are needing to raise approximately $6,000 to supplement what we have to build this trailer, along with other expenses of moving the engine.

If interested in helping, please mail donations to the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad, PO Box 744, Abilene, KS 67410. If questions, contact 785-263-1077.
Dickinson County Heritage Center

Kansas State Ball
Join in the fun on Saturday, January 28 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at Sterl Hall for a chance to celebrate Kansas with the State Ball. Come learn dance and etiquette from a time gone by. 
 
Period dress requested but not required. 
 
$6 Admission
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

Trump Inauguration Watch Party at Eisenhower Presidential Library

Join the Inauguration Watch Party at the Eisenhower Presidential Library on Jan. 20. The event begins at 10 a.m. in the Library Auditorium and is free and open to the public.

The program will begin with a Presidential inaugurations presentation by Jerry Wallace. During his 30-year tenure with the National Archives and Records Administration, Wallace was honored to be historian-archivist for three presidential inaugural committees, including Richard Nixon (1973) and Ronald Reagan (1981 and 1985). Wallace's interest in presidential inaugurations dates from his high school days, when he received permission to stay home and watch John F. Kennedy's televised inauguration.

Following Wallace's remarks and live coverage of the 2017 Trump inauguration, footage of the 1957 Eisenhower Inauguration will be shown. This year's inauguration marks the 60th anniversary of President Eisenhower's second inauguration. The 15-minute clip includes:
  • Ike and Mamie leaving for the Capitol
  • Swearing-in of Vice President Nixon
  • Swearing-in of President Eisenhower
  • Excerpts from President Eisenhower's Inaugural Address
Great Plains Theatre


Coming to the Great Plains Theatre: 

Friday, January 20, 7:00 PM - Jon Stickley Trio

Click here to learn more!


Golden Players Tribute Awards

Fundraiser for Great Plains Theatre

Join us for a night of glamours intrigue and murder at a night among the stars!
January 28 at 7:00 p.m.

Cinema

Now playing: SING

Tabletop Thursday at GPT!

Every Thursday night, anyone and everyone is welcome to come to GPT and play games! This is open to all ages, and is designed to be an opportunity to get out of the house and have some fun!  We have some games that will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite game to play as well! Got a game at home that you don't play anymore?  We welcome the donation!

Board games, card games, dice games are all welcome!  Grab your family and friends and come out, it doesn't cost a thing!  Doors open at 7, and we'll play until 9:00 or 9:30.

Visit www.greatplainstheatre.com for more information.
Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum


Arthur Pimenta with Mother's Moon watching re-run of Raynham Park Jevenile Stakes Race. May 1981. The Hall of Fame is currently reworking the website and will carry weekly stories from the archives for your enjoyment. The moon broke on top. Greg's Profit, number 7, a littler mate broke second and Hasty Transfer was third.
Seelye Mansion

For most people, decorating one Christmas tree a year is enough, let alone eighty! Thank you to Terry Tietjens and all of the Seelye Mansion's volunteers for decorating these beautiful trees for visitors to enjoy.
Stay in Abilene

Visitors will need more than a day to explore all there is to see, do, buy, taste, hear and learn in Abilene, Kansas! Spend the night in Abilene at one of our great hotels or bed and breakfasts. Abilene's Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast 's former resident, Swede Hazlett, was a close friend of Dwight D. Eisenhower and encouraged him to attend West Point - The U.S. Military Academy

Click here to learn more about places to stay in Abilene!
Shop Abilene
Abilene is known for its variety of quality antique stores. Visitors can spend hours wandering through countless aisles filled with treasures from more than 100 dealers! 


Help us, help you
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.
Where in Abilene?
Where in Abilene will you find this unique fireplace inlay?



Answer: Engle House Bed & Breakfast
We do our best to make sure all information is correct. 
It is advisable to always call ahead before visiting.
Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau | 785.263.2231 | Email | Website

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