Summer is a wonderful month in Kansas. The summer sun beams down while the winds over the Great Plains keep things cool, and all kinds of events take place throughout the state. Thanks to living in a city built on a crossroads near the center of the state, Salina residents can attend these events no matter where they take place.
Smoky Hill River Festival
Salina’s own big summer event is the Smoky Hill River Festival, which takes place on the second weekend of June. The festival is all about the arts, and artists of every discipline come from dozens of states to have their creations judged. Festival goers will find plenty of works for sale, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, jewelry, pots, and more, and many national music acts that stop represent genres like folk, bluegrass, rock, jazz, and country. Aside from the judging, other events include craft demonstrations and activities for kids.
Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival
Head on over to Topeka for an all-day celebration on the Fourth of July. The festival organizers are the Topeka Blues Society, and thanks to donations and member support attendance is free for everyone. All the music acts play blues or a closely connected genre, and aside from the music you can find food trucks and craft stalls that sell all kinds of items. The festival opens at 11 a.m. and ends the way every Independence Day celebration does: with a great big fireworks display.
Kansas City’s Big Picnic
Cross the border to Missouri and you’ll get to take part in Kansas City’s Big Picnic. This event takes place every year on a Sunday in late July on the giant lawn and sculpture garden of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and spills over into Theis Park. The picnic honors National Park Month, and while you need to bring your own blanket, you can pack a lunch or get something from one of the food trucks at the event. Other highlights include music acts, lawn games, a puppet theater, a “quick paint” contest, and giant bubbles courtesy of Grateful Bubbles.
Kansas State Fair
It’s still technically summer when the Kansas State Fair takes place in mid-September. The fair takes place south of Salina in Hutchinson, and thousands of people come from all across the state to see the big music acts, watch the professional artists show off their craft, and ride the many rides of the midway. And in a state as rural as Kansas, you can bet there are plenty of old-fashioned competitions for livestock, agricultural products, food, flowers, and more.
Kansas really comes alive during the summer months, and that means more than just the cattle ranches and wheat fields. You can always find plenty events, festivals, fairs, and other celebrations taking place throughout the season, and thanks to its central location Salina is never far from where any of the action is happening. So if your summer seems to be dragging, just find out whether one of these events is coming soon and get yourself there.
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