Famed for its golden paved links to the yellow brick road of Dorothy Gale, Kansas is a beautiful green state jam-packed with horizons, both literal and metaphorical. Grain-filled Kansas is a fantastic place to relax and explore, and also serves as a great hub for a range of interesting and exciting festivals, with many great events - including some very compelling and unusual offerings.
One of the more unique events in the Kansas calendar is the Amelia Earhart Festival, a two-day event to celebrate the most famous female pilot of all time. Her fate may be unknown, but her soaring spirit remains very much alive and well in her home state of Kansas. The festival features music, food, attractions, concerts, arts, crafts and more, with lots of Earhart-themed events and literature – all wonderfully topped off with the Concert in the Sky fireworks finale.
Dodge City Days, now in its 56th year, is a traditional-style family event that delivers the fun and goodwill of years gone by. Around 100,000 people attend each year to join in with ten days of traditional fare, including rodeo, BBQs, smoked meats, pageants, sports, competitions, dances, parades, bull-riding, roping, art shows, golf, cattle drives, car shows and plenty more shenanigans that hark back to the good old days. It’s a great way to indulge in a few old-school antics with family and friends.
OZtoberfest is a wicked and wonderful celebration of all things Wizard of Oz, and is the perfect attraction for fans of the iconic 1939 movie. Meet some munchkins, slip on the red shoes and tinker around with the old tin man. Attractions include the Toto look-a-like contest, costume competitions, screenings, themed face painting, music, entertainment, food and interviews.
Kansas City’s largest free music festival, Jazz in the Woods, is a jazzy and jumping event full of all your favorite jazz, ragtime and blues, with more brass than you can blow a bugle at. There are lots live performances from groups, soloists and ensembles, and events and attractions centered around the each of the genres. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer, there’s something for you to love.
Other festivals are dedicated to themes as diverse as tulips, beef, Scottish heritage, Mexican history, arts, crafts and more – so come along, find something to take your fancy and find out why there’s no place like Kansas!