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| January 29 |
| American Legion Hall, Bird City, Kansas |
| The day's activities include displays, potluck luncheons and special programs. |
| Only in the state capital has Kansas Day been celebrated longer. |
| The first anniversary of statehood celebrated in Cheyenne County was sponsored by the Mothers' Circle of the Methodist Church in Bird City, on January 29, 1930. In 1935 a set of by-laws was accepted by the Kansas Day organization. The purpose of the organization is to promote and maintain proper observance of Kansas Day in Cheyenne County. There has only been one occasion when the Kansas Day celebration was not held:
on January 29, 1958 a blizzard made it impossible to hold the celebration. |
| The event is planned by committee members of Kansas Day Association. |
| Marsha Magley, Secretary (785-332-3360) |
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| The Saturday before Easter at 11:30 am |
| St. Francis Grade School |
| Children are divided into four groups to hunt for eggs: 1-2 years; 3-4 years; 5-6 years and 7-8 years old. Prizes incudinge water guns, sidewalk chalk, crayons and more are also provided for the children. |
| The Easter Bunny is on hand to visit with kids and have pictures taken. |
| St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce members |
| Contact the Chamber office at 785-332-2961 for more information. |
| The Chamber has sponsored this event for several years. |
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| The second Saturday in May |
| Sawhill Park in St. Francis |
| Approximately 150 cars from several states meet at Sawhill Park on the second Saturday in May. |
| This is the place to see many unique and fascinating cars. Antique cars, including some from the 1930's, and new ones are entered in the event. |
For more information, click on
Cheyenne County Cruisers. |
| Community members interested in displaying vintage cars started the Cheyenne County Cruisers in 2000 with eight members. There were 34 cars at the show in 2000; today, they have 28 members and had 143 cars in the 2005 show. Members drive the cars in the annual fair parade in August. The club takes "cruises" to other towns and visits other car shows. Besides monthly meetings, potlucks and picnics are held for members and prospective members. |
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| Cheyenne County Cruisers
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| Cheyenne County Cruisers |
| Scott Schultz (785-332-3960), Kent Kechter (332-2629) or Tracy Neitzel (332-2946) |
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| The second Saturday in June |
| The Cheyenne County Airport. Go to the airport page. |
During the weekend of the Fly-In, weather permitting, between 85 and 125 aircraft fly into the Cheyenne County Airport, including 11-17 Stearmans coming from as far as California and Florida. Skydivers make numerous jumps, including tandems, balloons fly in the early morning (with good weather), and there is plenty of good food to go around.
For more photos, click here. |
| Stearmans are World War II era fabric-covered open cockpit biplanes with radial engines. They were used as primary trainers during the war.
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| Stearman Fly-In |
| Want to attend the Stearman Fly-In? Hotels and camping sites are both available close to the airport. Visit this link (the Stearman Fly-In web site under Places) for more information on places to stay and eat in St. Francis. Admission is free. |
| Stearman rides are offered, though they are usually in limited supply, so get your tickets early! Balloon rides aren't sold commercially at the Fly-In. However, many balloonists will welcome extra hands in their "crew." Tandem skydives—where a passenger is attached to an experienced tandem master—are available at the Fly-In.
Observer rides with the skydivers on the jump plane are also available.
For details and prices, click here or go the Stearman Fly-In web site under Rides. |
| The Stearman Fly-In was founded by Dr. Curt Kimball of Sterling, Colorado. Dr. Kimball is a respected surgeon, an experienced pilot, and the owner of a North American T-28 which he regularly brings to the Fly-In.
Many years ago, Dr. Kimball and his wife, Judy, were flying cross-country in their Mooney when towering thunderstorms dictated a diversion and precautionary landing. They noticed that they were close to St. Francis, Kansas, and remembered that a friend and fellow Stearman owner, John Grace, lived there.
While on the airport, Dr. Kimball noticed the three wide, well-maintained sod runways, and commented that it would be a perfect spot for a Stearman gathering. He asked if he could host one on the airport, and John told him, "Sure."
The doctor did just that for several years, until the rapid growth of the event made it impossible for him to manage the event from afar. The first annual Stearman Fly-In was held in 1983.
Dr. Kimball has the honor of being the only person from outside St. Francis to have attended every Stearman Fly-In. For pictures, click here or visit the Stearman Fly-In web site under People. |
| St. Francis Chamber of Commerce and Grace Flying Service |
Grace Flying Service
Phone: 785-332-2251
Fax: 785-332-2310
Address: PO Box 827 or 930 S. Denison, St. Francis, KS 67756 |
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| The third Saturday in June |
| St. Francis Community High School |
| Honor classes are recognized every five years. |
| In addition to the Alumni Banquet, area alumni usually plan class activities on that weekend. It is a good time to reminisce and catch up on the latest news. Classmates come from all over the United States to see the people they grew up with. |
| The Alumni Association began in 1957. Honor classes are 10 through 70 years at 5-year increments. The Alumni Association makes donations to the school and the St. Francis community when excess funds build up. |
| St. Francis Alumni Association |
Shirley Zweygardt at 785-332-2286 |
| The St. Francis Economic Development committee is collecting information from the St. Francis Community High School alumni. Please complete and submit the alumni survey. |
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| Saturdays from May to September |
| Sawhill Park and Main Street |
| Fresh fruits, vegetables and pork available every Saturday at Sawhill Park. Prices are comparable and you can't beat the freshness! |
| Usually three to six home gardeners and a pork producer sell their home-grown products in the park every Saturday morning from 8 to 11:30 a.m., or until supply runs out. If you would like to sell your home-grown products, please contact Ben Leibbrandt at 332-2732. |
| In 2002, Rick and Eloyce Pettijohn, along with other fellow gardeners, organized the Farmers' Market. It provides a way for local gardeners and producers to sell their excess crops to people who do not have a garden. |
| Ben Leibbrandt |
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Holly Keller, 2007 Cheyenne
sd fasdfCounty Young Miss. sfdClick to view more pictures.
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| The fourth Saturday in June at 7 p.m. |
| St. Francis High School Auditorium |
| Open to all Cheyenne County young women that have entered their junior year of high school and will not have graduated by January 1st of the year following the program. |
| Girls compete in five categories--grace and elegance, academics, interview, endurance and performing arts.
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| Young Miss is a full week of food, fun and fellowship ending with a spectacular show on Saturday evening with scholarships awarded to category and overall winners. |
| Cheyenne County businesses and residents |
| Vickie Cress ( 332-2490 ) or Aimee Northrup |
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The last Thursday through Saturday of July. See Upcoming Events. |
| East of Bird City at the Antique Engine Thresher Show Grounds |
| Antique tractor pull, equipment parade, swap meet, antique vehicle display, Sunday church service |
| People from all over the United States and several foreign countries attend the show. |
| 2006 is the 57th annual Tri-State Steam Engine Show. The show was started by men who owned and had operated threshing rigs. Some purchased antique steam engines and other fuel burning tractors. The purpose of the show was to share the experience of operated threshing rigs with others. Early shows were held on the Roy Kite farm. In 1957, a corporation was formed. They purchased land and built several buildings to house the exhibits. The show grew as it expanded to include exhibits from other areas of early Cheyenne County history. Today there are 14 buildings, each used for a special display. You are invited to attend this annual event and to tour the museum buildings and watch the parade of old machinery and harvest equipment. |
| Tri-State Steam Engine Show |
| Ken Beougher ( 785-734-2555) |
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| See Upcoming Events or click to view the Cheyenne County Fair schedule of events. |
| Cheyenne County Fair Grounds
In August, county residents flock to the fair to view the
4-Hers' animals and other projects. After working hard for a year, the
4-Hers anxiously await the judge's decisions. A State Fair Blue is what everyone is striving for, but learning to work hard and doing their best is the most rewarding experience for 4-Hers.
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| The 4-H livestock sale is held at the fair grounds. 4-H exhibits are up in the fair ground for viewing.The home-owned Carnival starts on Wednesday evening and runs through Saturday night. The fair parade begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in downtown St. Francis; there is also the 4-H horse show, mud volleyball, and a demolition derby. |
| The Cheyenne County Fair is a safe place for kids of all ages to play and visit with old friends while making new ones. Click here for more information on 4-H. |
The very first fair in Cheyenne County was held in Wano in 1885. In 1887, livestock and vegetables were shown, and the highlight was a 300-yard horse race with a $5.00 purse presented to the winner. In 1888 the county fair was moved to Bird City. Due to the drought and grasshopper plague, the fair was discontinued in the early 1890's. Then, in 1923, the Cheyenne County Fair association was organized and a county fair was held again in October of that year. Early fairs were held at the airport; traveling carnivals came to town. In 1945
4-H exhibits were first shown at the courthouse.
Land for the present fairground was purchased in 1946. Bleachers were hauled in until the Grandstand could be built.The grandstand construction was completed in 1948. The old lumberyard building was moved to the fairgrounds. A new exhibit building, Jenkins Hall, was built in the 1970's. In the 1980's the home-owned carnival equipment was purchased. There have been many additions and updates since then; the new sleek metal grandstand was built in 2000. |
| Cheyenne County Fair Board |
| Cheyenne County Extension Office (785-332-3171) |
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| August 19-20, 2006 (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) |
| Sawhill Park |
| The luminary ceremony honors survivors and those who have lost the battle to cancer; relay teams walk all night around the park. |
| 50 to 60 survivors walk the evening of the relay. |
| In 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt took the first step of his 83-mile night walk to raise $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. Cheyenne County walkers started participating in the Relay for Life in 2000. Last year 14 teams raised $19,590 for cancer research. For more information, contact the American Cancer Society |
| Debbie Lindsten ( 785-332-2022) |
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| The second Sunday of October at 2 p.m. |
| In 2006, the 16th annual ride will be held on land belonging to Albert Keller Farms (formerly owned by Walter Gorthy) northeast of Wheeler. |
| The location of the ride changes each year. Some years horsemen and women ride near the Republican River; the next year they might explore the Breaks of Cheyenne County. |
| A very relaxed family day with horses and people who love horses. |
| In 1990, a group of horsemen and women decided to organize a trail ride in the fall. Since then, between 75 and 125 riders continue coming together to enjoy exploring Cheyenne County on horseback. The 4-H horse project members provide a meal for everyone after the ride. Donations are accepted for the St. Jude Children's Hospital. |
| Cheyenne County Trail Ride Committee |
| Gary Cooper (785-332-2904) or Sharon Olofson (785-332-2248) |
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| First Saturday in November |
St. Francis Grade School (307 E. Webster)
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| A large variety of high quality, hand-made crafts are always at the show |
| Vendors from several states rent tables at the show and many of the vendors return year after year. |
| The craft show started in 1996, when a group of crafters were seeking a way to sell their handmade goods to a large group of people. The Chamber organized the show just before Thanksgiving to allow people to purchase Christmas gifts from a large selection of vendors. |
| St. Francis Chamber of Commerce |
| Chamber Office (785-332-2961), Bonnie Zweygardt (332-2569) or Tammy Grice (332-2910) |
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| Celebrations begin the day after Thanksgiving and run through Christmas. |
| Visit downtown St. Francis for beautiful lights, great shopping and the chance to sit on Santa's knee. A drive through the city will reveal some home lighting displays that will knock your socks off! |
| Christmas in St. Francis begins with the annual Light Parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving at 6 p.m. (top right). It features businesses' and individuals' floats all decked out in lights and making the trip down Main Street. Then, on the four Friday nights preceding Christmas, stores stay open with special deals, and Santa makes an appearance on Main Street to listen to everyone's Christmas wishes. |
| St. Francis merchants and businesses |
| St. Francis Chamber of Commerce (785-332-2961) |
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| Programs are held in various communities in Northwest Kansas. Check the WPAA link
(www.wpaa.us) for the next event. |
| Northwest Kansas area |
| For information on upcoming performances, a newsletter is available. |
| The Western Plains Arts Association began in 1969 as a Colby-based group allied with the new Colby Community College. Fourteen towns are now served by the Western Plains Arts Association. It is governed by a policy-making body with representatives from each of the fourteen towns that are served. |
| Memberships in WPAA, the Kansas Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts support the program. |
| Althea Lebow (785-332-3377) |
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