The 28th, and final, Kansas Sampler Festival came to an end May 7 in Winfield’s Island Park. More than 8,300 people attended this annual celebration of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in Kansas.
A project of the Inman-based Kansas Sampler Foundation, festival coordinator WenDee Rowe LaPlant said, “It was a bittersweet weekend but with beautiful weather, a great crowd, and a positive Kansas spirit permeating throughout the grounds, we couldn’t have had a better send-off.”
Local festival director Sarah Werner said, “It was an honor for Winfield to host the festival.” More than 400 local volunteers helped roll out the red carpet to all of Kansas.
On Saturday evening, hundreds of festival participants and volunteers from over the years gathered in the park for a Farewell Party to honor the longevity and purpose of the event.
Next year, in order to continue to educate Kansans about Kansas, the Foundation will introduce the Big Kansas Road Trip. Foundation director Marci Penner said, “The idea is to have hundreds of people explore the same area at the same time to generate interest and fun. Our goal is to get people addicted to exploring Kansas.”
The designated showcase area will be the counties of Barber, Comanche and Kiowa. The exploring dates are May 3-6, 2018 and everyone is invited to take part.
