Kansas News Alerts: October 2009

NEWS ALERTS
VOLUME #20: OCTOBER 09

Once a month the Kansas Travel & Tourism Division distributes this brief newsletter, providing tourism updates from throughout the state of Kansas.  Highlights include a title, brief descriptor and a link for more details.   Not all highlights will be of interest to everyone.  They are simply intended to entice new story ideas in the areas of agritourism, outdoor, culinary, cultural, history, heritage and more.

F! lint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, KS:  Kansas is very close to adding one more jewel to its crown of attractions with the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan.  Construction on this estimated $23 million facility is expected to begin in the summer of 2010 and will focus on how the people and the land of the Flint Hills shape one another.  The Flint Hills Discovery Center will explore the geological, ecological and ethnological history of the Flint Hills and will include an interactive play area for children and adults, as well as an immersive theater with multimedia effects, transporting visitors through the powerful forces and hidden complexities of the Flint Hills.  For more information, and to follow the progress of the Flint Hills Discovery Center, visit www.ci.manhattan.ks.us/discoverycenter.  

Innovative Art no Stranger to Kansas:  Kansas is quickly becoming known for its ! collection of eclectic artists and art exhibits featured throughout the state.  The Coutts Museum of Art in El Dorado, KS is proud to announce its new exhibit, “Box Art…Creative Cardboard Constructions by Jessie Montes,” running November 6 – December 16, 2009.  Jessie’s three dimensional pieces are made totally of cardboard but sometimes have the appearance of wood.  His creations vary from small plaques of unusual designs to free-standing pieces up to 6’ tall.  Montes is one of 25 children and currently resides in El Paso, TX.    

Cottonwood Falls, KS a Must-See for Music Lovers Visiting Kansas:  It happens every Friday night at the Emma Chase Café in Cottonwood Falls, and it’s absolutely free.  Musicians gather from near and far to jam, entertain and enjoy the talents of all!  "The Emma" greets! local musicians and musicians from all over Kansas and the United States -- and sometimes foreign countries.  A typical audience of "Accomplished Listeners" can number from 25 inside the Emma on a cold winter night to a bricked main street full of 200 lawn-chair listeners on a beautiful summer evening.  Recently voted one of the top 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs through the Kansas Sampler Foundation, music lovers need to put Cottonwood Falls and the Emma Chase Café on their list of travel adventures!  For more information visit www.kansassampler.org.   
 
For more information on the entire state of Kansas, visit www.travelks.com.