New Portrait in State Capitol 

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3K Day Extravaganza & Open House

The K-State Parachute Club is holding 3K Day on October 6th at the airport.  This is the rescheduled event from April that was weathered out.
 
We'll have licensed jumper loads going up every 10-12 minutes.  Exits will be from 3,500 ft and easily visible from the ground.  We welcome the public out to the dropzone to come see what we do.

Impact the Cure

Eisenhower Pilgrimage 2018

Eisenhower Day Committee Chairman John Meyeres leads attendees in a salute to colors at the 2017 Eisenhower Pilgrimage.

The Kansas American Legion's 38th annual Eisenhower Pilgrimage will be held in Abilene, Kansas on Saturday, October 13, 2018. American Legion Riders Post #240 will provide a rifle salute for the ceremony. The event will be held at the Eisenhower Museum and Library in front of General Eisenhower's statue.

The American Legion Eisenhower Pilgrimage programs are organized by Eisenhower Day Committee Chairman John Meyeres. Meyeres is assisted by committee members Jim Arwine and Paul Sanford. The committee plans to have the activities begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. with Captain Kyle Higgins from the U.S.S. Eisenhower laying the wreath for the Presidential wreath ceremony. The formal program will start immediately following the wreath laying ceremony. Meyeres said that Naval Captain Mark Oberly will be the featured speaker. Captain Oberly is a native of Dodge City.

Immediately following the Eisenhower Pilgrimage, a vice commander homecoming luncheon will be held at the Greyhound Hall of Fame. American Legion Department Vice Commander Chuck Shoemaker, Department Auxiliary Vice President Paula Sellens, and S.A.L Detachment Vice Commander Tom Wallsmith will be honored. The cost for the luncheon is $12.50 per person, children ten and under $8.00.Reservation details can be found at the Kansas American Legion website.
Save the Date - Oktoberfest


Eisenhower Statue Unveiling

Monday, October 22
10:00 a.m.
Kansas State Capitol

Join in the "Ike"citement! 

The unveiling of a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower will at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 22 at the Kansas State Capitol. 

The 7-foot bronze statue of Eisenhower as a five-star general is mounted on a 3-foot granite base. 

Other attractions on Kansas State Capitol grounds include: Statue of Liberty Replica, Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial, Abraham Lincoln Statue, Pioneer Women's Memorial, Kansas Veterans Memorial and Walk and the Kansas Walk of Honor.

Seating is limited, so please email attendance to [email protected]. We will submit Abilene's headcount to the Department of Administration.
Throwback Thursday

The Salina Journal
 October 6, 1959
5 Star Reviews - Dickinson County Heritage Center


We stopped by to ride the carousel while waiting for the pool to open. We ended up touring the museum and the little town behind it also. It ended up being a real treat! The kids loved walking through the old fashioned buildings and learning about the history of telephones and of Abilene.

Stacie P
Gulfport


"The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
June 22, 1945

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad

train
Steam Locomotive #3415 Operating Schedule

Saturday, October 6
(short run departing from the Dickinson County Heritage Center) - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday, October 7
(last steam run of the year) - 2.p.m. 



Diesel Locomotive pulled dinner trains - $45/person

Saturday, October 13  - Mr. K's Farm House - Prime Rib

Saturday, October 27  - Brookville Hotel - Fried Chicken

*Advance purchase required*

Dickinson County Heritage Center

40th annual Heritage Day Festival 
October 6, 2018 - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The 40th annual Heritage Day Festival (formerly known as the Chisholm Trail Days) features living history with demonstrations of threshing, steam engine carousel rides, antique tractor show, classic car show, model trains, blacksmith, and much more. 

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the gate. Children 12 and under are $2. Call the Dickinson County Heritage Center for tickets at 785-263-2681.

Tombstone Talks in Solomon
October 13, 2018
The Dickinson County Heritage Center presents the 4th Annual Tombstone Talks. There will be two Tombstone Talks this year at two different locations. The first installment will be on October 13 in Solomon. The troupe will be paying homage to the great men and women of Solomon, Kansas at the Prairie Mound Cemetery. You will meet at the Solomon Senior Center for refreshments and then loaded onto the bus for the cemetery. You will take a guided walking tour through the cemetery in the evening to hear reenactors tell the stories of some of the more colorful characters of Dickinson County from their own tombstones, lit by lanterns. Get in the Halloween spirit with an evening in the cemetery. 
For tickets, call the Heritage Center at 785-263-2681. 
Tickets are $5 for all ages.

Tombstone Talks in Abilene
October 27, 2018
Join us for the 4th Annual Tombstone Talks at the Abilene Cemetery. Reenactors will present the life of the more colorful characters of Dickinson County from a first person narrative. Join our tour guides through a evening tour through the cemetery, stopping at the graves of those historical icons in Abilene's history. 

Tickets are $5 for all ages, call the Heritage Center for more information at 785-263-2681.
Great Plains Theatre 

Great Plains Theatre Auditions for 2019-2020 Season
Abilene, October 3 - Great Plains Theatre, the professional Equity theatre in Abilene, KS is announcing auditions for its 25th-anniversary season. The auditions will start at 9:00am on Saturday November 10 and run until everyone has been seen. The auditions are by appointment and those wishing to secure a slot should call 785-263-4574. The 2019-2020 season will include three musicals, a musical revue, a world premiere play and a Kansas premiere play. Interested parties should plan to sing a two-minute piece from a musical and perform a one to two-minute monologue and those interested in one of the plays should plan to do 2 contrasting monologues, (a pianist will be provided.) Each audition slot will be 10 minutes. Paid and volunteer roles are available. If you are interested in being involved with the 25th anniversary season but don't want to audition, please call us or email our Artistic Director Randy West at [email protected].

The three summer musicals are The Pirates of Penzance in June, Disaster! in July and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in August. Joseph will have a Youth Ensemble that will rehearse in July for the August opening and young people interested in that can contact GPT and sign-up. Young people interested in roles in Joseph should plan to audition. The fall will bring the world premiere in October of the new play by Marlin Fitzwater- Empires Fall. The winter slot will be filled with a new musical revue entitled Makin' Magic 25 Years of Fun and the season will close in the spring of 2019 in March with the Kansas premiere of Ken Jones' new play Alabama Story.

GPT will be hiring technical support and technical interns for the summer and anyone interested should also contact Randy.
 
For any additional audition questions please contact [email protected]. Great Plains Theatre.Together we are more!

Todd Oliver's Funniest Night of Your Life
Have you ever met a talking dog, a real talking dog? Get ready, because on Friday and Saturday October 12 and 13 at 7:00 pm and Sunday October 14 at 2:00 pm, you're going to meet the funniest comedian on 4 legs! "Irving" with a little help from his friend Todd Oliver, is going to talk up a storm. If you ever wondered how a dog looks at life, this little home-raised companion is going to give it to you straight from the dog's mouth. He won't mince words, and if he does it's Todd's fault anyways. (He's a ventriloquist).
 
Todd Oliver grew up loving dogs, ventriloquism, music and magic. As a young boy he studied piano, guitar, voice, and the variety arts. Along the way he created some wooden headed characters and performed around the world. You'll also meet a bunny named Alice and 3 beautiful birds.
 
Todd Oliver and Friends have been featured on Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Today Show, a couple episodes of Walker Texas Ranger, and in 2012 they were a top 4 finalist on Americas' Got Talent.
 
A major draw for many years on Showboats in Branson MO, and Nashville TN, as well as other major entertainment venues, Todd is now touring, bringing his brand of clean family fun to towns across America.
 
So sit back and get ready, you might even be on stage yourself, Todd turns audience members into real live ventriloquist dummies! Either way you're going to have a doggone, rocking good time with "Todd Oliver, The Funniest Night Of Your Life ". Tickets $20 for Adults and $15 for students can be ordered by calling 785-263-4574 or going to www.greatplainstheatre.com or visiting us at 401 Cottage Ave Abilene, KS 67410.
Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum


Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum
Open daily 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Free admission
Seelye Mansion

Abilene's Historic  Seelye Mansion  is a must-see! Furnished with items from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright and home to a wooden  bowling alley that's more than 100 years old, it's no "wonder" this beautiful mansion was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas - Architecture winners by the Kansas Sampler Foundation. 

Tours Daily!
Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m

Upcoming events:
  • Beauty & the Beast @ Great Plains Theatre - October 5, 6 & 7
  • 40th Annual Heritage Day Festival @ Dickinson County Heritage Center - October 6
  • 3K Day Extravagaza & Open House @Abilene Municipal AIrport - October 6
  • Hope Lives @ Sterl Hall - October 10
  • Eisenhower Pilgrimage @ Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum - October 13
  • Tombstone Talks @ Solomon's Prairie Mound Cemetery - October 13
  • Oktoberfest @ Old Abilene Town - October 20
  • Tombstone Talks @ Abilene's Cemetery - October 27
  • Not Another Christmas Letter @ Great Plains Theatre - November 30-December 2, 4-9
  • Night of Christmas Magic - December 1
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