Abilene Tourism Advocate
August 11, 2022
Favorite & Friendliest Small Town in the U.S. - TravelAwaits Readers (2022)
Cowboy Up! Kansas Media Day Recap
By Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat (as shared in Grass and Grain)
 
Old Abilene 
 
It was a great day for Abilene. People came from all over the country, and Abilene was their destination. That may sound like Old West times – and there were indeed longhorn cattle in the streets – but this took place in 2022. 
 
The occasion was a media event put on by Kansas Tourism and hosted by the City of Abilene. More than 40 travel writers and bloggers from across the country came to Abilene as part of a promotion of the Kansas travel industry. The first night welcome party was in Old Abilene Town. The following day’s schedule called for visits to the newly opened exhibits at the Eisenhower Center and Museum and the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo that night. During the day, representatives of the other Kansas travel regions came and shared their attractions with the travel writers. 
 
Abilene pulled out the stops, and it was great. Old Abilene Town was hoppin’ as local citizens and the travel writers showed up for the fun. CVB Director Julie Roller Weeks and Old Abilene Town’s Michael Hook pulled together a tremendous event. 
 
Old Abilene Town is one of my favorite places. It is a recreation of an 1860s pioneer village, built to represent Abilene’s history as the first of the famous cattle towns. I remember visiting Old Abilene Town as a kid and having a ton of fun. Through the following decades, I also saw it become rundown. I’m so thrilled that a group of volunteers have rallied together to rebuild and reinvigorate this historic landmark. 
 
Old Abilene Town looked great on this night in 2022. Just as the scene might have appeared more than 150 years ago, cowboys on horseback drove a herd of longhorn cattle down the main street of Old Abilene Town and loaded them onto a train car pulled by a steam engine. It was a sight to see – although in 1867, there probably wasn’t a throng of people holding up cell phones to record the moment. 
 
Can can dancers performed at the saloon. Gunfighters had a shootout in the streets. Dave Zerfas of Manhattan crooned his cowboy ballads. A stagecoach gave rides to happy passengers. High schoolers played great music and sang onstage. The steam locomotive whistled as the excursion train took visitors down the tracks. What a fantastic night. 
 
I performed cowboy poetry in the Bull’s Head Pavilion. I pointed out that Wild Bill Hickok, for example, wasn’t just a character in a comic book or a Hollywood movie. There really was a Wild Bill Hickok who roamed the streets of this very town. 
 
Fellow Grass & Grain columnist Jim Gray was also there. He has written eloquently on these pages about the genuine western history of Kansas towns, including Abilene. There’s no better Old West historian than Jim. 
 
Speaking of the Bull’s Head, that is another victory for Abilene. It is historically documented that Abilene’s Bull’s Head Saloon, owned by Shotgun Ben Thompson, was a popular spot for the drovers at the end of the trail. 
 
In 2021, Julie Roller Weeks received an online notice that the actual wooden Bull’s Head from the saloon, complete with a certificate of authenticity, would be put up for auction. It had gotten into the hands of an out-of-state collector who was putting it up for sale. Once again the citizens of Abilene rallied together. They donated funds and outbid everyone else for the beautiful Bull’s Head, which is now proudly on display at the Trails Center in Old Abilene Town. 
 
It was another great day for Abilene. 
 
Coming up in a future column: The true story of another bull who made a comeback. 
Latest News
Iron Horse Trail Groundbreaking
In more than 100 degree weather, underneath the shade of trees along the railroad tracks, Smoky Valley Railroad hosted the ground breaking for their Iron Horse Trail. Around 40 people attended the groundbreaking at the trail’s entrance east of the railroad crossing on S. Campbell Street and south of the Dickinson County Heritage Center. The trail will be intended for pedestrians and bicycles.

The trail will be completed in two phases, said Ross Boelling, Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad board president, The first phase will be to complete the trail from its entrance to Jeep Road. The second phase will start the end of the trail at the depot in Enterprise and build it across the Smoky Hill River. The trail will be a line that will move around equipment and sometimes cross the tracks. Boelling said the first half of the trail will be completed this year and take a few years to be completed.
Celebrating Cowboy Rots with Cowboy Boots
Visit Abilene, Kansas and experience its unique Cowboy Art Trail! 

Celebrating its cowboy roots, the Cowboy Boot project pays homage to T.C. McInerney's Drovers Boot Store from the 1870s.
Central Kansas Free Fair Barn Quilt Fan Favorite
Thanks to everyone who voted in the Central Kansas Free Fair Barn Quilt Fan Favorite Contest! The 2022 contest winner is Sheila Beemer.
Upcoming Events
August 13
13
Saturday
Cowboy Up 5k Run / 2 Mile Walk
Benefiting Abilene High School Athletics and Activities. Learn more
September
2-3
Friday & Saturday
Chisholm Trail Days
Celebrate the historic cattle trail at the end of the Chisholm Trail. Enjoy Karaoke Friday evening from 8pm - midnight and a vendor fair, gunfights, can can dances, mechanical bull, food vendors and face painting on Saturday.
September
9-25
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Great Plains Theatre
The classic literary character of Sherlock Holmes is teamed up once again with John Watson and over 40 other characters to solve a kooky and educational whodunnit. “Elementary, my dear Watson, Elementary.” Learn more
September
17
Saturday
Abilene Oktoberfest
Abilene Oktoberfest is excited for its 5th Annual Oktoberfest held in Downtown Abilene. There will be German Dancers, Music, Authentic German Food, & Drinks. This year we will have 3 beer gardens, multiple food vendors, Masskrugstemmen, Hammerschlagen, a corn hole tournament, and a Kids Korner that will feature bouncy houses, outdoor games, crafts, face painting, and much more. Downtown Abilene has several wonderful stores that will be open for you to explore before and during the festivities! We will have a lot of exciting announcements coming soon! Make sure to mark September 17th on your Calendar! We are excited to see you at this year's Abilene Oktoberfest.
October
1
Saturday
Heritage Day Festival
Enjoy living history, steam engine carousel rides, antique tractor show, classic car show, food, and much more at the Dickinson County Heritage Center.
October
10-14
Monday-Friday
National Greyhound Association Fall Nationals
See Greyhounds in action during the Fall Nationals! Learn more
October
8
Saturday
Wild West Gravel Fest
In its third year, this premier gravel ride attracts riders from across the country! The Wild West Gravel Fest is a gravel bike race in Dickinson County, KS. With races ranging from 200k to 5k, Wild West Gravel Fest appeals to racers who are new to gravel and those who dare to push themselves to the extreme. And make sure to stick around for the after-party at Old Abilene Town. Learn more
October
21-22; 28-29
Haunted Cowtown
The ghosts of Old Abilene Town have returned. Take a walk, if you dare, through your worst nightmare, the cursed schoolhouse, the possessed cabin, the haunted cemetery, the spooky saloon, and much more.
November
18
Friday
Pink Friday
We've all heard of Black Friday, American Express Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, but what about Pink Friday?
Pink Friday is a small business spin on the traditional Black Friday shopping experience, reminding people to #ShopSmallFirst.
December
2-18
The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre
This Holiday treat will have you leaving the theatre with warm fuzzies about a story of the Great Lakes voyages of Christmas Tree ships and a family’s positive spirit to share the power of classic inspiration and Christmas miracles. The heartbeat of life is in our stories and our songs! Learn more
December
3-4
Saturday & Sunday
Cowtown Christmas
Visit Abilene December 3-4, 2022 for the Heritage Homes Association’s Homes for the Holidays Tour, enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas at the Dickinson County Heritage Center and Old Abilene Town, tour the historic Seelye Mansion and see more than 60 beautifully decorated Christmas Trees, ride the rails with Santa and the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, see the live production of The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre, take an evening cruise and see Griswold-style decorations, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Santa, and remember to shop small all season long at Abilene’s small businesses. 
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201 NW Second St.
Abilene, Kansas 67410
785-263-2231
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday:
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Saturday & Sunday : Closed