What do we call people from Great Bend? Are they Great Bendians? Great Bendites? Great Bendonians? Or maybe Great Bend Greaters?
Most residents of the city on the big bend of the Arkansas River have experienced these seven rites of passage:
Visiting Brit Spaugh Zoo
The Great Bend zoo features species from around the world and also maintains a Raptor Rehabilitation Program. The free facility is open 362 days of the year. The newest addition is a winter house for the alligators, with windows so the public can view the two alligators year-round.
Exploring the Barton County Historical Society
The Barton County Historical Society Museum and Village is located just south of Great Bend on U.S. 281, across the Arkansas River Bridge. The Village boasts several authentically furnished period buildings and collections which tell the story of this area from the Paleo Period through the Indian Wars to World War II and beyond.
Enjoying fine arts at Barton Community College
The Barton Performing Arts Department invites the community to enjoy its “Autumn Arts” concert from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. The concert will feature the Barton Music Department and Barton Dance Theatre.
The final performances of the latest theater production, “Clue, On Stage,” are today at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
On Monday, auditions will be held for the next production, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” presented in conjunction with Great Bend Community Theatre. Auditions are from 5-9 p.m. in the auditorium. For more information contact Miller James at 620-792-9205.
The Shafer Art Gallery is also located in the Fine Arts Building. It is currently showing “Material Pulses: Seven Viewpoints,” an exhibition focused on the art of quilt-making. It ends Oct. 20. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and admission is free.
Listening to a City Band concert in the courthouse square
The Great Bend City Band has offered free summer concerts for years, inviting area musicians to pick up their instruments and join the band. Patriotic music and marches are among their staples, but some programs are usually devoted to pop tunes, jazz music and big band standards.
The Clayton L. Moses Memorial Band Shell is more than 90 years old. The Thelma Faye Harms Stage was added to expand the band shell in 2017.
In recent years, with the addition of a statue honoring Nobel Prize winner Jack Kilby, the courthouse square has come to be known as Jack Kilby Square. It is also the site of Thursday evening Summer Street Stroll Farmers Market, June Jaunt activities and the occasional outdoor movie.
Watching a parade on Main Street
The Great Bend Kiwanis Club sponsors the annual Halloween Parade, also known as the Candy Parade, at 11 a.m. on the Saturday before Halloween. Dressing up in Halloween costumes is encouraged as children and families enjoy a “walking parade” through downtown Great Bend. Local businesses will greet participants with candy at the storefronts.
Also coming up is the Central Kansas Toy Run, at 3 p.m. Oct. 16 on Main Street from Brit Spaugh Park. This event is sponsored by The Men M.C. and participants donate toys for needy children.
The final parade of the year is the annual Home for the Holidays Parade on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This lighted parade and accompanying events brings people downtown for shopping, entertainment, and Santa Claus.
Experiencing Cheyenne Bottoms/KWEC
Visit the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, which overlooks Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest inland marsh in the United States and a Ramsar designated, Wetland of International Importance.
The KWEC is managed by Fort Hays State University in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism.
Walk through state-of-the-art exhibits that tell the story of Cheyenne Bottoms from its ancient geological formation to the management challenges of the future.
Elsewhere in Barton County, interpretive signs greet travelers along the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway, just off K-156 at Cheyenne Bottoms and K-4 east of Hoisington. The K-4 kiosk panels present an overview of the Bottoms as well as suggestions for planning a trip along the byway.
Cruising Main Street
Great Benders of a certain age recall cruising or “dragging” Main Street as a regular event. It was revived in March of 2020 as “social distancing” became a common phrase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Classic cars, motorcycles and anything else on wheels drove from 24th Street to 10th Street and on to the Great Bend Co-op and back, honking their horns and keeping the lanes full.
