Event
Description
The Third Annual Concert, Symphony in the Flint Hills 2008, will be held on Saturday, June 14th in historic Morris County, on traditional Kaw Territory less than two miles from the Santa Fe Trail. The concert will be performed by the Kansas City Symphony on privately owned ranchland just east of National Scenic Byway Kansas Highway 177.
Upon arrival, volunteers will greet you, some on horseback, and guide you to the concert site. You are invited to arrive at the parking area as early as 12 noon. The ticket gate opens at 1 p.m.
The concert site is out in the middle of prairie at the end of a walking trail, through wild flowers and native grasses, about one mile from parking. Transportation to the concert site on flatbed trailers with rustic seating will be provided for those who prefer it. However, we do encourage you to hike the wild flower trail to the concert site. This year the walk will only be less than a mile from the ticket booth with no elevation change . . . a pleasant stroll.
Whether riding on a trailer or walking, plan to arrive and head to the concert site at least one hour before the concert starts at 6:30 p.m. Rides out to the site begin at 2 p.m. The last rides will leave from parking at 5:30 p.m. so be sure to arrive in plenty of time. There may be a waiting line for rides but we will do our best.
Educational activities will begin onsite at 2 p.m. An afternoon full of opportunities to learn about and experience grassland culture and heritage is being planned. All these things are included in the price of your ticket so come early and enjoy.
Presentations will be scheduled every half hour in 3 different education tents beginning at 2 p.m.
Topics include:
- Prairie plants and flowers
- Geology of the Flint Hills
- History of cowboys and historic ranching in the Flint Hills and Morris County
- Birds of the prairie
- Modern day ranching in the Flint Hills
- Kaw Indian History
- The story of early Council Grove and the Santa Fe Trail
Activities:
- Bird hikes accompanied by Kansas Audubon member guides
- Petting zoo with symphonic instruments provided by the Kansas City Symphony Auxiliary
- Authentic horse-drawn covered wagons for rides out into the prairie
- Guided wildflower and native grasses walks led by Kansas Native Plant Society members
- Star Gazing
- Dancing to the Blackbury Band after the concert
Beginning at 2 p.m. award-winning barbecue dinners with vegetarian options will be available for purchase at the concert site from Flint Hills vendors. Iced tea, lemonade and bottled water will also be available. Wine and beer will be offered for sale as well. We ask that you not bring alcoholic beverages to the site (in glass containers). There will be plenty of free unchilled water. You may choose to bring your own picnic, but hard-sided coolers are not allowed past the ticket gate . . . they take up too much room on the trailers and it is really too far to carry them on a June afternoon. Tailgate picnics are fine, of course.
Don’t forget a hat, sunscreen and bug spray!
You may bring lawn chairs (no chaise lounge chairs, please) or blankets to sit on. However we will have chairs available for rent for a $2 fee for those who don’t want to carry their chairs around.
The concert will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. The performance will last 90 minutes with a 20-minute intermission (no videotaping, photographing or cell phones during the performance please). There is no smoking anywhere on the concert site except in the privacy of your vehicle.
Sunset in the Flint Hills can be extraordinarily beautiful. The sun won’t go down on concert day, June 14, until 8:55 p.m. Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is less than a week away. Twilight should be long and lingering.
The walking trail, the parking area, the concert site and the food and beverage tents will be well illuminated. Last year many people had to wait for sometime in their cars because the parking area was congested. Everyone tried to leave at the same time. This year entertainment will continue after the symphonic concert. Preliminary plans include: twilight wagon rides, old time acoustic music with fiddles, banjos, guitars, harmonicas and a good dance floor. Food and beverages will be served until late so you can relax and enjoy the evening out on the prairie and not worry about falling darkness.
Spending a day in the Flint Hills in June can be absolutely glorious. However, nature is our partner for this event. All concertgoers will need to be cognizant of the weather forecasts for Morris County on Saturday, June 14, 2008. Should the concert have to be postponed until Sunday, June 15th, please see Rain Plan under Tickets.