A trip to the Kansas Sampler Festival in historic Wamego is the focus of Hesston College’s 14th annual Explore Kansas! day trip for alumni and friends Saturday, May 2.

The Kansas Sampler Festival, held at the Wamego City Park, provides a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in Kansas. The annual statewide festival features Kansas artisans, entertainers, performers and food vendors. It is hosted by different towns across the state each year, and represents more than 150 Kansas communities. More than 11,000 people attended the festival in Wamego in 2014. Find more information about the festival here.

Other highlights for the day include tours of the Columbian Theatre Museum and Sogger Gallery Arts Center as well as the Oz Museum, home of more than 2,000 “Wizard of Oz” artifacts.

The Columbian Theatre, Museum & Art Center was built in 1895 by J.C. Roger, a local merchant and banker, as a home for the artifacts he brought from the Columbian Exposition at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. In its early days, the theatre hosted vaudeville performances. It was closed after World War II, but was renovated and reopened in 1994 where it again hosts live performances by local actors and entertainers.

The evening’s entertainment will be the musical “Footloose” at the Columbian Theatre.

The trip is $90 per person, which includes bus transportation from Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus, morning cinnamon rolls, an evening barbecue brisket meal and admission to all attractions and the musical. Lunch at the Kansas Sampler Festival is on your own from a variety of vendors.

Spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a spot, call Alumni Relations at 620-327-7810 or toll free at 866-437-7866.

The day’s schedule can be found on the Hesston College website.