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Category Archives: Entertainment
Elvis Tribute Artist Coming to Fort Scott February 17
Jeff Bergen is one of the most exciting and talked about
Elvis Tribute Artists. More detail at https://www.facebook.com/elvisentertainmentkc/ and https://jeffbergen.com/Reviews.html
530 – Happy Hour with Cash Bar with background music
Charcuterie Cup appetizers
Elvis-Themed Silent Auction
630 – Dinner with background music
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Breast & Herb Crusted Lemon Pepper Pork Tenderloin
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine
Rolls with butter (thank you Connie Conroy!)
730 – Dessert with background music
Elvis-favorites
-Peanut Butter & Banana Dessert Cups
-Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cups
-Donut Wall (Elvis LOVED Donuts)
Taylor Swift Tribute This Saturday in Fort Scott’s Memorial Hall
Tell Your Kids and Grandkids! Tickets at https://advanceboco.
New Downton Pavilion Is In the Works For Fort Scott

A new 70-foot by 150-foot pavilion is in the works for downtown Fort Scott between Old Fort Blvd. and Stanton Street on North National Avenue.
‘The farmers market pavilion would aim to be a dynamic community hub,” according to a press release from Wells. “This outdoor pavilion stands in the original location of the first farmer’s market in the community’s history and champions access to fresh produce by hosting the Farmers Market every Tuesday and Saturday from May to October. Beyond the market, the pavilion transforms into a cultural stage.”
“The current plan is to make it available to rent , like Riverfront Park, or the (Gunn Park) shelter houses,” Wells said. “The city has first right-of-refusal on any use other than the set times guaranteed to the farmers market.”
This gathering space offers Bourbon County’s farmers a direct link to the community, fostering healthier lifestyles with the offering of fresh produce and enhancing local commerce, he said.
The pavilion is constructed with sustainability and adaptability in mind, and the design aligns with the International Building Code of 2015, according to the press release.
The pavilion committee also envisions music, theater, and community gatherings coming alive in the space.
It is adjacent to the newly constructed splash pad and sensory park that was constructed last summer.
The pavilion project is backed by the City of Fort Scott, a grant from T-Mobile, a grant from the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, private donations, and other grants that have been applied for and will be awarded soon, Wells said.
“As the price of steel was set to go up by a combined 35%, the Fort Scott City Commission had the forethought to order steel before the skyrocket in price,” Wells said. “As the grants come in, money will be replaced. The city was requested to match at least 1/2 the project cost according to grants.”
Sprouls Construction Inc., Lamar, MO is the general contractor for the pavilion construction project, which began in mid-November and is slated to be finished by mid-January
“We bid the project a long time ago,” Kevin Rooks, Sproul spokesman said. “But we didn’t start working until mid-November 2023.”
“(The project) went through several committees that I was not on, and went through many design and location changes,” Wells said. “When we reformed the committee we focused on a site, a site plan, and design. Partnering with the sensory park and splash pad committee we developed the idea for the ‘gathering square’ .”
A final site had to be chosen, and the commission as a whole had to decide on how best to move forward.
“The commission chose progress and what was best, and most cost-effective for our citizens,” Wells said.
The building is constructed of pre-engineered metal and Sprouls Constructin is currently trying to get the roof panels on.
“We hope the wind will quit,” he said. “All the conditions have to be right (for safely installing the roof panels).”
“We anticipate the completion is mid-January,” Rook said. “If the weather cooperates, it will be sooner.”
The structure will be painted black when the weather is warmer and dryer, Rook said. “Hopefully, by June.”
There are more phases to the project.
“We would like to put electricity and lighting, and then we would like to wrap the columns in stone,” he said. “And when the blockhouse has the new siding put on, incorporate a matching wood, possibly around the top as a skirt.”
The pavilion committee consists of:
Lindsay Madison
Bailey Lyons
Rachel French
Angie Simons
Bill Michaud
Brad Matkin
Mary Wyatt
Josh Jones
Tayton Majors
Rob Harrington
Matthew Wells
New Commercial, Entertainment and Tourism Project Being Proposed


“The (Fort Scott)Commission was presented a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the multi-million dollar ‘Event Center’ project which would include an 8,000 seat event center focusing on rodeo type events, stockyard, two hotels, travel center type convenient store, restaurants, multi-use turf field, and luxury recreational vehicle (RV) park,” said Brad Matkin, Fort Scott’s City Manager.
The MOU was signed by the city and a signatory, Robb Heineman, for 635 Holdings LLC.

Heineman is the co-owner of Sporting KC, the parent organization of Sporting Kansas City, and one of the club’s five principal owners, according to https://www.sportingkc.com/club/ownership/robb-heineman/.
This MOU begins preliminary negotiations on a development agreement.
“As of right now there is no obligation from the City of Fort Scott,” Matkin said. “The signing of the MOU shows the City of Fort Scott supports the project and wishes to proceed.”
“The South Sports Project represents a transformative $116 million development aimed at bolstering tourism and increasing sales tax revenues in the region,” said Harrington.
“At the heart…. is the construction of an 80,000-square-foot, 8,000-seat professional rodeo arena,” Harrington said. “This versatile facility, designed in collaboration with leading rodeo companies, is set to become one of the nation’s premier rodeo venues. Beyond rodeo events, the arena will host conferences, trade shows, sporting events, and concerts, positioning Fort Scott and Bourbon County as a prominent destination.”
In addition to the arena, there are plans for new hotels and retail spaces, including restaurants.
“These additions are projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and property taxes over the next two decades,” Harrington said.
One part of the project is a “super field” for local soccer teams and a multi-purpose facility with four baseball and softball fields.
“This will not only bring in sports tournaments but also facilitate an upgrade to LaRoche Stadium, saving significant tax dollars for the school district and city,” Harrington said.
Also included is the establishment of a luxury recreational vehicle park, which will accommodate tourists, sports enthusiasts, and concertgoers, further enhancing the area’s appeal, according to Harrington.
A new truck plaza along Highway 69 is included and will increase sales tax revenue from non-local traffic. This strategic location fills a crucial service gap for truck drivers traveling between U.S. Interstate Hwy. 44 and Kansas City, Harrington said.
Overall, Harrington said the South Sports Project promises to create approximately 300 new jobs and generate nearly a billion dollars in sales and property tax revenues over 25 years. “This growth, driven by external investment, offers the prospect of reducing the tax burden for local residents.”
7th Annual Library Family Holiday Party
Kids 1st grade & under must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Activities include holiday stories & singalong, cookie decorating, candy cane hunt, “snowball fight,” teen games, and crafts. All children and teens will receive at least one gift and a free book!
The library is seeking volunteers to help supervise the activities and groups, and donors to help provide food. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/
After stories and songs, the event will be split up by family groups rather than age groups (with the exception of 4th-12th graders, who will remain upstairs for the majority of the event), although age-appropriate activities will be offered for each level. If you will have your children with you and would like to volunteer to help, you may stay with your family or group the entire time while helping to keep the event supervised and activities running smoothly. Email [email protected] or fill out the form linked above to volunteer or donate.+
Want to donate food but aren’t sure what to give? See this list for suggested items: Holiday Party Food Donation List
Happy Holidays!
Santa Coming to Old Fort Auto This Saturday

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Tucker Family Band Performs January 12
2023 Christmas Light Trolley Tours Offered

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The Inaugural Christmas on the Bricks: An Enjoyable Weekend

Diane Striler said she is overwhelmed by the positive feedback she has received from the community about the Christmas on the Bricks Festival this past weekend.
Striler was the Elevate Fort Scott Christmas Chairman who facilitated the first annual event.
First Ever Christmas on the Bricks: Something For Everyone
“While planning this event, my goal was to have a variety of activities available throughout the weekend so everyone could find something they would enjoy doing,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how things would fall into place, but was just hoping that people would show up and have a good time.”
“The best part for me is hearing that businesses profited, the community had fun, people traveled to attend the event, our downtown looks beautiful and people are already talking about next year,” she said.
There were some challenges to creating the event.
“Any time you plan something like this, you will run into some challenges,” she said.
Even though the weather was cold and damp, “People still showed up,” she said. “As for other challenges, I did a lot of praying and things just seemed to fall into place.”
” Lindsay Madison…was my main sidekick in this and I couldn’t have done this without her,” Striler said.
“We are compiling a list of people we want to thank, and we don’t want to miss anyone who supported us,” she said. “We’ll be publishing the list once we have that complete.”
The committee is planning a wrap-up meeting at the Chamber office this Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
“We welcome feedback from those involved,” she said. “We’ll use this info to tweak next year’s event to make it even better!”
Next year Christmas on the Bricks will be Dec 6- 8th, staying consistent with the first weekend in December.
FSNHS Candlelight Tour: A History Immersion

The 42nd Annual Fort Scott National Historic Site Candlelight Tour, December 1 and 2 was entitled Glowing Heartbeats of History.
The vignettes of local history focused on the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health of the soldiers and local townspeople.
The temperatures in the 40s and damp weather did not stop people from attending the tour this year.
1,000 candle lanterns illuminated the site with a peaceful ambiance and reenactors helped bring 1860s history alive at the fort.
During the tour, participants were immersed in ways people have historically been provided the opportunity to be well, despite their circumstances, according to a press release from the fort.
The Fort Scott High School Drama Club wrote the scene at the hospital tent for the tour, the other vignettes were written by the FSNHS staff, Carl Brenner, Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Management said.
About the Fort
From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation.
The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 am-4:30 pm.
The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset.
For more information about Fort Scott National Historic Site programs or to become involved in the candlelight tour, or other activities, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.





2023 Christmas Parade Winners
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank all who attended or participated in the 2023 Christmas Parade held Thursday, November 30th in the Downtown Historic District.
The theme was “A Candy Land Christmas” and many of the entries did an exceptional job of coordinating with the theme.
The parade was sponsored by Briggs of Fort Scott.
The panel of judges selected the following winners out of fifty-four entries: 1st place as Extrusions, Inc., 2nd place as Fort Scott FFA, and 3rd place as Carhelp/Washateria.
The contribution of many is what makes events like the Christmas parade successful. The Chamber is sincerely appreciative of all who volunteered, announced, judged, and otherwise had a part in the parade.
Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566.












