Stroll the Historic Downtown Main Street, enjoy some art and country music this Friday.

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Hit the Bricks Wine Stroll,

Art Walk and Blane Howard Concert

 Historic downtown Fort Scott will be bustling the night of Friday, July 27, with the crowd at the second Hit the Bricks Wine Stroll, Art Walk and Blane Howard concert. Main Street will be closed at 3:30 p.m. to foot traffic only between 1^st and 2^nd Streets so participants can safely enjoy the event.

The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. and features a variety of events to appeal to a broad audience and all ages. The art walk, coordinated by the BCAC, is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the works displayed by area artists and the sounds of local musicians.

For participants age 21 years and older, the wine stroll will feature 1.5-ounce samplings of wines from several Kansas wineries and vineyards. Cost for the wine stroll is $25 and includes a commemorative wine glass and logoed reusable wine bag for purchases. A valid ID is required at check-in located outside of 119 S Main. Only paid participants with a valid wristband are allowed to sample alcohol.

New to the stroll this year are two distilleries, TJ’s Brew & Microdistillery and Ornery Brothers Distilling, plus Fossil Springs Winery and Get Drizzled, a wine drizzle used for food toppings. Returning for the second year are Aubrey Vineyards, Flustered Blonde Vineyards, Smoky Hill Vineyards and Vogel Family Vineyards. Wine vendors will have unopened bottles of wine for sale. According to Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations, distilleries may only offer product samples. Patrons may purchase food from Sam and Louie’s Food Truck.

Topping off the night, country music sensation Blane Howard will have folks dancing at Liberty Theatre beginning at 8:30 p.m. Howard recently signed a big recording contract so this is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy him perform locally. Tickets for the Blane Howard concert are $35 each.

Patrons can save $10 if they purchase both the wine stroll and concert tickets for $50. Tickets are available online at mercy.net/stroll.

“The Mercy Health Foundation Board is excited to host this event once again as an opportunity for people to enjoy the history and revitalization of our lovely Main Street,” said Tina Rockhold, Mercy Health Foundation executive director. “We are grateful for the collaboration with the City of Fort Scott, the Bourbon County Arts Council (BCAC), Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, Union State Bank, the local liquor stores, and APS Staffing to make the event possible.”

All proceeds from the Hit the Bricks event will help Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott, a nonprofit 501(C)3 corporation, purchase a new transport ambulance. Cost for the ambulance is $80,000.

To learn more about the Mercy Health Foundation or make a donation visit https://www.mercy.net/practice/mercy-health-foundation-fort-scott/ or call 620-223-8094.

Taylor Hughes is a full-time entertainer with over 20 years of performance experience. He is one of the only people to have performed in all three showrooms at the World Famous Magic Castle before the age of 21.

He is a featured act on the television series “Masters of Illusion” and was recently presented the awards for “Best Illusion” “Best Comedy Magic” and “Best Showmanship” by the Society of American Magicians in Los Angeles. 

A popular entertainer, Taylor has performed for multiple organizations including Home Depot, AT&T, and The American Heart Association.

MagicShowPoster

“Riddle me this” Scavenger Hunt & “The Fort Art Show”

 Lyrics of a popular song declare that ‘the children are our future’. The National Park Service highly values education programs and opportunities for youth. In keeping with that spirit, Fort Scott National Historic Site will be hosting events geared toward youth in the next few weeks.

On July 28, 2018, the site will be hosting an art show commemorating the beauty of the fort and its history. Artists of all ages are invited to submit a drawing or a painting that illustrates something related to the fort. Artwork must be submitted at Fort Scott’s visitor center no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 26. Please be sure to include your name, telephone number, email address, category, and title of artwork with each submission. There is no fee to enter.

Art will be on display on July 28 throughout the day in the infantry barracks museum next to the visitor center. The art will be divided into two categories; Grades K-12 and adults (age 19 and above). Awards will be given to 1^st and 2^nd place for each category. Visitors will also be able to vote for their favorite piece of artwork: the popular favorite overall will also receive an award. So come join us for a day of art and fun!

On August 4, 2018, you, your family and friends are invited to participate in a Scavenger Hunt at Fort Scott NHS from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. During the scavenger hunt, your team will solve riddles that will help you find various items around the fort. You may sign up as a team (up to six people) or as a single participant. An award will be given to the group or person that finds all the hidden items in the fastest time. All you will need is a cell phone or a digital camera to take a picture of the item and your thinking caps. The scavenger hunt will start precisely at 10:30 a.m. Participants need to be on site, ready to go, no later than 10:15 a.m. All ages are welcome to come! Come and see if you can find them all! Participation is by registration only. Call 620-223-0310 or come by the site to register no later than July 29, 2018.

The Youth Engagement Team, high school age students working at the fort this summer, is leading these events. The team’s job is to find ways to engage with youth and to bring more youth to the site this summer.

For more information about these programs, call 620-223-0310, or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

www.nps.gov/fosc

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 413 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTubewww.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

The Fort Scott Aquatic Center will close for the season  Sunday, August 12.

“Other area pools close at that time,” FS City Manager Dave Martin said. “The week before school starts, our staff starts to have school activities.”

USD 234 has its’ first day of school August 23.

A large crowd attended the annual 4th of July Burke Street Parade.

“We had a huge crowd,” Deb Halsey, a resident on the street said.

Deb and husband Frank Halsey hosted the cookie reception that always follows the parade each year. The reception is hosted by a different family each year.

The following are submitted photos.

A miniature white convertible is driven by Ella Walker and Olive Ellis.