Category Archives: Food

Entertainment, Exercise, Food, Fort Scott, Youth

Music and Bike Races at Gunn Park on Sept. 16-17

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Submitted photos.

Some of the region’s fastest mountain bikers will be in Fort Scott for the 10th Anniversary of the Marmaton Massacre Festival, on Gunn Park Trails, the weekend of September 16th & 17th. 

Race promoter and trail steward Frank Halsey is proud of what his team of volunteers has accomplished over the past ten years. 

“Our event attracts all types of riders from the region, professionals as well as beginners,” he said.  “Lots of riders prefer our hand-built trails over the machine-built trails in popular areas such as northwest Arkansas, we just don’t have enough mileage to be a destination trail.”

The Festival begins Saturday, with some participants arriving on Friday, to prepare for the Saturday Marathon Race, which is as many miles as possible in a three-hour timeframe.  Sunday events will consist of the age and ability Category Races. 

Halsey encourages locals to grab their lawn chairs and join us in the park for the Saturday evening festivities which will include a performance by the Fort Scott High School Orchestra at 5:30 pm, followed by the always popular little kids race, and live music by the Pittsburg band, Left of Center.  Sharky’s Pub & Grub will be providing food truck services.

 

“Mountain bike racing is not really a spectator sport, but my goal for this event has been to bring riders to our beautiful city and park, while providing locals an opportunity to have a relaxing evening in our beautiful Gunn Park,” Halsey said.  “None of this would be possible without our awesome volunteers and local sponsors including, Cheney Witt Funeral Home, CrawKan, Southwind Cycle & Outdoor, Sonic, Typhoon Bay, Union State Bank, Ward Kraft, RPS Benefits, and Mid-Continental Restoration.” 

For more info: https://www.bikereg.com/61371

Location & Contact

Location address:
1010 Park Ave, Fort Scott, KS  66701
Event Phone Number:
(620) 223-3700

Event Websitehttps://gunnparktrails.com/

 

Races begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott

The Fort Scott Chamber announces the Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat Parade!

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SPONSORS NEEDED!

The past couple of years the attendance has been growing for the Downtown Trick-or-Treat parade with 600+ kids in attendance! At the end of the parade, we serve a hotdog, chips, and drink to each child who is in costume. We have been very thankful for the gracious donations from you all in the past!

If your business is interested in making a donation, please contact us! Click here to email us or call the

Chamber at 620-223-3566.

We will accept monetary donations or other items such as hot dogs, buns, individually packaged chips, or drinks.

Saturday, October 28, 2023 @ 11:00 AM

10-11am: Walgreens will be taking pictures with a Halloween Backdrop & providing a free 4 x 6 print. The backdrop will also be available throughout the event for pictures with your own camera.

Face painting will be offered by the Fort Scott High School Pride and Thespian Clubs!

11am: Parade will start at La Hacienda, down the west side of Main Street to 2nd, then back down the east side of Main Street to Skubitz Plaza.

Following parade: Hotdog, chips & drink will be served to the kids in costume provided through the generous donation of local businesses!

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***Businesses along Main Street will be handing out candy during the parade, and businesses not on Main Street as well as any community organizations are welcome to set up a table along Main to pass out candy, coupons, promo items, etc.***

Please email the Chamber if your business or organization will be passing out candy so we can plan accordingly.

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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

Entertainment, Food, Youth

Uniontown’s Old Settlers Picnic Is Today

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The 117th Old Settlers Picnic continues today with a kid’s carnival, lunch, games, and car show.

Here are some moments caught before the parade:

The kid’s carnival area is being set up by Old Settlers Picnic volunteers.
Vendors fill the Uniontown Park Square.
Cars and other vehicles gather at the West Bourbon Elementary School parking lot for a car show. Winners are announced at 2 p.m. today.
Children begin to line up for the children’s parade, which is a half hour before the regular parade.

Onlookers line the streets of Uniontown Square before the parade begins.
The children’s parade was at 10:30 a.m.
Uniontown Cheerleaders gather to walk in the parade at the staging area in the high school football parking lot.
Football boys wait at the staging area for the parade.
The Fort Scott Community College parade entry waits at the staging area for the parade.
Uniontown High footballers wait on their float for the parade to begin.
The class of 1973 waits on the back of Steve William’s trailer, in line for the parade.

Bourbon County, Business, Food

HBCAT Grant: Tiny Greens and Herbs

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This is part of a series featuring the grant recipients of the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s Center For Economic Growth in their latest grant cycle.

This grant cycle, they awarded grants to nine area businesses.
The Heathly Bourbon County Action Team Grant Program is funded by the Patterson Family Foundation and is a collaborative effort through partnerships with the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State and Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
Microgreens. Submitted photo.

Tiny Greens and Herbs, LLC, is a new microgreens business
which will open in September.

Tiny Greens and Herbs will provide Bourbon County families and
community members with convenient, year-round access to locally grown, nutrient packed greens and herbs, according to owner Cherri Walrod.

“This start-up business produces sustainably-grown microgreens which are tiny, immature vegetable and herb plants that are packed with up to 40 times more nutrients than their full-grown counterparts,” she said.

Phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals or antioxidants, are compounds produced by plants that provide health benefits to the body. Along with phytonutrients (antioxidants), microgreens are loaded with vitamins, minerals, flavorful, easy to prepare and
fun to eat, according to Walrod.

Walrod moved to Fort Scott in July 2023 from Eudora, KS.

Or connect on the Facebook page Tiny Greens and Herbs LLC.

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Cohn’s Cafe to Open in Repurposed Historic Temple Building on September 1

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Tracy and Kathy Dancer purchased the Scottish Rite Temple at the Bourbon County Tax Sale in January 2022.

The former Scottish Rite Temple at 110 S. Main is being repurposed by Tracy and Kathy Dancer.
Tracy and Kathy Dancer in the entrance to 110 S. Main, now called Mercantile and Market and Cohn’s Cafe.

Since the purchase of the historic building in downtown Fort Scott, the Dancers  opened a Mercantile and Market at 110 S. Main in February 2023 and in the next few weeks will be opening a cafe in an adjoining room.

“The shop is called Mercantile and Market and Cohn’s Cafe,” Kathy said. “It was run from 1926 to 1948 by Sidney Cohn and his wife as a cafe, in the exact space.” The cafe is adjacent, south, to the mercantile.

For many years, the space was used for fundraisers for Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.

This week, they will have a reservation only preview, no walk-in patrons, from August 22-26.

The grand opening to the rest of the public is September 1.

Kathy Dancer in the Cohn’s Cafe, at 110 S. Main.

The preview this week is to train new staff.

“This will be to train new staff on the menu,” she said. “To give our staff a chance to adjust things before we open. This is practice so when we do our grand opening, we will be prepared.”

There are 10 employees, not counting Tracy and Kathy.

The business phone number is 620-418-6209.
Hours are 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with cafe table service.
From 2-6 p.m. (during the mercantile hours)one can order take-away food and drinks.
On Sunday the cafe will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Customers will be able to call or text for reservations,” Kathy said.  “We will also accept call-in orders for grab-and-go from the cooler.
Customers will be able to pick up these orders until 5:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.”

 

The cafe will use locally sourced ingredients to make fresh breakfast and lunch dishes: quiche, crepes, bakery items, salad, soup, sandwiches, and other featured meals, plus drinks.

The meats, eggs, and veggies are lined up from local suppliers and the menu will be adjusted based on seasonal availability, she said.

The current Cohn’s Cafe menu.

On the horizon for the cafe are syrups made from local orchards and additionally a tea service.

Kathy will be starting a tea pot collection to begin a tea service in the cafe. Here are some of her antique tea pots on display in the cafe.

“It will be a pot of tea that comes with scones, biscuits, and tea sandwiches,” she said. “We will be starting a tea pot collection for our tea service.”

People will pay for the meal in the mercantile section, much like a Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Following a conversation with a downtown resident, the cafe will be selling milk, eggs and bread from a cooler she purchased.

This cooler was purchased to sell milk, eggs and bread, at the request of a downtown resident.
Food, K-State Extension

Top Tips for Grilling Month

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Clara Wicoff. Submitted photo 2023

By Clara Wicoff

Southwind Extension District

Grilling with family and friends is a classic summertime activity, particularly during the month of July which is designated as National Grilling Month! Keep foodborne illness off the menu by following these tips while grilling:

  • Wash your hands. You should always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before handling food. This is roughly the same amount of time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
  • Marinate food in the refrigerator. Never marinate food on the counter or outside!
  • Avoid cross contamination. Never use sauce that was used to marinade raw meat on cooked food and do not put cooked food on a plate that was used for raw meat. If you want to use some of the marinade as a sauce on your cooked food, set aside some of the unused marinade ahead of time for that purpose.
  • Keep cold food cold. If you are transporting food in a cooler, use an insulated cooler and include enough ice or ice packs to keep the temperature at 40°F or below. Place your cooler in the shade or under shelter to keep it out of direct sunlight.
  • Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Once food is on the grill, be sure to cook it to a safe internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer. Color is not an indicator of food safety! According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), whole cuts of beef and pork (such as steaks, roasts, and chops) should be cooked to 145°F and then allowed to rest for 3 minutes. Hamburgers made of ground beef or pork should be cooked to 160° All poultry (including ground poultry) should be cooked to at least 165°F.
  • Keep hot food hot. Once you have grilled meat or poultry, keep it hot (at 140°F or above) until you serve it. This can be done by setting it to the side of the grill rack.
  • Keep food safe. Do not let raw meat or poultry, cooked food, or cut fresh vegetables and fruits sit out at room temperature for more than two hours before placing them in a refrigerator or freezer. (If the temperature is above 90°F, this timeframe decreases to one hour.)

 

For more information from the Partnership for Food Safety Education, visit https://www.fightbac.org/grill-master/. You can also find information from the USDA at bit.ly/grillsafely. Contact me with questions at [email protected] or 620-365-2242.

 

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Food, Government, Kansas

Special Hunting Access this Fall Through Free Draw

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KDWP to Offer Special Hunting Access this Fall Through Free Draw

PRATT – Exclusive access to land not normally open to hunting and above average success rates… Sound like an expensive hunting lease? Well, it’s not. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Special Hunts program provides hundreds of such hunts each fall and winter, and what’s even better? There’s no charge – all you have to do is apply and be selected.

KDWP’s Special Hunts program offers hunting opportunities with limited access to public and private lands, including select refuge areas, for deer, upland game, waterfowl, doves, turkey and furbearers.

Applications must be made online here, https://programs.ksoutdoors.com/2023-Fall-Winter-Hunts, and a random drawing will determine who is selected.

This fall and winter, KDWP is offering more than 350 individual “Special Hunt” opportunities.

The application period opened July 8, 2023, with the application draw dates as follows:

  • First Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in September and October) – Aug. 7, 2023
  • Second Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in November and December) – Sept. 25, 2023
  • Third Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in January and February) – Dec. 11, 2023

Resident or nonresident hunters may apply, though some hunts are restricted to residents only. When applying online, hunters will select hunts by species, date and category, which include “Open,” “Youth,” or “Mentored” hunts. All applicants are eligible to apply for Open Hunts, regardless of age or hunting experience. Youth Hunts require parties to include at least one hunter age 18 or younger, accompanied by an adult age 21 or older (who may not hunt). And Mentored Hunts are open to both youth and novice hunters supervised by a mentor age 21 or older (who may also hunt).

E-mail notifications are sent to both “successful” and “unsuccessful” applicants within two business weeks of the drawing. Successful applicants will also be emailed their hunt permit, as well as area maps and other pertinent information. Hunters are responsible for purchasing necessary licenses and permits required by law.

For more information on KDWP’s Special Hunts Program, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Special-Hunts-Information.

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