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The 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mills is the only historic flour mill of its kind in the Midwest that can still operate, and there’s exactly one day every year that it roars back to life for visitors to experience. Saturday, May 3, the roller mill fires up for the annual Millfest celebration beginning at 9:00am.
“It really is an unforgettable opportunity to see history in action and up close,” Adam Pracht, Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum's Marketing and Communications Director, says. “The floors shake and rumble, you hear the rattle of gears and belts, and you can even smell the old wheat dust and oil in the air."
Tours run 9:00am-4:45pm and cost $10 per person during Millfest. All other museum attractions will be available by donation. For safety reasons, tours are restricted to those 13 years old or older; but when the mill shuts down for the day at 4:45pm it will be available to families with children ages 12 and younger to take a free mill tour.
Music entertainment will be available on the museum front porch 10:00am-3:30pm.
Other museum activities throughout the day included in the “by-donation” admission:
- antique tractor show sponsored by the International Harvester Collector Club
- face painting from “Just Face It” 1:30-4:30pm
- decorate your own Dala Horse
- traditional stick-and-hoop races
- Kubb (a Swedish lawn game)
- dance with Folksdanslag (traditional Swedish dancing)
Demonstations include:
- a quilt show from McPherson Quilt Guild
- blacksmithing
- learn about perennial agriculture from The Land Institute
- artwork
- hand woodcarving from Salina Woodcarvers
- and others!
Several food vendors will be present to tempt your taste-buds, and a silent auction to help support the museum's mission will run from 9:00am-4:00pm. Bid on baked goods, artwork, gift cards, a computer tablet, and more!
Read about all you can expect to find at this year's Millfest by clicking on this link: Visit Lindsborg blog.
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Jason Ryberg, Artist-in-Residence
Red Barn Studio Museum
May 1-29
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The Red Barn Studio Museum is pleased to welcome back poet, writer, and editor Jason Ryberg as Artist-in-Residence, May 1–29.
Ryberg is the author of twenty-two poetry collections, six screenplays, and an ever-growing archive of short stories and notebooks. His latest book, Bullet Holes in the Mailbox (Cigarette Burns in the Sheets) (Back of the Class Press, 2024), continues his exploration of life’s grit, humor, and poetry in the everyday. His work has appeared in As it Ought to Be, Up the Staircase Quarterly, Thimble Literary Magazine, I-70 Review, Main Street Rag, The Arkansas Review and various other journals and anthologies, and he currently serves as an editor at Spartan Books and an artist-in-residence at The Prospero Institute of Disquieted P/o/e/t/i/c/s and the Osage Arts Community.
An example of Ryberg's poetry is found by reading the Visit Lindsborg blog.
Gather in the Red Barn on May 18, 2:00-4:00pm for a reception and poetry reading by Ryberg.
The Red Barn Studio Museum is located at 212 S. Main Street and is open Tuesday-Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm. For more information, contact the Red Barn Studio Museum at 785-227-2217.
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Exhibition: The All-Powerful Flight of Fancy
Smoky Valley Arts & Folklife Center
May 2-25
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An art exhibition, The All-Powerful Flight of Fancy, featuring works by Michael Knutson and Brian McCallum, showcases their creative work about unrealistic ideas and fantastic notions. The artwork juxtaposes Knutson's lush western landscapes and McCallum's whimsical pottery.
This unique blend of art is a must-see exhibition that spans two decades of these artists' careers. The All-Powerful Flight of Fancy exhibition will be held May 2-25 at Smoky Valley Arts & Folklife Center, 114 1/2 S. Second Street. Hours are Friday-Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm. A reception with comments by the artists will be held Friday, May 23, 5:30-7:30pm.
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Citywide Garage Sale and Garden Crew Yard Sale!
May 2 & 3
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The Lindsborg Citywide Garage Sale is on Saturday, May 3. Maps will be available at 6:30am at the American Legion Post 140, located at 524 E. State Street. While you're there, grab a breakfast burrito (provided by the American Legion Riders) to fuel your day! Most garage sales begin at 7:00am. Proceeds from the citywide sales will go toward Meals on Wheels.
If you just can't wait until Saturday morning, the Red Barn Studio Museum's 7th Annual Garden Crew Yard Sale begins at noon on Friday, May 2. Saturday, May 3, the Red Barn's sales resume at 8:00am. The proceeds from this yard sale will go to purchase plants, flowers and gardening tools and supplies for the Red Barn’s lawns and courtyards. The Red Barn is located at 212 S. Main Street.
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Size Matters and other Exhibitions
Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery
May 4-July 20
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The Muses by Rodney Wood
Four new exhibitions open at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery on Sunday, May 4, and continue through July 20. They feature a large works invitational, a show of mixed media pieces by Rodney Wood of Hoisington, watercolors by Mark Grosserode of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and acrylic paintings by Virgil Penner of North Newton. A reception for the exhibitions will be on Sunday, May 4, 2:00-4:00pm, with exhibition talks beginning at 2:30pm.
In 2022 the Sandzén Gallery put together an exhibition called Small Wonders. It was a spectacular show that included tiny art by 164 artists from throughout the region. As one can imagine, working with that many artists can be challenging. For this invitational, the Gallery’s show committee decided to do a complete reversal and invited artists to create larger works that could be up to 32 square feet. The exhibition is titled SIZE MATTERS and includes 18 artists from throughout the region.
The Gallery is excited to present this exhibition and know that its namesake, Birger Sandzén, would be equally so since he often tackled subjects on a grand scale. His panoramic landscapes capture the awe-inspiring emotion of size and this exhibition will do likewise.
Rodney Wood’s exhibition, Sensorium, includes older selections along with new pieces making their debut. The term refers to the parts of the brain concerned with the reception and interpretation of sensory stimuli. Wood writes, "...Sensorium is a gathering of artwork that came into existence via my desire to share the result of that accumulation of stimuli within my head, heart, and soul.”
Mark Grosserude graduated with degrees from the University of Nebraska and University of Iowa before setting up his medical practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He retired from medicine in 2012 and has painted full time since.
Virgil Penner is known for his ink drawings of homes and buildings with an architectural perspective. Since retiring in 2009 he has focused on acrylic landscape paintings.
Additional information about each artist can be found by reading Visit Lindsborg's blog.
The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located at 401 N. First Street. Hours are 10:00am-5:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday, and 1:00-5:00pm on Sunday. Admission is free, with donations appreciated. Docent tours for groups are available by two-week advance appointment.
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Two Concerts Hosted by the KFMC
May 9 & 10
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The Kansas Federaton of Music Clubs will be hosing their annual state convention in Lindsborg and invite you to partake of two special concerts.
Friday, May 9, at 7:00pm, Leland Ko, cellist, and Anna Han, pianist, will present a joint concert. Both were the National Federation of Music Cubs winners and are world acclaimed artists.
Saturday, May 10, 3:00pm, the Jopara Ensemble will present the Music of Paraguay. The Jopara Ensemble is a Kansas-funded artistic ensemble.
Both concerts will be in Bethany Lutheran Church, 320 N. Main Street.
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Civil War in Kansas
Smoky Valley Historical Association
May 13
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The May program for the Smoky Valley Historical Association is titled Civil War in Kansas, which includes interesting stories from state that helped star the war, presented by Merle Hodges, MD.
The free program begins at 7:30pm and is held in the Fellowship Hall of Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 402 N. First Street. Please enter the east door on the north side of the building.
About the Smoky Valley Historical Association:
Smoky Valley Historical Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting and preserving historical data pertaining to the early history and settlement of our community in general and the city of Lindsborg in particular. SVHA helps preserve and beautify places of historical interest in the Smoky Valley, and owns and maintains Coronado Heights Park and Hoglund Dugout.
For more information, email the SVHA or write to PO Box 225, Lindsborg, KS 67456.
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5th Annual Coronado Heights Kite Fly
May 17
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Let your soul soar!
An idea conceptualized by area artist, Maleta Forsberg and her memories of kite flying with her father at Coronado Heights, Lindsborg invites you to enjoy a day of kite flying, either flying them yourself, or watching the fun. Meet at Coronado Heights, just northwest of Lindsborg, on May 18 at 10:00am.
You can purchase a kit and make your own kite to fly on the spot. There will be a limited supply of kite kits available.
From 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Wings of the Wind Kites & Toys will be displaying a variety of kites and demonstrating how they fly.
Additional kites can be purchased in town at Trollslända Toy Store, 135 N. Main Street. Or bring your own kite and join in the fun!
Appreciation is given to the Smoky Valley Historical Association for sponsoring this wonderful, big-sky day. Come enjoy this outdoor, inter-generational activity!
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Memorial Day Poker Run
American Legion Riders
May 24
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Sign up now to ride with the American Legion Riders Post 140 on Saturday, May 24. The event has a $1000 grand prize!
The $30 entry fee includes a T-Shirt and a grab-and-go breakfast.
Check-in at the American Legion Post 140, 524 E. State Street, at 9:00am.
Route Information:
- Register/Start: American Legion Post 140 524 E State St, Lindsborg
- Kansas Motorcycle Museum 120 N Washington St, Marquette
- Salty Cycles 129 W Sherman St, Hutchinson
- Wheatland Park 200 Parkside Dr, Buhler
- American Legion Post 24 401 N Main St, McPherson
- Return/Raffle: American Legion Post 140 524 E State St, Lindsborg
More information found here!
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Memorial Day Services
Elmwood Cemetery
May 26
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Join the American Legion Post 140 at Elmwood Cemetery on May 26 in honoring those United States military personnel who died while serving in United States Armed Forces. A time of reflection, remembering, and recognizing their service will be led by the American Legion veterans. The service begins at 10:30am.
Elmwood Cementery is located at 1501 E. Swensson Avenue.
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Free* Bike Rides!
March 30-May 24
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KANcycle, the regional bike-sharing program operated by OCCK Transportation, is partnering with Walk Kansas to offer FREE* bike rides throughout the eight-week Walk Kansas program. This partnership encourages participants to incorporate cycling into their fitness routine, promoting healthy lifestyles and active transportation. Walk Kansas participants will receive a special promo code to use in the Movatic app, allowing them to enjoy a daily free 1-hour Kancycle ride during the program.
How it works:
- Register for Walk Kansas *Please note, the bike rentals are free, but to receive the access code, one must register with Walk Kansas which has a $10/person registration fee.
- Download the Movatic app
- Enter the promo code (provided following registration)
- Unlock a KANcycle bike and start riding!
Walk Kansas, a program through K-State research and Extension, encourages teams or individuals to log physical activity minutes equal to walking across the state. The program promotes regular movement, healthy eating, and overall wellness.
Information about the BikeShare program in Lindsborg, as well as bike rack locations, are found here.
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Opportunities at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge
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Photo by Ken Stafford
Take advantage of the spring weather and go explore all that Maxwell Wildlife Refuge has to offer! Book an overnight stay in Lindsborg, then get an early morning start to discover the peaceful Kansas prairie. A 30-minute drive from Lindsborg, Maxwell offers tram rides, trail rides, and other spring events to benefit from.
- Baby Bison Spectacular! May 17 (Sorry--May 10 is already sold out!) at 10:00am. Board trams for a 45-minute prairie ride to enjoy the bison herd and babies (called red dogs).
- Photo Tour: Babies & Wildflowers, May 24 at 8:00am. A great wildlife and wildflower photo opportunity! Board the trams and take a ride into the bison herd for close up and distance photography opportunities. There will be several opportunities to unload from the tram so be sure to wear appropriate foot wear.
- Spring Wildflower Tour, May 31 at 9:00 and 10:30am. Unload from the trams for a brief walk along the trail for identification and descriptions of the native plants or for photography.
All events require registration. Find these events and more by visiting Maxwell Wildlife Refuge's webpage. Maxwell Wildlife Refuge is located at 2565 Pueblo Road, Canton.
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More Adventures Await!
Plan ahead
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Five Star Stay
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Looking for a space to host a larger bunch? Don't let the small-town vibe of Lindsborg make you think the spaces for lodging are small! A number of lodging options include multiple rooms making your stay comfortable, like Main St. Stay!
"If you're headed to Lindsborg, this is a comfortable, beautiful, and very clean option! 6 Adults and 4 Kids fit easily in this space. It had everything we needed, clear instructions, and made our traveling a breeze. Thanks so much for hosting us!
We had a wonderful time in Lindsborg!" ~Katlyn
Check out all the lodging options in Lindsborg.
You will find the perfect home-away-from-home retreat!
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