The Sedan area will be buzzing with activity this weekend with annual Memorial Day weekend events. From barbecue, to blues music, and arts and crafts, visitors and locals will be sure to find something that appeals to them.
The Sedan Area Economic Development Committee (SAEDC) will hold a barbeque cookoff on Saturday, May 23. The four categories of meats will be poultry, pork ribs, pork and brisket to be judged by people’s choice at the Kurtis Arts Studio Plaza, 202 S. Douglas in Sedan.
Entry fee is $25 for the first category and $10 for each additional. Cook’s choice of beans or dessert will not have an entry fee but $25 will be awarded the winner of each. Check-in will be 8 a.m. on Saturday and the grounds will be open at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22.
You may begin cooking brisket on Friday evening. Judging will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday by people’s choice with prizes awarded at 4 p.m. Prize money for the meat categories will be 1st place - $100 per category, 2nd place - $75 per category, and 3rd place - $50 per category.
Rules: Meat may not be pre-cooked, sauced, pre-sliced, injected, marinated or cured in any way prior to meat inspection at check in. Meat must be maintained at 40 degrees F prior to cooking and kept at or above 140 degrees F after cooking. Teams may cook with any type of wood or charcoal only. Teams will provide at least 5 lbs. of prepared meat per class entered to be judged. The participants are required to keep their cooking area clean and safe.
For more information and entry form contact Austin Floyd 620-725-3121, Terry Ricketts 620-725-3130, Sue Kill 620-725-3951, Leota Casement 620-725-5312, Melodi Jones 620-725-3494.
The annual Yellow Brick Road Festival, sponsored by the Sedan Area Chamber of Commerce, will also take place on Saturday, May 23. The Yellow Brick Road Parade will begin at 10 a.m., following a route around the courthouse. All clubs and organizations are invited to enter a float, or walk in the parade.
Contact Marion Hann at 620 725-3944 for information. Line-up will be on East Elm Street and the check-in point will be at North Chautauqua Street and Elm.
A Witches Cackle Contest will be held at 10:45 a.m. on the courthouse lawn, with a Ruby Slipper Contest following at 11 a.m. The Oz Character Look Alike Contest will be held at 11:15, and sack races and 3-legged-races will follow at 11:30.
An art show and sidewalk chalk art contest will be held during the day at the Kurtis Art Plaza. Dummy roping and washer toss will be held at 10 a.m. at the Kurtis Art Plaza, sponsored by Farm Bureau. Inflatables for kids will be at the plaza for kids to enjoy during the day.
Stagecoach Ranch will debut their latest restoration project in Saturday’s Yellow Brick Road parade. It is an American four-wheel family carriage that developed comparatively late in the carriage era.
The “surrey” name, supposedly came from the English “Surrey Cart,” the body of which was adapted to four wheels. The first surrey-wagons appeared in 1872, the last in the early twentieth century. This surrey was found in its original condition in up- state New York in the late 1970s. It came with an auto-top, but will be fitted later with the more popular fringe top. They came in a variety of colors, but black was more common in country settings. This surrey has been restored in a dark green with light green pin-striping, the seats are up-holstered in green velvet. The dash and fenders are black patent leather. The team they will be using are bay quarter-horse cross half-sisters named Notch and Sally. The restoration work was done by Dave Smith of Peru, Lynn Pipher from Stagecoach Ranch and Larry Bontragger of Mt. Ida, Kan.
Several early registrations have been received for the Yellow Brick Road 5K Run/Walk starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 23 at Main and Chautauqua Streets in Sedan. Contact Walt Koontz , Sedan High School or Sue Kill (suek0079@att.net) for entry forms. Registration on day of race is $12 sponsored by Sedan Recreation Commission, 302 N Sherman, Sedan.
The annual Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival will attract hundreds of visitors to the festival grounds north and east of Sedan.
Blues music events will kick off at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Kurtis Arts Plaza featuring acoustic blues by Acoustic Scratch at 3 p.m., Duo Sonics at 4:30 p.m., and Big Jim Adam at 6 p.m.
This year’s festival will feature a special show at the Gregg Theater in downtown Sedan featuring the Blues Music Awards Acoustic Artist of the Year, Eden Brent. Also performing at that time will be “Little Joe” McLerran. This performance will take place Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m.
One new feature for this year will be a flyover by the Kansas Army National Guard out of Salina and will be held immediately following the National Anthem, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
On Sunday, May 24, all performances will take place onstage at the Chautauqua Blues Festival grounds with performers such as The Insomniacs, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, an encore performance by Little Joe and Eden Brent, and closing and hosting the jam will be Jason Ricci with New Blood, who is nominated for Harmonica Player of the Year.
The last two years the festival has built a permanent stage, and this year a new road has been built to increase camping and parking. Vendors will be open at the grounds all day and late into the night on Saturday, as well as Sunday and again on Monday morning.
Shuttle service will be provided from the festival grounds to and from the Gregg Theater in downtown Sedan from 2:30 p.m. to midnight for $2 per person. This service is provided by Chautauqua County Public Transportation, and the money given will go to the Chautauqua County Council on Aging.
Finally the 119th Annual Sedan Alumni Reunion will be held on Saturday at noon at the Sedan Fair Building at the City Park. Tickets are available through Friday for $20 or the day of the banquet for $25. Call Teresa at the high school at 725-3186 for more information. Numerous classes will be holding individual reunions as well through the weekend. See more details about weekend events in the printed edition of the Prairie Star.
