‘Wizard of Oz’ among MTW shows

Music Theatre Wichita launches its 2022 season May 18-22 with “Jersey Boys” under the stars at Capitol Federal Amphitheater. The rest of the season’s performances will be at Century II: “42nd Street,” June 15-19; “Kinky Boots,” July 6-10; “Wizard of Oz,” July 27-31; and “Drowsy Chaperone,” Aug. 17-21.

For half a century, MTW has produced Broadway-scale musicals incorporating theater professionals from across the county with local talent and a live orchestra. For season or single tickets, go to Mtwichita.org

Medicine Lodge stages Peace Treaty Festival

The 27th incarnation of the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant – a massive outdoor undertaking staged every three to five years since 1927 – is set for Sept. 24-26, 2021.

The pageant commemorates the Treaty of Medicine Lodge, a historic agreement signed in 1867 between the U.S. government and five tribes of Plains Indians. The festival includes an Intertribal Powwow, Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo, parades, live music, children’s activities and a Bulls & Broncs event.

The pageant – which is performed each day of the festival — compresses 300 years of history into a two-hour tribute to the diverse cultures of the native peoples, discoverers, explorers and settlers. The panorama includes real-life cowboys driving a herd of cattle and a lengthy wagon train. 

For details and tickets, visit peacetreaty.org.

New edition leads way to exploring Kansas

The 2021 edition of Travel Kansas magazine is hot off the press and being distributed to travel centers and airports across the state, where it is free to pick up. It is also available online here. The magazine includes hundreds of places and events to visit this year. 

Last year’s magazine earned first-place awards from Kansas Professional Communicators and the National Federation of Press Women.

Popular Kansas events move to later in 2021

Because of Covid-19 safety concerns, several Kansas spring events have moved to later in the year. Those include: 

Salina’s Smoky Hill River Festival has moved from mid-June to Labor Day weekend for this year only. The 45th festival in Oakdale Park will take place Sept. 2-5 with its usual array of art-centered activities, concerts and food. For more info, visit riverfestival.com.

The Kansas Storytelling Festival in Downs has been postponed from April to Sept. 17-18. The event features professional storytellers, workshops and a Tall Tale Contest in addition to four stages of entertainment. For details, go to Kansasstorytelling.com

The Kansas Mennonite Relief sale, which annually raises funds through a quilt auction and food sales at the Kansas fairgrounds in Hutchinson, has moved from April to July 2-3. For info, visit kansas.mccsale.org.