Annual Events

Due to the pandemic, please visit the website of any events you are interested to to confirm their dates, and whether they are having on-site activities, are virtual, a mix of the two, or have been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

January

• Albers Marine Boat & Outdoor Show (Pittsburg): Held the weekend before Super Bowl Sunday at the Memorial Auditorium in Pittsburg, this indoor show prepares folks for the outdoors with boats, fishing & hunting vendors, hunting equipment, kids casting contest, and more.

February

March

• Woodworkers Fair (Independence): Exhibit and sale of built, carved and turned wood-crafted items at the Independence Historical Museum & Art Center. Demonstrations during the event for all ages.

April

• Cowtown Days (Baxter Springs): Honoring the oldest Cowtown in Kansas with a Craft Fair, Car Show, BBQ Smoke Off, Food Trucks, Cowtown Idol, Live Music, & more.
• Kansas Airstrip Attack (Independence): Features exotic and expensive one-of-a-kind performance cars and drivers from all over the country in side-by-side drag racing down an airport runway.
• Safari Family Fun Day (Chanute): Last Saturday in April at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, includes a barbecue contest, car show, petting zoo, welding rodeo, and kids games.

May

• Chanute Highland Games (Chanute)
• Four State Farm Show (Pittsburg): Three days of agricultural product displays & equipment demonstrations. Hundreds of exhibits including major lines of farm machinery & innovative agribusiness. Now held on the campus of Pittsburg State University.

June

• Big Iron Overland Rally (West Mineral): Three day concert and camp out at Big Brutus National Historic Site.
• Galena Days (Galena): Friday Night Entertainment & activities all day on Saturday (car show, parade, etc.)
• Good Ol’ Days Festival (Fort Scott)

July

• 4th of July Celebration (Parsons)
• Cherokee County Fair (Columbus)
• Crawford County Fair (Girard)
• Coffeyville Summer Celebration (Coffeyville): This all day event offers vendors, kids games, live music, huge car show, and the biggest firework show in Southeast Kansas.
• Frontenac Mining Days (Frontenac): The first Saturday in June. Honors the community’s mining and bootlegging heritage. Entertainment, parade, car show, pop up museum, and more.
• Hepler Rodeo & Independence Day Celebration (Hepler): Always July 3 & 4. Dance on July 3. Parade, Hillbilly Games, and Fireworks on July 4.

August

• Allen County Fair & Rotary Smokin’ Hot Cars and BBQ (Iola): Activities of all kinds with exhibits for gardening, photography, arts and crafts, farm-raised products, and livestock. In conjunction with the Allen County Fair, the Rotary Club of Iola puts all of the BBQ smells, feels and taste down at Iola’s Riverside Park with the Smokin’ Hot Cars and BBQ event.
• Chanute Blues Blast (Chanute): Second Saturday in August at the historic Martin Johnson Airport in Chanute, includes an outdoor concert.
• Inter-State Fair & Rodeo (Coffeyville): Five day event held every August, includes a demolition derby, bull riding, motorcross, PRCA rodeo, carnival, and more.
• Summer Sidewalk Sale (Iola)

September

• Endless Foot Drag (Fredonia): Paramotor pilots and manufacturers from around the world are at the Fredonia Airport for a week of aerial competitions. No charge for spectators.
• Gorilla Century Fun Bike Ride (Pittsburg): The Saturday of Labor Day. Roam low traffic, bicycle friendly country roads, and past the awe inspiring Big Brutus. The flattest, fastest century ride of the year includes 100, 62, and 38 mile paved routes, and a 100 kilometer gravel grind.
• Kan-Okla 100 Mile Highway Sale (Various): Shop over 100 miles of garage sales that include Coffeyville, Independence, Caney, and into Oklahoma
• Katy Days Festival (Parsons)
• Little Balkans Days Festival (Pittsburg): Every Labor Day weekend, this festival celebrates the heritage of immigrant miners with historical reenactments, folk arts & crafts, live music, and more. Based in Pittsburg’s Lincoln Park, with activities throughout the region.

October

• Baxter Springs Fall Festival (Baxter Springs): Enjoy Fall on historic Route 66 in Kansas. Events include arts & crafts, a chili cook off, games & contests, delicious food, live music, and a soap box derby.
• Biblesta (Humboldt): The only Biblical Parade in America is held on Humboldt’s city square. Other events throughout the day include gospel music provided by nationally known entertainers.
• Brown Mansion Spook Trail (Coffeyville): Third Saturday in October, take the winding path through the wooded grounds and down to the haunted basement of this historic Coffeyville mansion.
• Dalton Defenders Days (Coffeyville): First full weekend in October in downtown Coffeyville. Enjoy the Dalton Raid re-enactment, craft & food vendors, kids games, and more.
• Farm City Days (Iola): On the largest downtown square in the United States, events in Iola include a parade, carnival, music and more to celebrate both farmers and city folk.
• Girard Fall Festival (Girard)
• Gordon Parks Celebration (Fort Scott): This internationally-known photographer, filmmaker, writer, and musician from Fort Scott inspired artistic creativity, cultural awareness, and the role of diversity in our lives.
• Halloween Trunk or Treat on the Largest Square in the U.S. (Iola) – Each year for Halloween, the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism coordinates the Downtown Iola Trunk or Treat on the downtown square. Decorated and candy-filled trunks will line the streets ready to treat the ghouls, goblins, fairies, princesses, and superheroes of every kind.
• Hot Air Balloon Regatta (Columbus): Held the weekend of Columbus Day in Columbus, Balloon Glows are held Friday and Saturday evening. Saturday events include balloon liftoff, a parade, and more.
• Lake Garnett Grand Prix Revival (Garnett): Racing history at its finest, the Lake Garnett Raceway includes a road course, autocross and car show experiences.
• Neewollah (Independence): The largest annual festival in Kansas the last full week of October, ghoulish, good times begin here. A family-friendly way to celebrate Halloween, whether you’re seeking thrills, chills, or a deliciously theatrical treat.

November

• Christmas in the Park (Chanute): Held from Thanksgiving through the end of December. A drive-through Christmas light experience at Katy Park, organized by local citizens.
• Fort Scott’s Veterans Day Celebration (Fort Scott): Honor our American heroes with a Veteran’s Day Parade, 1800’s Grand Ball, and Veterans Day Ceremony at National Cemetery No. 1.
• Iola Veteran’s Day Parade & Memorial (Iola): Honoring Iola Kansas veterans and their families with a tribute parade and memorial. This will include those who served in the military in any capacity or location in support of the freedoms we enjoy.

December

• Brown Mansion Candlelit Tours (Coffeyville): Held multiple evenings during the month of December. Explore this three story historic mansion decorated with Christmas lights, thousands of ornaments on more than 125 Christmas trees, while enjoying traditional Christmas music.
• Christmas Block Party on the Largest Downtown Square in the U.S. (Iola) – Shop in the downtown merchants and visit all downtown businesses while they are open late for this special evening featuring the Walk the Block Punch Card Drawing. The grand prize for the drawing is a plethora of gift cards, gift certificates and more.
• Santa House on the Largest Downtown Square in the U.S. (Iola) – Santa’s House is brought to the southeast corner of the Iola square each year so that Santa may come and visit with the area children before Christmas. Bring the whole family and step inside his warm and cozy home to meet dear Old Saint Nick.