Yee Haw! It`s Fair and Rodeo time!

July 2009 • Volume 9, Issue 7
A publication of the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Yee Haw! It’s Fair and Rodeo time!
From mutton bustin’ to steer
wrestling, the Kaw Valley Rodeo
will feature something for cowboys and cowgirls of all ages.
Set for July 23-25 during the
2009 Riley County Fair at Wells
Arena in CiCo Park, this year’s
Kaw Valley Rodeo is highlighted
by competition in seven PRCA
and WPRA sanctioned events,
including bareback riding, steer
wrestling, team roping, saddle
bronc riding, tie-down roping, bull
riding, and barrel racing. For
three nights, beginning at 8 p.m,
cowboys and cowgirls will thrill
the crowds with some of the best
rodeo competition in Kansas.
The grown-up cowboys and cowgirls will not be the only ones getting in on the action. Youngsters
will have their own nightly competition in mutton bustin’ and a calf
scramble.
Thursday, July 23 will be a special night at the rodeo, with Kids’
Night and the 2nd Annual Military Family Appreciation Night.
For Kids’ Night, all children ages
11-and-under will get in free with
a non-perishable food donation,
which will go to the Flint Hills
Breadbasket.
Sponsored by the Manhattan
Military Relations Committee, Military Family Night will begin with a
pre-rodeo picnic from 5:30-7
p.m., followed by a military tribute
during the opening ceremony,
complete with the Commanding
General’s Mounted Color Guard.
A total of 1,000 free tickets to
the rodeo will be given to military
ID card holders, including 750
adult tickets and 250 under-14
tickets. The tickets must be
picked up in advance while quantities last. To receive tickets, military ID card holders must visit ITR
on Fort Riley or the Manhattan
Area Chamber of Commerce
office at 501 Poyntz Avenue and
fill out a family registration form.
When the free tickets are
exhausted, remaining military discount tickets are $5 and can be
purchased in advance through the
Kaw Valley Rodeo Association, at
ITR, or at the gate.
cial Rodeo can be found online at
www.rileycountyfair.com/rodeo
or by contacting Char Henton at
More information about ticket
prices, the Kaw Valley Junior
Rodeo, the Steak Fry & Fundraiser
Auction, and the Kaw Valley Spe-
(785) 564-1385 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
Photo by Kent Kerschner
The Little Apple Successfully Stampeded
®
That country music you heard
coming from Tuttle Creek State
Park the end of June was the
sound of fun and entertainment
at the 14th Annual Country
Stampede. Over the four-day festival, 150,000 visitors enjoyed the
sounds of country music from
entertainers like Dierks Bently,
Phil Vasser, Kellie Pickler, Sawyer
Brown, Blake Shelton, and of
course, Tim McGraw.
The staff of the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau was on
hand for all four days, helping run
the information booth and collecting feedback from the many
patrons who attended the festival.
The Manhattan CVB also hosted
a breakfast on Friday morning of
the event, giving nearly 100 Manhattan residents a behind-thescenes peek into the inner workings of Stampede, the role played
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas
Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Volunteers at the CVB booth.
To see highlights of the
Stampede, check out the
schedule of the CMT Top
20 Countdown, which
was filmed at this year’s
Stampede. It will be
aired on the CMT channel in early July. The
countdown is on for next
year’s Country
Stampede. Check out
the Manhattan CVB Web
site at www.ManhattanCVB.org for details
on who will perform in
the 15th annual Affliated
Foods Midwest Country
Stampede.
Julianne Hough put on a great performance on Thursday night.
Page 2
Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Topics
Super 8 Wins Chairman’s Award
The Chairman’s Award was presented to General Manager of the
Super 8 Motel, Dottie Burgess in
June. The award is a first-time
award presented by Paul Shulte,
Supertel’s Chairman. A manager is
given this special award for their
contributions and service throughout the years. Dottie has been
employed with Supertel for 18
years.
July 2009
Your opportunity to be in
Manhattans Visitors Guide
The Manhattan Convention & Visitors Guide to The Little Apple® is a portable, convenient and visitor-friendly
publication to assist our visitors in finding a great stay and things to do while in Manhattan. The staff of the Manhattan CVB will begin work on the 2010 edition of the visitors guide. While reworking the text and checking the
information, the staff will also undertake its annual campaign to sell ad space in the guide. Manhattan
businesses and attractions are encouraged to consider purchasing ad space in the guide as an effective and
economical way to reach visitors to the community.
As visitors come to Manhattan, they are looking for places to shop, dine, and spend the night. They want information on what there is to see and do in town. Frequently, these new guides also end up in the hands of new or
prospective residents to Manhattan. Businesses and associations of all kinds can reach their target audience by
advertising in the Manhattan CVB Visitors Guide.
Dottie also received a Senior Manager Award for showing support to new managers when help is
needed.
The Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau would like to
congratulate Dottie and the Super 8 for their accomplishments!
Jazzin’ the night away in
the Little Apple
®
Swinging solo
acts and bluesy
bands will take
the stage at the
Ninth Annual Little Apple® Jazz
Festival in Manhattan’s City Park
Saturday, July 18. This year’s funky
lineup will feature a mix of classic jazz, a
Frank Sinatra influenced crooner and oldschool blues.
The Little Apple® Jazz Festival is free to the
public and the first performance will begin at
4:30 p.m.
Performance lineup for the 2009 Little
Jazz Festival,
July 18
• 4:30 p.m. – 319 United States Army Reserve Jazz Band
• 5:15 and 6:45 p.m. – Missouri State University Jazz Combo
• 6:00 p.m. – Will Matthews
• 7:30 p.m. – Barefoot Dixieland Band
• 8:15 p.m. – Cami Stinson and The Riot
• 9:00 p.m. – Les Lankhorst
If you are interested in learning more about advertising opportunities in the guide, be sure to call the CVB staff
at (785) 776-8829.
Promoting Manhattan to the Denver Media
On June 30th, approximately 50
media from the Denver area were
dazzled by Kansas Tourism professionals with treasures shining on
nine Kansas communities. Writers
represented national travel magazines, local newspapers, travel Web
sites/blogs and everything in
between.
Becky Blake, Director of Kansas
Travel & Tourism presented infor-
tion & Visitors Bureau, represented
Manhattan. This media event
showcased Manhattan, Wichita,
Topeka, Salina, Lawrence, KCK,
Topeka, Hutchinson and Leavenworth.
Each community presented a 2
minute formal presentation, and
hosted writers during the reception
and dinner venue. Karen Hibbard,
Director of the Manhattan Conven-
Tornado Photographs at K-State's
Beach Museum Of Art
Photographs capturing the
destructive power and aftermath of
tornadoes in Kansas are the focus
of two exhibitions at Kansas State
University's Marianna Kistler Beach
Museum of Art.
Apple®
The Jazz Festival is not just in City Park. Grand Marquis will perform
at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Auntie Mae’s Parlor and other nighttime venues may be available. A jazz brunch on Sunday, featuring the Missouri
State University Jazz Combo, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon at
Bluestem Bistro.
mation on the new outdoor marketing efforts in Kansas, as well as
presenting an overview of the
state’s tourism opportunities and
upcoming special events/celebrations.
"Destruction Framed:
Photographs of the Chapman/
Manhattan Tornado, June 11,
2008" will be on display through
August 16, while "Larry Schwarm:
Greensburg After the Storm" will
be on display through August 10.
The Chapman/Manhattan
tornado exhibition features photo-
graphs of the aftermath of the tornado that tore through Chapman,
Manhattan and Soldier. The work of
Tom Leopold, a freelance photographer, and Rod Mikinski and
Luke Townsend, Manhattan Mercury photographers, are featured.
Ten pictures from each photographer are displayed.
In Schwarm's show, the Greensburg native captures the horrific
power of the May 4, 2007, tornado
that destroyed most of his town.
Schwarm's photography has been
recognized for its sensitivity to
place and landscape, and his
The festival is part of the city’s Arts in the Park series and is a collaborative effort between the Manhattan Parks and Recreation
Department and the K-State Student Union Program Council. For more
information about the festival, including times and locations visit
www.k-state.edu/upc/jazzfest.htm.
The Dollhouse, Chapman, KS, 2008, by Tom Leopold.
From the collection of the artist.
Greensburg photographs are witness to the catastrophic forces of
nature and the annihilation of his
rural birthplace.
"We tried to get representational
pieces that show the full image of
the destruction," said Lorne Render, director of the Beach Museum
of Art. "The two exhibitions complement each other."
K-State's Beach Museum Cutting
Back Its Hours
The Marianna Kistler Beach
Museum of Art is making a change
in its hours of operation. Beginning
in July, the museum will close at 5
p.m. on Thursdays instead
of 8.
For more information, contact the
Beach Museum of Art's Martha Scott
at (785) 532-7718 or drop by the
museum on the southeast corner of
the K-State campus at 14th Street and
Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking
is available next to the building. Normal
museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon
to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is
closed Mondays. More information is
also available at www.ksu.edu/bma.
July 2009
Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Topics
The Little Apple® Takes On Big Apple –
Running to Save Lives in NYC Marathon
The morning Manhattan Konza
Rotary Club is excited to
announce a Little Apple/Big
Apple project with The Rotary
Club of New York. The 62-member Konza Rotary Club, which
meets bright and early every Friday morning in The Little
Apple®, is teaming up with this
triple-sized club from The Big
Apple in a friendly New York City
marathon competition. Marathoners from both clubs will be running to save lives, as they help
generate donations which will
benefit well-known and deserving
charitable causes near and far.
Aptly described as “Running To
Save Lives,” all donations
received by check or cash by the
Manhattan Konza Rotary Club will
equally benefit these well-known,
worthy causes: the Manhattan
KS Konza Rotary Club Polio Plus
fund, a Rotary International program to eradicate polio in the
world; Gift of Life, a program
which saves the lives of children
born with congenital heart
defects; Ronald McDonald House;
RCNY Foundation for projects
such as their inner-city soup
kitchen efforts; and the Manhattan KS Konza Rotary Club for
local community projects.
The experienced 26-mile runner
who will represent The Little
Apple®’s Manhattan Konza
Rotary Club in the world’s largest
marathon is Hannah Merle. No
stranger to New York, Merle was
born in a small town outside of
Buffalo, and ran the NYC
Marathon last year. With many
marathons under her belt, this
avid 35-year-old marathoner is
ecstatic to be representing the
Manhattan Konza Rotary Club in
this year’s NYC race. Hannah is
focused and training hard toward
reaching her personal goal of 3
hours and 40 minutes for this
year’s NYC Marathon, which
would also qualify her for the
Boston Marathon.
“In the hopes of creating a fun
and unique ‘Little Apple/Big
Apple’ Rotary club project, it was
exciting to connect with the
Rotary Club of New York to find
out more about their New York
City Marathon involvement,” Deb
Rodenbaugh, president-elect of
the Manhattan Konza Club
explained. “When I contacted
David Del Monte, their marathon
project chair and president-elect,
to pitch the idea of a ‘Little Apple’
running slot on the ‘Big Apple’
running team, he was in total
agreement in the partnership
Youth 11-16 years of age and
anyone with a certified disability
are eligible to participate in this
hunt. Participants will need a
Kansas hunting license, a deer
permit, and, if required by Kansas
law, will also need to take or have
taken an approved hunter education course. Assistance meeting
these requirements, including
scholarship assistance to
purchase a hunting license and
deer permit, can be provided by
the sponsoring agencies and
associations.
If participants do not have a rifle
or ammo for the hunt, these
items can be provided. Each participant will be paired with an
experienced hunter who will serve
as a guide. Arrangements have
been made with area lockers
where basic processing of harvested deer will be handled free
of charge.
Other items provided for this
hunt include accessible hunting
blinds, hunting locations, hunter
orange hats and vests, and
transportation to the field.
All participants will also be
required to attend a firearm
safety presentation and
sight-in at the Fancy
Creek Range on Sunday, August 30 at
4 p.m.
Manhattan Shows Off at
2009 KSAE Tradeshow
The Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau promoted Manhattan as a
meeting destination to the Kansas Society of Association Executives on
June 10 in Topeka.
Summer Dierks, Convention Sales Manager showed off Manhattan’s
groovy meeting destinations at the 70’s themed “Stayin Alive” conference
and expo in hopes that association executives would bring their next
annual convention to town. The conference totaled 69 attendees that were
able to learn about social media, association law & ethics, leading others
through change and trends in meetings.
Kite’s a Top-16 sports bar
Hannah Merle will represent
The Little Apple® in the NYC marathon.
potential for the project.” Both
surprised and intrigued to hear
the idea and to hear that Manhattan, Kansas is truly all things ‘Little Apple,’ Mr. Del Monte agreed
by saying, “This friendly competition will be great fun while helping
to raise money for very worthy
Rotary causes.”
Kite’s Bar and Grille of Manhattan has been selected as one of the
top 16 sports bars in the country by RedShirtFiles.com. Visitors to the
Web site are asked to vote for their favorite bar from the list. The 16 top
bars have been seeded into a single-elimination bracket, with Kite’s
coming in as the No. 7 seed.
Visit RedShirtFiles.com and vote for Kite’s. Voting is found in the
right-hand column.
For information, contact:
Debra Rodenbaugh
785-341-4903
e-mail: [email protected]
Hunters needed for Assisted Deer Hunt
The Riley County Fish and Game
Association, Kansas Department
of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), and
Tuttle Creek Lake Corps of Engineers are seeking participants for
the 7th annual youth/handicap
assisted deer hunt, which will be
held on September 12th and 13th.
Page 3
Those interested in participating
in this opportunity should contact
Steve Prockish at the Tuttle
Creek Lake Corps of Engineers
office at (785) 539-8511, ext. 3167,
or at
[email protected].
Applications
are being
accepted
thru August 3.
The Little Apple® draws
people from the Big Apple
When you work at the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau, you
meet the most interesting people. Jose and Christine Rodriguez from
Manhattan, NY were spending their vacation visiting the Manhattans of
our country. Did you know there is also a Manhattan, Montana? These
two “loved their visit to The Little Apple®.”
Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau Steering Committee
Barbara Nelson, Chairman - Strecker-Nelson Gallery
Dave Lewis, Ex-Officio - All Star Midwest Entertainment
Curt Loupe, Ex-Officio - Manhattan Parks & Recreation
Nancy Bartell - Holiday Inn at the Campus
Lynda Spire, Ex-Officio - KSU Conference Office
Jennifer Fritchen - Clarion
Bernie Haney - Kansas State Athletics
Brad Everett - Fairfield Inn
Teresa Morris - Hampton Inn
Diana Nickel - Scenic Valley Inn
John Pence - KSU Housing & Dining
3-5 Independence
Day at the Ranch,
Tallgrass Prairie
National Preserve, 10-4pm
Fri & Sat; 2-4pm Sun
•2 Prairie Seed
•Through July 18, Brush with Life: A Watercolor Celebration, Manhattan Arts Center, M-F 10-5; Sat 1-4
•July 25 - Sept 5, KSU Garduate Student's Visual Arts Exhibit, Manhattan Arts Center
•Through August 8, The Circus Comes to Town, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, K-State, T,W,F, Sat 105pm; Th 10-8pm; Sun 12-5pm; Closed Mondays
•Through August 16, Destruction Framed: Photographs of the Chapman/Manhattan Tornado, Jun 11, 2008,
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art,
•Through August 16, Larry Schwarm: Greensburg After the Storm, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art
•Through August 27, Guided Backcountry Hike, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, 10:30am
•Through Aug 31, Outdoor/indoor/outdoor, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art
•Manhattan Solar Kiwanis Pancake Feed, Pottorf Hall, CiCo
Park, 7-11am
•4th at the zoo, Sunset Zoo,
9:30-5pm
•Old-time Music & Wool Spinning, Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve, 10-4pm
•Independence Day, Manhattan
Town Center, 10-6pm
•July 4th Pool Bash at Fort Riley,
Custer Hill Pool, 11-3 pm
•Thunder Over Manhattan, CiCo
Park, 6pm
•Recreational Game Night,
ManKan Shelter at Tuttle Creek
River Pond Area, 7:30pm
Harvesting, Tallgrass
Prairie National
Preserve, 9-12pm
•First Thursday Art Walk,
Wamego, City-Wide Locations, 6-9pm
The Mission of the
Manhattan
Convention &
Visitors Bureau is
to expand the local
area economy
through increased
visitor spending.
•Konza Prairie Night,
ManKan Shelter at
Tuttle Creek River Pond Area,
7:30pm
•Campfire Program Series,
Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve, 7pm
•Kids Free Day, Sunset Zoo,
9:30-5pm
10-26 Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,
Columbian Theatre,
Wamego, 7:30pm Th-Sat;
2pm Sun
•"Harry Potter from
Page to Screen,” Manhattan Public Library,
3pm
•Italian Brunch at Fort Riley
Riley Conference Center
•Blackjack Saddle Club Show,
CiCo Park, 8am
•Kaw Valley Rodeo Tough
Enough To Wear Pink Spaghetti
Lunch, Gilio's,11:30am
• 23-26 Summer Sidewalk Sales, Manhattan Town
Centerm M-Sat 10-9; Sun 12-6
Kaw Valley Rodeo
Fundraiser Auction,
RC McGraw's, 7pm
• 23-27 Riley County Fair, Riley County Fair Grounds,
8am-11pm
17-26 Joseph and
16-26 Joseph and
the Amazing Technithe Amazing Technicolor
color Dreamcoat,
Dreamcoat, Columbian
Columbian Theatre,
Theatre, Wamego, 7:30pm Wamego, 7:30pm Th-Sat;
Th-Sat; 2pm Sun
2pm Sun
•Kayak Races, ManKan
Shelter at Tuttle Creek
River Pond Area,
7:30pm
•Kaw Valley Junior Rodeo,
Manhattan Town Center, 12pm
•Little Apple Jazz Festival,
Larry Norvell Band Shell, City
Park, 4-10pm
•Kaw Valley Rodeo
Military Appreciation
Night, RC McGraw's,
5:30pm
•Kaw Valley Rodeo Kids'
Night, RC McGraw's, 8pm
•23-25 Dog Days in Aggieville,
Aggieville store hours
•23-25 Kaw Valley Rodeo,
Riley County Fair Grounds,
8pm
•10-5-2 Prairie Run,
Fort Riley King Field
House, 7-9:30am
•Flint Hills Iris Society Annual
Sale, K-State Gardens, 8-noon
•Campfire Program Series,
Tallgrass Prairie National
Preserve, 7pm
•Geocaching, ManKan Shelter
at Tuttle Creek River Pond
Area, 7:30pm
•25-26 3rd Annual
Riley County Idol
Competition, Riley County
Fair Grounds, 6pm
•Kaw Valley Rodeo
Tough Enough To
Wear Pink, RC
McGraw's, 8pm
•Kaw Valley Special Rodeo,
RC McGraw's, 7pm
•Westloop Lawn Chair
Movie Series: "Charlotte's
Web,” Westloop Shopping
Center, dusk
Visit the CVB’s
website for a
Arts in the Park/Zoo
Concert Series, Sunset
Zoo, 6:30pm
•The Arts Film Series, Manhattan Public Library, 2pm
current listing
of local events www.manhattancvb.org
Manhattan
Convention &
Visitors Bureau Staff
Karen Hibbard
Dennis Toll
Summer Dierks
Marcia Rozell
Director
[email protected]
Tourism Sales Manager
[email protected]
Convention Sales Manager
[email protected]
Service Coordinator
[email protected]
501 Poyntz Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66502
(785) 776-8829
(785) 776-0679 fax
Convention Calendar
Date
9
Convention Name
Attendance
NBC U9 State Baseball Tournament
500
10-12
Manhattan High School Class of 1964
12-17
KGA Fathher-Son Golf Championship
18
Little Apple Jazz Festival
1,000
23
2009 Central States Women's
200
Headquarters
Clarion
Evangelico Lutheran Churches of America
24-26
Manhattan High School Class of 1979 Reunion 100
31-Aug 2
Manhattan High School Class of 1989
200
31-Aug 2
Law Enforcement Softball Tourn.
500
Fairfield Inn