A parade, games and plays will all be part of Lecompton’s Territorial Days fest.

But organizers are hoping people attending the two-day celebration Friday and Saturday will learn about the city’s history in addition to having a good time.

“I want people to come and have fun,” said Penny Bahret, an event coordinator. “But I also hope they see the historical sites and find out what Lecompton is about and the history behind the town. It’s the first capital of Kansas.”

Lecompton was the designated territorial capital between 1855 and 1861. The annual Lecompton Territorial Days celebrates that.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Friday with a carnival. Most of the celebration’s activity will be on Elmore Street in downtown Lecompton.

The city has had a community celebration for years. But it hasn’t always been called Territorial Days. Paul Bahnmaier, who is involved with the celebration, said the event received the name in 1975. It was in that year that Constitution Hall was designated a national historic landmark.

Territorial festival draws 5,000 to Lecompton (06-27-04)

Historic Lecompton Territorial Days

“People thought the celebration should have a name that recognizes our history,” Bahnmaier said. “This is a chance for the community to come together and celebrate in fun, but we also recognize it as a special day in which we promote our local, state and national significance.”

The two-day festival will include several games for children based on what children may have played when Lecompton was the territorial capital, including a three-legged race and an egg toss.

There also will be demonstrations featuring pioneer skills, such as soap making, weaving, blacksmithing and broom making.

“This is a family, history-oriented celebration,” Bahnmaier said. “There’s something for everyone.”