Lecompton Territorial Days festivities celebrate city’s rich history

While at the top of the Rock-O-Plane ride, Judy Kibbee, left, found herself stuck upside down in the cage with her niece Abbi Folks, 12, while the ride operator loaded more riders during the Territorial Days celebration Friday in Lecompton.

Territorial Days events

7 a.m.-10 a.m.: Pancake feed, community building

8 a.m.: Horseshoe Tournament, beside community building; Frog and Turtle Races, in front of the park; Softball Tournament continues

9 a.m.: Pioneer Skills Living History Demos, Constitution Hall; Commemorative Pictorial Stamp available at Constitution Hall

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Car and Motorcycle show registration, in the yard next to the old high school

11 a.m.: Territorial Days Salute the Veterans Parade. Route: Lecompton Elementary School, north on Whitfield, east on Woodson

11:30 a.m.: United Methodist Church Dinner

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Passport to Historic Lecompton, meet at information table

2 p.m.: Veterans Monument Dedication, in front of Constitution Hall

3 p.m.: Information table closes — last chance to get T-shirt

3:30 p.m.: Bleeding Kansas Play, in front of Constitution Hall

5 p.m.: Old time games in the park: three-legged race, egg toss;

Car and Motorcycle show awards

6 p.m.: Ice cream social in the park

6:30 p.m.: Mean Street game show

9 p.m.-midnight: Evening concert

The Territorial Days Festival kicked off Friday night in historic downtown Lecompton.

The festival, which started in 1975, commemorates Lecompton’s rich history dating back to the Civil War.

On the first night of the festival, Lecompton residents came downtown for carnival rides and an assortment of vendors selling everything from fried catfish sandwiches to sunglasses.

Hunter Hess, 8, was at the festival to race his pets Big Fellow and Speedy in the evening’s turtle race. But first, the Lecompton native had to pick up his prize money for a competition he already won. His elementary school held a contest to name the festival parade, and his submission, “Salute to the Veterans,” was the winner.

Penny Bahret, of Lecompton, said as she worked at the information table that organizers started planning the event in February. The planning appeared to have paid off, as a strong crowd had already gathered less than an hour after the opening.

“It’s all about the community getting together,” Bahret said.

Word of the festival made way to Terry and Sherri Vearrier, a couple from Odessa, Texas, who came to the festival to sell their handmade sodas. They travel the country 10 months out of the year with their Wild West Soda bar that gives customers a chance to taste old-fashioned beverages, such as root beer, sarsaparilla and black-cherry soda.

The festival continues today with an entire day of events, including a parade and a motorcycle show. Activities begin at 7 a.m. with a pancake feed and conclude at midnight after a concert.