The 50th annual DeSoto Days Festival has a Nifty

August showers

Today’s high of 94 keeps the warm weather rolling. The evening will more than likely bring some thundershowers, with a low tonight of 72 degrees. The chance of rain is 80 percent. The temps will go down on Friday and Saturday, with a high of only 86 on Friday, but a 60 percent chance of rain. Bring an umbrella to Final Friday!

‘Nifty Fifty’ fair

Already missing the thrills of the carnival rides at the Douglas County Fair? Get your fill just down the highway at the 50th annual DeSoto Days Festival! The festival starts tonight at 5 p.m. and goes through Labor Day weekend at Miller Memorial Park in downtown De Soto. The event features live music, a midway carnival, food, a parade and a car show. Get tonight’s schedule here and have some end-of-the-summer carnival fun!

Reading at Raven

Tonight’s Big Tent Reading features writers Ted Kritikos and Tim Lantz. Kritikos lives in Kansas City. His writing has appeared in Noon. Lantz is a creative writing PhD candidate at the University of Kansas whose work has appeared in several publications and been translated into several languages. The reading starts at 7 p.m. at The Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St.

Yesterday’s most-read

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More Aug. 28 events

Red Dog’s Dog Days workout, 6 a.m., west side of South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets.

Story Time for Preschoolers, 10-10:30 a.m., Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St.

Life After Loss, 10-11 a.m., Visiting Nurses, 200 Maine St., Suite C.

Cottin’s Hardware Farmers’ Market, 4-6:30 p.m., outside store at 1832 Massachusetts St.

Red Dog’s Dog Days workout, 6 p.m., west side of South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets.

Baker University Community Choir Rehearsal, 6-8 p.m., McKibben Recital Hall (Owens Musical Arts Building), 408 Eighth St., Baldwin City.

Junkyard Jazz Band, 7 p.m., American Legion, 3408 W. Sixth St.

Free English as a Second Language class, 7-8 p.m., Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St.

Affordable community Spanish class, 7-8 p.m., Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St.

Lawrence Arts & Crafts group, 7-9 p.m., Merc cafe, 901 Iowa St., free.

Signs of Life Bluegrass Gospel Jam, 7-10 p.m., Signs of Life, 722 Massachusetts St.

Team trivia, 9 p.m., Johnny’s West, 721 Wakarusa Drive.

Thursday Night Karaoke, 9 p.m., Wayne & Larry’s Sports Bar & Grill, 933 Iowa St.