April 26, 2012
Outdoor events all day long, Ducks Unlimited banquet April 27
GREAT BEND — On Saturday, April 28, the city of Hoisington, in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited, will host the Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlanders Festival in downtown Hoisington. The festival focuses on celebrating the amazing ecosystem of the Cheyenne Bottoms region in central Kansas. The festival will offer a glimpse into the nature and activities around the Cheyenne Bottoms area through events and activities the whole family can participate in and enjoy.

The event will actually kick off on Friday, April 27, with a Ducks Unlimited Sportsman's Auction and Dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Hoisington. The public is invited to enjoy pulled pork barbecue or fish along with several side dishes. After dinner, participants will bid on silent and live auction items or purchase tickets for a special drawing. Items include guns, pictures, bronze sculpture, hunting gear, and more. Tickets are $35 for singles or $50 for couples and can be purchased at Manweiler Chevrolet in Hoisington. The doors will open at 5 p.m. for a social hour, and dinner begins at 7 p.m. Debit and credit cards will be accepted at the auction.

On Saturday, all-day events include a live observation bee hive, educational and art displays, wood carvers, a laser reality hunting game, a geocaching contest, retail vendors and independent distributors, and antler and pelt displays. Other events include the following:

• 6:30 a.m. — 5K run;
• 11 a.m. — chili dog feed;
• 10 a.m. — Kansas Wetlands Educational Center’s Curtis Wolf, "Things That Go Bump in the Night";
• 10 a.m. — kids archery skills;
• 10 a.m. — pop-up coffee shop;
• 10:30 a.m. — Dutch oven demonstration and free samples by Max Schroeder and Al Jirik;
• 11 a.m. — Sternberg Museum educational program;
• 11:30 a.m. — story time;
• noon — coloring contest awards presentation;
• noon — camouflage face painting;
• 12:15 p.m. — kids fish casting contest;
• 1 p.m. — kids crafts;
• 2 p.m. — duck calling clinic by Brady Stoppel; and
• 2 p.m. — kids games.

For more information, contact Kim Schneweis, 620-923-9592, email K_Schneweis@hotmail.com, or go online to www.wetlanders.org.
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