Tour College Hill and Downtown
Get a little exercise while learning about architecture and history during walking tours planned for September and October.
The College Hill Walking Tour will take in the homes of a movie star, an oil baron, a Kansas governor and more. It lasts about 1 ½ to 2 hours and participants will walk about eight blocks. The dates are Saturday, Sept. 20; Saturday, Sept. 27; Saturday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Downtown History & Architecture Tour covers the old City Hall and Carnegie library buildings, with information provided about the city’s early builders This tour takes about the same amount of time to cover 12 blocks. The dates are Wednesday, Oct. 1; Sunday, Oct. 5; Sunday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 2.
Both tours are sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Allen House Foundation. Tickets and additional information can be found at flwrightwichita.org or by calling (316) 687-1027. Tours are limited to 15 people each.
Get the scoop
McCormick School Museum will host an ice cream social from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Entertainment and tours are part of the event, which is the culmination of a summer campaign to raise $28,000 for utilities, security and other operational expenses.
The museum is located at 855 S. Martinson. For more information about the museum and to make online donations, visit savemccormick.com.
A square dance deal
Village Steppers Square Dance Club is offering lessons at Oaklawn Elementary School, 5000 S. Clifton. Starting Sept. 23, lessons will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
The cost is $25 per person, which covers lessons through May 12, 2026. There is a special rate for home schoolers who want to use square dancing for PE. Mike Huddleson is the instructor and caller for Village Steppers. For more information, call Huddleson at (316) 524-0997 or Kathy Anderson at (316) 528-2792.
Community celebration
The Wichita Journalism Collaborative is holding a free community event to highlight the impact and insights of the collaborative’s housing coverage. Food, games and art, drawings for gift baskets and music by Active Age editor Joe Stumpe will be featured. The event is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. 2nd St. The Active Age is a member of the collaborative along with other media and community partners.
Haysville health
Haysville Senior Center will host a health fair from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 9. A vaccine clinic, medication management, blood pressure checks, massage therapy, free health screenings, natural health remedies and more resources will be available. The center is located at 160 E. Karla in Haysville. For more information, contact Kristen McDaniel at (316) 529-5903 or kmcdaniel@haysvilleks.gov.
Maize alums meet
The 2025 Maize High Alumni Banquet is set for Saturday, Oct. 18, at Maize Middle School, 4600 N. Maize Road. Social Hour will be from 5-6 p.m., followed by the banquet and program from 6-9 p.m. Cost: $22.50 for reservations paid before October 8, $25 for reservations made after that. For information, call 316-706-8211 or email kestcamp@gmail.com. Send checks to Maize Alumni Assoc., 105 E. Academy, Maize, KS 67101.
West High 70th reunion
1956 grads of West High have set the date for their 70th reunion: Sept. 26, 2026. For information, call Barbara Love at (316) 650-7254.
Music Theatre drawing
Gretchen Fox and Lynette Pretorius were the winners of our drawing last month for tickets to Wichita’s Music Theatre.
New exhibits feature abstracts, Van Gogh
Abstract Expressionists: The Women is showing through Nov. 26 at the Wichita Art Museum. The exhibition highlights the vital contributions of women artists to Abstract Expressionism.
Forty-seven works by more than 30 artists are featured, including Grace Hartigan, Helen Frankenthaler, Elaine de Kooning and Joan Mitchell. WAM is the first stop on a 5-city national tour of the exhibit, which draws on works now held in a collection in France.
For more information about the exhibition and other WAM events, visit wam.org/abex or call (316) 268-4921.
Van Gogh-Go
Kansans who love art, sunflowers and virtual reality may want to check out “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” open through Oct. 31 at 3535 N. Rock Road.
The traveling exhibit is described as a 360-degree digital experience based on Van Gogh’s masterpiece “The Arles Sunflowers” and seven other works, accompanied by music, sound effects and more.
The show runs Thursday through Monday. For tickets and more information, visit vangoghexpo.com.
