New exhibit has museum hopping
How does the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum build its collection? You can find out in a new exhibit at the museum called “Why We Collect, What We Collect.”
The museum, located in the former City Hall at 204 S. Main, began its collection with a donation from the Pioneer Society of Sedgwick County in 1939. Today it counts over 70,000 artifacts, including photographs and archival materials, in its collection.
The new exhibit features recently acquired artifacts. One of the most unusual is a gas-powered pogo stick, the “Hop Rod,” made by Chance Manufacturing in the early 1960s. No rides on it are being offered.
The exhibit is on display through October.
Symphony returns to Botanica
The Wichita Symphony and Botanica the Wichita Gardens will present the third annual Symphony in the Gardens at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 19. Tickets are $135 and can be purchased online at WichitaSymphony.org or Botanica.org. Included with each ticket is admission to the gardens, access to the evening’s musical performances, heavy hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets, and complimentary chairs for seating during the finale concert.
The concert is preceded by chamber ensembles throughout the gardens.The night concludes with a full orchestra performing music from Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Copeland’s Appalacian Spring, accompanied by a fireworks display.
Choral society hits Broadway
The Wichita Choral Society will present “Broadway on Broadway” at 2 p.m. Sunday, May at First United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. The show features music from Rogers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. Tickets are $10.
Evening gardening classes offered
The Sedgwick County Extension Center and Wichita Public Library are offering five weeks of free evening gardening classes.
On Tuesdays, the classes will be held in person at the library’s Alford Branch, 3447 S. Meridian Ave., from 6-7:30 p.m. On Thursdays, the same presentation will be delivered live, online via Zoom, also from 6-7:30 p.m.
Class schedule and topics:
April 4 and 6: Basic Herb Gardening: Growing & Preserving Herbs, with Master Gardener Lisa LaRue.
April 11 and 13: Homegrown Tomatoes, with Master Gardener Donna Wise.
April 18 and 20: Gardening for All Abilities: Accessible Gardening, with Master Gardener Kevin Madden.
April 25 and 27: Loving the Bees Means Nurturing All the Pollinators
May 2 and 4: Gardening with Nature: Native Plants & Grasses
All classes are free, but registration is required. Register online through the events calendar on the Wichita Public Library’s website or by calling 316-261-8500. Following each presentation, the recordings will be available on the Wichita Public Library’s YouTube channel.
Antiques fair never gets old
PBS Kansas will show off its new building in northeast Wichita with a fundraiser that helps it keep one of its most popular shows on the air.
It’s the fourth annual PBS Kansas Antiques Fair, which is modeled on “Antiques Roadshow.” Local experts will inspect and appraise family heirlooms, garage sale finds and other items brought in by attendees.
Single tickets are $10; a ticket and one appraisal costs $75; a $300 donation gets two admissions, two appraisals, 1 pound of coffee from the Spice Merchant each month and the PBS Kansas Passport streaming service.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at 8710 E. 32nd St. N.
For more information about attending or sponsoring this event, go to kpts.org or contact Laura Taylor, special events and volunteer manager, at (316)838-3090 Ext. 218.
Wichita Jazz Festival tickets on sale
This year’s Wichita Jazz Festival features local, regional and national acts at three different venues.
Here’s the schedule:
Marcus Lewis and the Delano Jazz Orchestra, 7 p.m. April 19, Wichita Art Museum, $30. Lewis a trombonist and Kansas City big band leader.
A Night of Guitars with William Flynn, Randy Zellers and Kenny White. , 7 p.m. April 20, WAM, $30.
Terrell Stafford with the WSU Jazz Arts Ensemble, 7 p.m. April 21, WAM, $30. Stafford is a New York-based trumpeter.
An Evening with the Yellowjackets, 7 p.m. April 22, Crown Uptown Theatre, $60. The Yellowjackets have recorded 25 albums and won two Grammy Awards.
Gypsy Jazz at the Arb, 4 p.m. April 23, Bartlett Arboretum, $10. Featuring violinist Shelby Eicher, clarinetist Bill Harshbarger and guitarist Kenny White.
A pass to all the events cost $120. Tickets may be purchased at wichitajazzfestival.com.
Keep your car keys
How to keep driving after 80 is the focus of a free Empower Senior seminar at Botanica from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 13.
Experts from the healthcare, legal and law enforcement fields will discuss challenges associated with driving as we age along with strategies for remaining safely behind the wheel.
‘Bright’ in Newton
NEWTON — Works by four artists are featured “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” a new exhibit at Carriage Factory Art Gallery in Newton. The exhibit by Beth Burns, Tarah Lynn Clark, Lori Dreier, and Tina Thomas runs through May 12. The gallery is open from noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
