U.S. Figure Skating Championships glide into town
Courtesy photo
Elite figure skaters from across the United States will compete and perform in Wichita this month.
Top figure skaters from across the country will compete in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Jan. 20-26, 2025, at Intrust Bank Arena — the first time the event has been held in Kansas.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for Wichitans and those in the region to see current and future Olympians compete right here in the heart of the country,” said Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita. “Single-session tickets are affordable, and Wichitans won’t want to miss the chance to cheer on the athletes you’ll see represent Team USA in Milan, Italy, at the 2026 Olympic games.”
U.S. champions will be crowned here in the women’s, men’s, pairs and ice dance events at both the junior and senior levels. Novice pairs and ice dance will also be contested.
Some single-session tickets are available for less than $20. These sessions last two to three hours. Weekend tickets that include all six championship sessions are also available, with and without the Skating Spectacular Exhibition on Sunday afternoon. For full details and how to purchase tickets, visit www.visitwichita.com/usfs-championships.
Reigning U.S. champions and World medalists are expected to compete here in what U.S. Figure Skating CEO Tracy Marek called “the most prestigious national skating competition.” In addition to the Olympics next
February, the event also leads up to the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships in Boston this March.
According to Visit Wichita, the event has generated an $8 million economic impact in previous host markets. NBC Sports plans four days of live coverage from the event.
Bluestem U sets courses
NORTH NEWTON — The Bluestem U lifelong learning program at Bluestem Communities will launch its third year in 2025, featuring an expanded lineup of courses and a new schedule.
Upcoming courses for 2025 include astronomy, watercolor painting, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), aesthetics of theatre and the arts and bird-watching. Register or learn more at bluestemu.org.
“Through the first two years of Bluestem U, we paid close attention to course feedback and requests from the community to identify ways to expand the program and make it more accessible,” said Julie Miller, Lifelong Learning Project Manager.
The new schedule offers various course lengths, including one-time classes and at least one free offering per year. For the winter/spring semester, the free course will be an author series featuring authors who live at Kidron Bethel Village.
Bluestem U offers lifelong learning opportunities to people 55 and older, and is a partnership between Bluestem Communities and its neighboring higher education institutions, Bethel College in North Newton and Hesston College in Hesston.
For a schedule, registration or to learn more, visit bluestemu.org.
Derby Library meeting
The Friends of the Derby Public Library will hold their annual meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at in the library’s Community Room. The meeting is open to the public and features a speaker, Will Haynes, Director of Engagement and Learning at Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence. His topic is “The Civil War in Kansas… A Story of Service and Struggle.”
Kansas Day chili feed
The McCormick School Museum will hold its annual Kansas Day Chili Feed from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. The dinner features chili and toppings, cornbread and cobbler, with folk songs for entertainment. Suggested donation is $10 for adults; $5 for kids under 12.
