The history and ecology of the Flint Hills region was on full display Saturday at the Flint Hills Festival in Manhattan.
“Flint Hills Festival is our one day of the year in which we bring everyone together to celebrate the Flint Hills Region,” said Stephen Bridenstine, director of the Flint Hills Discovery Center. “The food, the music, the culture, the heritage. We kind of do it all.”
Activities included live entertainment, food trucks and a beer tasting tent. Vendors hosted demonstrations to educate and inform. Andy Connolly, an educator with the Kansas Geological Survey came with rocks and fossils from around the region.
“We can see a variety of rocks that you can naturally find here, ranging from the limestone to the rare ones like agate and even volcanic ash from Yellowstone,” he said.
Riley County Historical Museum director Katharine Hensler demonstrated how Flint Hills settlers from the late 19th century washed their clothes.
“We’re letting the kids go from dirty laundry process to using a washboard to running things through the agitator and ringer and then hanging them to dry,” she said.
Bridenstine said the event doesn’t happen without regional support.
“We don’t do it alone,” he said. “We have over 40 partners who come from throughout the region, folks who run educational activities and engage with guests.”
Guests also enjoyed free admission Saturday into the Discovery Center.