June has already been chock-full of events in Council Grove. In a way, they serve as a prelude to what’s coming into September.
This is the Santa Fe Trail’s 200th anniversary year. Already, Council Grove has hosted Michael Martin Murphey to open its brand-new Neosho Riverwalk Amphitheater. It has also served as an extended host to Symphony in the Flint Hills. Mayor Debi Schwerdtfeger says more is to come.
More information about upcoming events is available at www.santafetrail200.com.
Council Grove started the month by serving as a checkpoint for Unbound Gravel, following that two weekends ago with the annual Symphony in the Flint Hills and a week ago with Washunga Days — but it has been busy throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Schwerdtfeger says several new businesses are either opening soon or have recently opened. She also says the pandemic wasn’t as bad as feared, especially with tax receipts coming in better than expected.
On top of that, Council Grove was recently honored as one of the Top 15 Small Towns to Visit by Smithsonian Magazine, in part because of new businesses, the city’s location along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, its upcoming participation in the American Solar Challenge car race and its longstanding connection to the Santa Fe Trail.
