The Flint Hills Beef Fest will be big this weekend.
Why? Forty years of celebrating the grass cattle industry and its impact on the area economy. Committee member Brian Rees says it’s a business category worth celebrating.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Monday, Rees said there are 3 days of community events, starting Friday morning. The live stocker show at 9 am rolls into the beef producers seminar and lunch at 11 am, featuring conversations with Kansas Animal Health Commissioner Dr Justin Smith, Kansas Livestock Association President Ty Breeden, Emporia Livestock Sales owner and Livestock Marketing Association Midwestern Director Brody Peak and Leffler Commodities broker Tom Leffler. Evening activities include the ranch feed at 6 pm and the ranch rodeo at 7 pm.
Saturday is busy, with cornhole at 9 am, the free hamburger feed involving the Beef Fest Committee and KVOE at 11, the awards banquet at 5:30 pm, steak dinner at 6:30 pm and entertainment to follow.
The annual golf tournament starts at 8:30 am Sunday at the Emporia Golf Course.
There is a lot of attention on the community activity side, but Rees says Beef Fest’s origin was in a futurity contest that continues to this day.
Friday tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children between ages 3-10. Children under age 3 get in free. Saturday’s tickets, which include the steak dinner, drinks, entertainment and dance, are $50 and are only available in advance. Tickets are available at Emporia Veterinary Hospital and Frontier Farm Credit.
More information is available at beeffest.com. KVOE will broadcast from the hamburger feed Saturday morning.
