Close to 7,000 people will be in southern Chase County this weekend for the Symphony in the Flint Hills.
The concert itself begins around 6:30 pm with the Kansas City Symphony performing. On KVOE’s Morning Show this week, Operations and Donor Relations Manager Kelly Tastove thanked members of the Kansas City Symphony for their willingness to perform each and every year since the concert began.
There are traditionally a lot of activities on site leading up to the concert, and this year is no exception with talks and presentations, guided prairie walks, covered wagon rides, music, poetry, stargazing and dancing all included. This year has an added feature as New York Times bestselling author Candice Millard, author of “River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile,” will have a book-signing event at the Symphony in the Flint Hills Gallery in Cottonwood Falls on Saturday. Flint Hils Books owner Jennifer Kassebaum says events like the book signing help the overall event expand its outreach.
The book signing event is from 1-3 pm Saturday.
There has been a lot of rain across the Flint Hills over the last month, and Saturday’s site was actually the one set to be used in 2019 — but severe weather the morning of the concert forced the event to be canceled after a lot of equipment damage. This year’s theme is “Weather in the Flint Hills” and no such weather issues are expected for this weekend. Program Manager Sandy Carlson said final preparations are largely going well.
Tickets are still available at $95 plus taxes and fees for adults and $50 plus taxes and fees for children ages 12 and under. People attending the concert are encouraged to plan accordingly because “a substantial amount of walking on rocky, uneven dirt pathways” is needed to get to the concert site. Residents can purchase tickets online and find out more about the event at www.symphonyintheflinthills.org.
