For Dan Hughes, getting the Banff Mountain Festival’s World Tour to Emporia has been a decade-long push.
Now that it finally arrived Saturday, his goal is to keep it coming back.
Mountains may not be seen as a traditional draw for people across the Flint Hills, but Hughes sees a local willingness to explore.
The film festival is organized by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, which was founded in 1933 as a single drama course and now reaches globally. Banff Centre has several goals, including serving as a catalyst for creativity and thought, to inspire leaders, to experience the power of the mountains and to be accessible, open and welcoming as part of work to develop connections.
Six films were shown at the Emporia Granada Theatre. For the past 25 years, the World Tour has stopped in Lawrence.
Hughes says he is already working on a bid to bring the 2027 World Tour back to Emporia. He also says a new slate of films will come out early next year and conversations can begin about potential dates for Emporia.
