Fashioning Art from Paper
Through May 14
Wichita, Kansas
Marvel at more than 90 life-size re-creations of historical dresses and costumes painstakingly crafted by Belgian artist Isabelle De Borchgraves at this traveling exhibition coming to the Wichita Art Museum. The “clothing”—spanning three centuries of fashion history—is made entirely of paper. WichitaArtMuseum.org, 316/268-4921
Washington Pavilion Annual Ag Day
March 4
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
This free event at Washington Pavilion—a regional hub for the arts, entertainment and science—offers families a day of fun activities while learning about agriculture’s significance in the state and beyond. Experience special Ag Day exhibits and games, and get free admission to the Kirby Science Discovery Center and Visual Arts Center. WashingtonPavilion.org, 605/367-6000
Tulsa Botanic Blooms
Mid-March to mid-April
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Tulsa Botanic Garden throws this party every spring to coincide with the emergence of its 200,000 tulips, daffodils and other flowering bulbs. Watch the garden’s calendar for all-ages programming, local musicians performing on select nights and daily spring-break activities. TulsaBotanic.org, 918/289-0330
Pink Martini Featuring China Forbes
March 27
Brookings, South Dakota
South Dakota State University has been working for a decade for the chance to host this globe-trotting orchestra. Pink Martini features a dozen musicians and lead singer China Forbes performing genre-crossing songs in 25 languages. WoodbineProductions.com, 605/688-5188
Opening Weekend: Worlds of Fun’s 50th Anniversary Season
April 8–9
Kansas City, Missouri
Worlds of Fun begins its 50th season and debuts the reimagined Zambezi Zinger, one of the amusement park’s most popular rides when it opened in 1973. The all-new roller coaster retains the original’s iconic spiral lift hill and mid-course tunnel while changing the seats, running on a new galvanized steel and wood hybrid frame, and zooming nearly 20 feet higher to 74 feet. WorldsOfFun.com, 816/454-4545
Wyandotte County Ethnic Festival
April 15–16
Kansas City, Kansas
Travel around the world through food, music, cultural performances, art and more without leaving Wyandotte County. This human family reunion at Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Technical Education Center includes booths representing Wyandot, Hispanic and Eastern European communities, among other countries and ethnicities. WycoEthnicFestival.webs.com, 913/549-0107
Footloose Festival
April 22
Elmore City, Oklahoma
Kick off your Sunday shoes to celebrate in the town that banned dancing and rock music until 1980 and inspired the 1984 movie Footloose. Also enjoy a car show, a lawnmower race, dance contests and an evening street dance. chickasawcountry.com/events/footloose-festival, 800/593-3356
Artesian Arts Festival
April 22
Sulphur, Oklahoma
Artesian Plaza in downtown Sulphur will be lined with booths featuring paintings, pottery, textiles, jewelry, metalwork, sculptures, basketry and other media created by First American artists from across the country. This family-friendly event also includes music, cultural dance demonstrations, kids activities and food vendors. ArtesianArtsFestival.com, 580/272-5520
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Weekend
April 28–30
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Dubbed the Run to Remember, this marathon brings together runners and spectators from every state and several countries to downtown OKC. It’s an annual fundraiser for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which honors the lives affected by the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Even if you’re not a runner, you can participate in a Health & Fitness Expo and a Finish Line Festival filled with music and food. Some 250 visual and performing artists also will gather downtown for the Festival of the Arts that same weekend. OKCMarathon.com, 405/235-3313
Antique & Barbed Wire Festival
May 4–7
La Crosse, Kansas
Drawing thousands of collectors to western Kansas through this festival earned La Crosse the title of Barbed Wire Capital of the World. You don’t have to be interested in buying, selling or trading barbed wire to attend; the annual event has grown to include displays featuring antiques and collectibles, crafts items and military relics. You’ll also want to explore the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum’s exhibits showcasing 2,400 barbed wire varieties dating to 1870, antique tools related to fencing and barbed-wire art. RushCounty.org/BarbedWireMuseum, 785/222-9900
