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Communities invited to participate in Sunflower ParadeKansas Kansas communities are invited to participate in the Oct. 8 Kansas Sunflower Parade in Wichita. The parade will take place at 11 a.m. and is just one part of the day-long Kansas 150 Festival. Organized by a committee led by Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and former Wichita Eagle publisher Skip Hidlay, the festival is designed to celebrate Kansas's 150th birthday. Gov. Sam Brownback has endorsed the festival as the official statewide celebration. More than 100 entries from across the state have already signed up for the 12-block parade route on Douglas Avenue between Wichita's East High School and Century II Performing Arts Center. Entries range from marching bands and politicians to tourism attractions and Midian Shriners. Floats, "wearable icons," farm equipment, marching bands, historical re-enactors, bicycles, and horses are all welcome. Communities are encouraged to promote their traditional tourism or explorer attractions. Some communities that have already signed up to participate in the parade are Smith Center, Radium, Glasco, Lucas, Sedan, Liberal, Atchison, Grant County, Goodland, Colby, Hutchinson, Dodge City, and Phillipsburg. Some attractions that will be featured are the Home on the Range cabin, Smith County; Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, Olathe; the five national park service sites; Pioneer Bluffs, Chase County; Mid America Air Museum, Liberal and the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, Atchison. The Kansas Sampler Foundation will lead the section of participating rural attractions with a banner that will invite the public to explore Kansas. There is no cost to participate in the parade but registration is necessary. Call the Go Wichita! Office at 800-288-9424 or go to www.ks150.kansas.gov and click on Kansas 150 Festival for more facts and registration. Communities may also set up booths at Kennedy Plaza at Century II anytime between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Booth fee is $25 and registration is necessary. At 2:30 p.m. the "Home on the Range" concert will tell the history of Kansas in song, words and video. It will be presented in Century II and the cost is $5 a person.
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