Wabaunsee County Office of Economic Development

10/15/2026

🏈 SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN WEEKEND — STAY IN WABAUNSEE COUNTY! 💜❤️

Headed to Manhattan for the K-State vs. KU game this Saturday? Make a weekend of it in the Flint Hills!

Whether you're traveling with family, meeting up with friends, or just looking for a place to unwind after the game, Wabaunsee County offers a great alternative to staying in Manhattan.

🏡 Room to relax — Find cozy cabins, country homes, and unique short-term rentals.

🌾 A little peace and quiet — Trade the game-day crowds for beautiful Flint Hills views.

🚗 Convenient to Manhattan — Enjoy the excitement of the Sunflower Showdown and retreat to the countryside afterward.

☕ Explore while you're here! — Grab coffee, enjoy a local restaurant, and discover the small-town charm of Wabaunsee County.

📅 Saturday, October 17 | Kickoff at 11 AM

🏡 Find your game-day getaway today!

Come for the game. Stay for the Flint Hills. 🌻

10/15/2026

Explore emerging technologies in agriculture at the Wabaunsee County Ranch and Range Tour on October 24!

Ranch & Range Tour is set to be a great time at Downey Ranch. Don't forget to RSVP by tomorrow, October 15 by calling our office at 785-765-3821. We look forward to seeing you all next weekend!
https://www.facebook.com/share/1K22TSRYXg/

10/10/2026

Community pride at its finest! 💚 Wabaunsee County 4-H volunteers rolled up their sleeves at the Guard of the Plains Trail/Paxico Safety Rest Area as part of their 48 Hours of Giving. Thank you to this hardworking group for helping restore this special place and making it more welcoming for travelers to enjoy!

10/10/2026

🏈💜 Headed to the K-State Game? Make Wabaunsee Part of the Trip!

The Wildcats kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and we have a few good reasons to stop in Wabaunsee County on your way to or from Manhattan!

☕ Coffee at Mel’s in Alma — Fuel up for game day with your favorite coffee.

🥐 Breakfast at Alma Bakery — Start your Saturday with something delicious before heading to the stadium.

🌮 Lunch at El Corral in Alma — Grab a bite before kickoff and head to Manhattan ready to cheer!

🍔 Flaming Grill in Maple Hill — A great stop for a meal before or after the game.

Whether you're traveling I-70 or taking the scenic route through the Flint Hills, make a little extra time to explore our small towns and support the local businesses that make Wabaunsee County special.

💜 Go Cats! And we'll see you along the way!

📍 Wabaunsee County, Kansas

10/08/2026

Worth a visit this weekend! Lake Wabaunsee’s POW tour shares a remarkable chapter of local history and the kindness and respect local farmers and ranchers showed the German prisoners who worked alongside them.

🇺🇸 THIS WEEKEND IN ESKRIDGE: A STORY WORTH REMEMBERING

This weekend, step back into a fascinating piece of local and American history during the Prisoners of War Presentation in Eskridge, October 10–11.

Discover the story of the German prisoners of war who came to this area during World War II and the connections they made with the people and communities of the Flint Hills.

Through historic photographs, stories, and local history, this special presentation brings a little-known chapter of Wabaunsee County's past to life.

📍 Eskridge, Kansas
📅 October 10–11
🎟️ Tour: $25 - purchase at https://wabaunseecomuseum.org/?page_id=8086
🍽️ Optional German buffet: $25
🍺 German b**r, Bavarian pretzels & bierocks available for purchase beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets must be purchased in advance, so now is the time to plan ahead.

Make the drive, explore Eskridge, and spend part of your weekend discovering a story you may have never heard before.

🍂 History. Small-town Kansas. The Flint Hills in fall. That's a pretty good reason for a Wabaunsee County road trip.

10/05/2026

Flint Hills Pints celebrated the opening of its Alma storefront with a ribbon cutting! Hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday, 1–5 p.m., with closing times moving one hour earlier when daylight saving time ends.

10/02/2026

Build your career close to home! K-Construction, a local construction company in Alta Vista, is hiring—check out their current job openings below.
The openings and application details are here:
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkcon.build%2Fcareers%2Froles%2F&data=05%7C02%7Csimthurn%40wbcounty.org%7C7093d6d56ee842acc44c08df1f08c246%7Ca75823c2aa134b209ca7ea4bde1e8871%7C0%7C0%7C639263794932176734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OCFBWLq5Fka7%2B6x5ZiLoXGaQYvcGhkB1hZuifB%2F369Y%3D&reserved=0

10/01/2026

Join us in Maple Hill this weekend for our mural dedication and Fall Fling—a celebration of our community, our history, and the possibilities ahead!

Thank you to the artists, donors, volunteers, local businesses, City of Maple Hill, and everyone who contributed time, resources, ideas, and encouragement. Whether you helped behind the scenes or stepped forward to lend a hand, you helped bring this vision to life.

The excitement surrounding this project has already sparked new ideas and a shared desire to keep moving Maple Hill forward. This weekend, we celebrate what we’ve accomplished together—and the beginning of more community progress!

Come celebrate, connect with your neighbors, and be part of Maple Hill’s next chapter.

🎨 A new piece of Maple Hill’s story is ready to be celebrated.

What began in January 2025 as a community project is now something you can see and experience in Maple Hill's heart.

The Maple Hill mural project is complete, along with improvements to the surrounding pocket park—creating a welcoming place that celebrates the community and adds another reason to stop and explore downtown.

The work has also helped Maple Hill become an Empower Maple Hill community through Kansas Commerce’s Quality Places program.

This Saturday, come see the finished project and help celebrate everyone who helped bring it to life.

✂️ Maple Hill Mural Dedication & Ribbon Cutting
📅 Saturday, October 3
⏰ 5 p.m.
📍 Maple Hill, Kansas

And while you’re here, make a day of it! 🍂 The Maple Hill Fall Fling is happening earlier Saturday, followed by live music, Prime Rib Dinner, and specials at Flaming Grill that evening.

Come celebrate a community that invests in its downtown, preserves its character, and creates something special for the future. ❤️

09/26/2026

🍂 Looking for a reason to head to the Flint Hills next weekend? Make it Maple Hill.

Live music. Fall Fling. Food. Family fun. And the dedication of Maple Hill's newest mural—all happening October 2–3.

🍂 **Make a weekend of it in Maple Hill!**

Music, food, fall fun and a little celebrating are all happening in Maple Hill next weekend. Here’s what’s waiting for you:

🎶 Friday, October 2
Kick off the weekend at the Flaming Grill with live music from the Steve Kile Band, plus Prime Rib Dinner and $15 domestic b**r bucket specials.

🎃 Saturday, October 3 | Fall Fling
Spend the day on Main Street with food, vendors, kids’ activities, and more from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

🎨 Saturday at 5 p.m. | Maple Hill Mural Dedication
Stick around as we celebrate the completion of Maple Hill’s new mural and pocket park with a ribbon-cutting at 5 p.m.

The project began in January 2025 and has grown into much more than a mural, bringing new life to the pocket park and helping Maple Hill become part of the Empower Kansas Community Program through Kansas Commerce's Quality Places initiative.

🎸 Saturday Night
Keep the celebration going at Flaming Grill with the Null & Void Band, Prime Rib Dinner, and $15 domestic b**r buckets.

Come for an event, or make a weekend of it and experience a little bit of everything Maple Hill has to offer.

📍 Maple Hill, Kansas



County Office of Economic Development