By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
WAKEENEY — Communities across Kansas are set to host cyclists from across the county as part of the 43rd annual Biking Across Kansas event that gets underway Saturday.
This year’s 522-mile ride across Kansas begins at the Kansas-Colorado line west of Tribune and will end on Saturday, June 17, in Leavenworth. Along the way, the bicyclists will make overnight stops in Dighton, WaKeeney, Plainville, Lincoln, Chapman, Rossville and Tonganoxie.
On Sunday, the community of WaKeeney will welcome cyclists for the second time in the route’s history. The city hosted cyclists the first time 35 years ago, in 1982.
This year, WaKeeney will host a Party in the Park from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Cathy Albert, executive director of WaKeeney Travel and Tourism, said they are inviting people to come to the swimming pool park and take part in all of the food and fun.
The swimming pool will be open during the party and there will be a food court that will include a number of local vendors. Albert said there will be hamburgers, barbeque, homemade baked goods, snow cones and ice cream among food other items.
There will also be a washer tournament and a free Gypsy, KS, concert from 5 to 8 p.m. and the Home on the Range Documentary will be shown at the Commercial Building at the fairgrounds at 8:30 p.m.
Many of the business throughout WaKeeney will be open special hours Sunday and offer specials for the day to accommodate the bicyclists and support staff, which is expected to be more than 800 people.
Many of the cyclists will stay at the high school and the football practice field Sunday night. Monday morning, the Historical Society will sponsor breakfast for the cyclists at the Fairground’s Commercial Building from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m.
You can find more information on what the city of WaKeeney has planned by visiting Get Wakeeney’s Facebook page.
On Monday, the Biking Across Kansas route will take cyclists north on Kansas Highway 283 to Hill City and then east on Highway 24 to Bogue and Highway 18 on their way to Plainville, where they will spend Monday night.