Weather dampens first Lost Springs festival

Dark skies and frequent showers couldn?t rain out enthusiasm fir the first Cinco de Mayo festival in Lost Springs Saturday.

More than 100 visitors braved the rweather throughout the day, said Tish Keesling, one of the festival organizers, with about 50 attending breakfast and other morning activities.

The festival was tentatively scheduled the first weekend in May, Keesling said, but was postponed a week when one of the organizers couldn?t attend.

The second date scheduled was May 8, but Keesling said a wedding was also planned for that day. Organizers were concerned that too many wedding guests wouldn?t have been able to attend both events, which pushed the festival date to May 15.

?We knew it would conflict with college graduations and the Riverfest weekend in Wichita,? she said, ?but we couldn?t keep holding off on the date.?

Plans are already in place to have a second Cinco de Mayo festival. But next year, she said, it will be closer to the first part of May.

The event was not only to honor Lost Spring?s position along the Santa Fe Trail, but also to bring people to the area and offer residents a fun activity.

The festival included wagon rides, a mariachi band, Jeff Davidson and Ron Wilson doing cowboy poetry, Lana?s Dance Studio with her students from Herington and the Cow Town Gun Fighters.

Inflatable moon walk, slide and horse races were also available.

In addition, the Marion County tourism bus took people to the site of the Lost Springs and the Santa Fe monument.

Glenn Shields, owner of the springs, provided tours and Joseph A. Basso, purveyor of the past, was at the site with artifacts on display.

?He shared information about hunting, trapping and dry/trade goods on the prairie,? Keesling said.

Many people inside the Centre Grade School gymnasium said they enjoyed the mariachi band and the assortment of items being sold by vendors.

Almost 20 sponsors helped to make the first Cinco de Mayo on the Santa Fe Trail a success, she said, adding that organizers are already looking forward to next year?s event.

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