Previous Events, Exhibits and Discussions
Story Time
Friday, Sept. 26 - Wednesday, Oct. 29
Hours information is available at CityArts' website.
View a collection of books created by local artists. Free.
CityArts, 334 N. Mead, (316) 462-2787
Bridge Signs on Willa Cather
Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Friday, Oct. 31
See Exploration Place's site for hours and admission information
Admission fee includes entry to Exploration Place exhibits, including permanent exhibits, Discovering Chimpanzees and Scoop on Poop. (316) 263-3373
Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd., (316) 263-3373
Building from the Earth: Photographs of Sod Houses and Other Sod Buildings
Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Monday, Dec. 1
Open Mondays through Fridays, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WSU's Special Collections and University Archives is home to the Sod House Photograph Collection, over 200 photographs and postcards of sod houses, churches, post offices, schools and other buildings. See highlights from this collection and artifacts relating to sod buildings. Free.
Wichita State University, Special Collections and University Archives, Ablah Library, 1845 Fairmount, (316) 978-3590
"American Masters - Willa Cather: The Road is All"
Wednesday, Oct. 1
8:00-9:30 p.m.
In 1883, the young Cather was plucked from her luxurious home in Virginia and dropped into the tall grass prairies of Nebraska, an experience that exhilarated her and became the force behind all of her great novels - "O Pioneers," "My Ántonia," "Death Comes for the Archbishop" and the Pulitzer Prize winning "One of Ours." She has been a great inspiration to women writers and women readers, rediscovered in every decade for the past 100 years. - from pbs.org
Airs on KPTS-TV 8
Old Sedgwick County Fair
Friday, Oct. 3
Call Old Cowtown Museum for reservations and admission information
Students present for the Old Sedgwick County Fair's Education Day will meet Ántonia herself! The re-enactor will arrive at Cowtown, substituting for Red Cloud, Nebraska, at 11:00 a.m., by wagon. Students explore the sights, sounds and smells of an 1870s county fair. Various craftsmen are stationed throughout the museum demonstrating their wares. Period music abounds! For school groups only; call for reservations. Open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., (316) 219-1871
Old Sedgwick County Fair
Saturday, Oct. 4
10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5
11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
See Old Cowtown Museum's website for admission information
During Cowtown’s Old Sedgwick County Fair, a presentation of immigrant cooking on grounds will take place. Cowtown has researched recipes from Ántonia’s Bohemia and will present types of foods used in her time period.
Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., (316) 219-1871
The Big Read - Wichita Kickoff
Saturday, Oct. 4
2:00-4:00 p.m.
At the Big Read’s kickoff, enjoy a reader’s theatre presentation by Dick Welsbacher, musical performances by the Grazioso Trio, an exhibition of prairie-themed artwork, book giveaways and a taste of Ántonia’s native Bohemia.
Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd, (316) 268-4921
Nan's Covered Wagon
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
A presentation about life in a covered wagon for all ages by Yvonne Larson of Waterville, Kansas.
Goddard Public Library, 201 N. Main, Goddard, (316) 744-8771
Special Storytime
Tuesday, Oct. 7
9:30-10:30 a.m.
McConnell Air Force Base Library, 53476 Wichita Street Bldg 412, (316) 759-7207
Art Start
Tuesday, Oct. 7; Thursday, Oct. 9; and Friday, Oct. 10
Tuesday, Oct. 14; Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17
Tuesday, Oct. 21; Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24
10:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday's session is for families; preschool groups of ages 3-5 are welcome on Thursdays and Fridays. The Art Start program will be in the "The Plains Landscape of 'My Ántonia'" exhibition. A short book titled "A Little Prairie House" will be read out loud and prairie life will be discussed. Free, but reservations required. Call Janet at 268-4929.
Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd., (316) 268-4921
Senior Wednesday: Living Like Badgers - Life in a Prairie Dugout
Wednesday, Oct. 8
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Learn more about the hard life of the early pioneers who began their time on the prairie living below ground from historian Sara Jane Richter. Offered in cooperation with nine other cultural institutions in Wichita, Senior Wednesdays are designed for active seniors and made possible by the Kansas Health Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans.
Wichita Public Library - Central Library, 223 S. Main, (316) 261-8500
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct. 8
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library -
Rockwell Branch Library, 5939 E. 9th, (316) 688-9361
Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum
A "My Ántonia" Prairie Walk and Talk
Sunday, Oct. 12
Doors open at 1:30 p.m., program runs 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Stroll through a tallgrass prairie and tour an 1875 immigrant house at Kauffman Museum, on the Bethel College campus in North Newton, followed by a program of contemporary responses to the themes of immigration and adaptation in Willa Cather's novel. Co-sponsored by Bethel College and Newton Public Library.
Kauffman Museum, 2801 N. Main St., North Newton, (316) 283-1612
Book Discussion
Sunday, Oct. 12
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Angelou Northeast Branch Library, 3051 E. 21st, (316) 688-9580
Daily Life of Pioneer Women
Monday, Oct. 13
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Historian Patricia Michaelis will take a look back at the diaries and letters of pioneer women to show the struggles that they faced in coming to settle the prairie.
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Book Discussion
Thursday, Oct. 16
6:00 p.m.
Book discussion with Dr. Jean Griffith, Great Plains Literature Coordinator at Wichita State University, Dr. Kimberly Engber of Wichita State University, and Barnes & Noble Bradley Fair customer service manager Brad Purkey, followed by a showing of PBS' "American Masters - Willa Cather: The Road Is All." Attendees will need to check in at the Front Desk. Book discussions will be held in Discovery Room A located in the Flight Pavilion. General admission fee of $8.00 includes the book discussion, film and entry to Exploration Place exhibits, including permanent exhibits, Discovering Chimpanzees and Scoop on Poop. (Admission does not include the Our Body exhibit.)
Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd, (316) 263-3373
Book Discussion
Friday, Oct. 17
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Central Library, 223 S. Main, (316) 261-8500
Book Discussion
Saturday, Oct. 18
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Book discussion with Director of Libraries Cynthia Berner Harris, part of the Barnes & Noble Bookfair in support of the Friends of the Wichita Public Library.
Eastgate Barnes & Noble, 8021 E. Kellogg, (316) 685-3600
Prairie Tales Kid’s Party
Saturday, Oct. 18
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Wear your favorite sunbonnet and cowboy boots and join us as we read prairie stories including "A Little Prairie House" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We will have a pioneer costume contest, have a quilting demonstration, make a fun quilt craft, and do other prairie themed games and activities. Reservation requested; call (316) 315-0421.
Barnes and Noble Bradley Fair, 1920 N. Rock Rd., (316) 315-0421
Book Discussion
Saturday, Oct. 18
5:00-6:30 p.m.
"My Ántonia" Out Loud: Book Reading/Discussion: Come experience dramatic readings from "My Ántonia" as well as participate in a passionate book discussion as performed and lead by local actor Brad Purkey. There will be refreshments and a prize drawing. Reservation requested; call (316) 315-0421.
Barnes and Noble Bradley Fair, 1920 N. Rock Rd., (316) 315-0421
Keynote Speech: Willa Cather as Historian
Sunday, Oct. 19
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Willa Cather, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her depictions of pioneer life on the American prairie, was a master at accurately portraying time and place through her fictional works. Characters and situations in her stories are recreated from her own experiences and turned into detailed and realistic literature. Learn more about this American author and what we can learn from "My Ántonia" in a lecture by Willa Cather scholar Charlotte Rohrbach, ASC, Ph.D., professor emerita of history and Director of Mission Effectiveness/Archives at Newman University.
Wichita Public Library - Central Library, 223 S. Main, (316) 261-8500
"My Ántonia" Tour
Sunday, Oct. 19
3:00-3:30 p.m.
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main, will offer a free "My Ántonia" tour following the keynote lecture "Willa Cather as Historian" by Charlotte Rohrbach, ASC, Ph.D. at the Wichita Public Library's Central Library. The Museum's Magic City and Wichita Cottage exhibits will set the scene of Cather's classic story of the challenges and beauty of the prairie. Tickets will be available at the library at the close of the lecture.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main, (316) 265-9314
Book Discussion
Monday, Oct. 20
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Treats from the trail @ the Library
Goddard Public Library, 201 N. Main, Goddard, (316) 744-8771
“Grasslands” Book Discussion for Young People
Monday, Oct. 20
7:00-8:00 p.m.
In celebration of The Big Read – Wichita, ages 10 and up are invited to participate in a lively book discussion of Debra Seely’s “Grasslands.” “Grasslands,” inspired by the life of Seely’s great-grandfather, tells the story of a young boy from Virginia in the 1880s who moves to a Kansas farm to join his father and new stepfamily. (60 minutes)
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Book Discussion
Tuesday, Oct. 21
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Linwood Branch Library, 1901 S. Kansas, (316) 337-9125
Book Discussion
Tuesday, Oct. 21
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Join the 3rd Tuesdays Monthly Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Central Library, 223 S. Main, (316) 261-8500
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct. 22
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Brown bag lunch book discussion with dessert and drinks provided. Held in WATC Library Conference Room.
Wichita Area Technical College, 301 S. Grove, (316) 677-9400
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct. 22
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Join the Masters of Mystery Monthly Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Alford Branch Library, 3447 S. Meridian, (316) 337-9119
Book Discussion
Thursday, Oct. 23
6:00 p.m.
Book discussion followed by a viewing of PBS' "American Masters - Willa Cather: The Road Is All." Attendees will need to check in at the Front Desk. Book discussions will be held in Discovery Room A located in the Flight Pavilion. General admission fee of $8.00 includes the book discussion, film and entry to Exploration Place exhibits, including permanent exhibits, Discovering Chimpanzees and Scoop on Poop. (Admission does not include the Our Body exhibit.)
Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd, (316) 263-3373
Book Discussion
Friday, Oct. 24
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Orchard Park Branch Library, 4808 W. 9th, (316) 337-9084
Book Discussion
Saturday, Oct. 25
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Alford Branch Library, 3447 S. Meridian, (316) 337-9119
Book Discussion
Saturday, Oct. 25
3:00-4:30 p.m.
McConnell Air Force Base Library, 53476 Wichita Street Bldg 412, (316) 759-7207
"Sweet Land"
Sunday, Oct. 26
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Inge arrives in Minnesota in 1920 to marry a young Norwegian farmer named Olaf, but her German heritage and lack of official immigration papers make her suspicious and they are forbidden to marry. Alone and adrift, Inge goes to live with the family of Olaf’s friend and neighbor, where she learns the English language, American ways and a hard-won independence. Based on Will Weaver’s short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" and shot on location in southern Minnesota, "Sweet Land" is that rare independent feature that uses painterly images and understated performances to tell a universal story of love and discovery. Featuring supporting performances by veteran performers Ned Beatty, Paul Sand and Lois Smith, "Sweet Land" is the story of immigrant America, made by the son of first-generation immigrants themselves.
Wichita Public Library - Rockwell Branch Library, 5939 E. 9th, (316) 688-9361
Book Discussion
Tuesday, Oct. 28
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct. 29
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Brown bag lunch book discussion with dessert and drinks provided. Held in WATC Library Conference Room.
Wichita Area Technical College, 301 S. Grove, (316) 677-9400
Senior Wednesday: Ken Lockwood, Eagle Valley Raptor Center
Wednesday, Oct. 29
1:30 p.m.
Jim and Antonia have an exciting adventure with a rattlesnake who lives and devours owls who are subterranean in Chapter 4 of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." A costumed interpreter shares part of that chapter while Ken Lockwood from the Eagle Valley Raptor Center shows his owl and other "friends." Enjoy a taste of Ántonia's native Bohemian food. Senior Wednesdays admission is $2.00. Offered in cooperation with nine other cultural institutions in Wichita, Senior Wednesdays are designed for active seniors and made possible by the Kansas Health Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans.
Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., (316) 219-1871
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct. 29
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Join other Wichita readers for a spirited discussion of Willa Cather's classic Midwestern frontier novel "My Antonia." The discussion will be led by Watermark bookseller and high-school English teacher Shelly Walston. Copies of "My Antonia" are for sale in the book store. Call Watermark to order or reserve a copy.
Watermark Books and Café, 4701 E. Douglas, (316) 682-1181
Family Memoirs: Putting the Puzzle Together
Saturday, Nov. 1
10:30-11:30 a.m.
"My Ántonia" is rooted in the memories of Cather's experiences growing up in Nebraska. Virginia Downing, vice-president and education chair of the Wichita Genealogical Society, will show you how to search your home for household items, letters, pictures and family keepsakes that can be used as memoirs. The class will look at how to use published books to help piece together the puzzle and ways to document and preserve for the future what's found.
Wichita Public Library - Rockwell Branch Library, 5939 E. 9th, (316) 688-9361
“Grasslands” Book Discussion for Young People
Saturday, Nov. 1
10:30-11:30 a.m.
In celebration of The Big Read – Wichita, ages 10 and up are invited to participate in a lively book discussion of Debra Seely’s “Grasslands.” “Grasslands,” inspired by the life of Seely’s great-grandfather, tells the story of a young boy from Virginia in the 1880s who moves to a Kansas farm to join his father and new stepfamily. (60 minutes)
Wichita Public Library - Alford Branch Library, 3447 S. Meridian, (316) 337-9119
Senior Wednesday: Gallery Talk - The Plains Landscape of "My Antonia"
Wednesday, Nov. 5
doors open at 10:00 a.m., program runs 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Discussion of how the artwork relates to the book. $2 admission. Buy one lunch, get second 1/2 off. Offered in cooperation with nine other cultural institutions in Wichita, Senior Wednesdays are designed for active seniors and made possible by the Kansas Health Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans.
Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd, (316) 268-4921
Book Discussion
Tuesday, Nov. 4
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Join Evergreen's 1st Tuesday Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Evergreen Branch Library, 2601 N. Arkansas, (316) 303-8181
Book Discussion
Wednesday, Nov. 5
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Brown bag lunch book discussion with dessert and drinks provided. Held in WATC Library Conference Room.
Wichita Area Technical College, 301 S. Grove, (316) 677-9400
Book Discussion
Thursday, Nov. 6
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Join Evergreen's 1st Thursday Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Evergreen Branch Library, 2601 N. Arkansas, (316) 303-8181
Book Discussion
Friday, Nov. 7
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Join Orchard Park's 1st Friday Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Orchard Park Branch Library, 4808 W. 9th, (316) 337-9084
Meet the Author: Debra Seely
Saturday, Nov. 8
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Author Debra Seely will talk about writing her teen novels “Grasslands” and “The Last of the Roundup Boys.” Learn more about the process of getting a book published and how to hone your writing skills. For ages 8 and up.
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Preserving the Prairie: Hope for the Future?
Sunday, Nov. 9
2:30-3:30 p.m.
The vast prairie that once drew countless immigrants to a land rich with wildlife and fertile soil has become an endangered habitat. Will it survive the stresses of modern life? Learn from Master Gardener Kevin Holloway whether our prairie can be saved and what efforts are being made to keep it safe for future generations.
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Bus Trip to Willa Cather's Red Cloud
Wednesday, Nov. 12 - Thursday, Nov. 13
The planned itinerary is as follows: On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the bus leaves from the Wichita Art Museum. (Overnight parking is available.) Stop in Concordia to see the United States’ largest carved brick mural; visit the Boyer Museum of Animated Carvings in Belleville, listed as one of 24 finalists in the “Eight Wonders of Kansas Art”; and tour Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village, “Nebraska’s #1 Attraction.” Head to Hastings for accommodations at the Quality Hotel, a full service convention hotel. Dinner is on your own; a restaurant is available at the hotel. On Thursday, the destination is Willa Cather's Red Cloud. Take guided tours through restored buildings and learn more about Cather, her life and her literature. Arrive back in Wichita around 7:00 p.m.
Cost per person: $150.00 for double occupancy room or $190.00 for single occupancy room (Price includes bus fees, lodging, museum admissions and Wednesday lunch.)
To sign up: Mail your check, payable to FWAM, to The Friends of the Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd., Wichita, KS 67203. Please be sure to include your current mailing address and note "Willa Cather Trip" on your check. A form is available. Registrations are due by Friday, Oct. 10.
For more information: Contact bigreadwichita@gmail.com or call (316) 683-1267.
Book Discussion
Thursday, Nov. 13
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Tea with "My Ántonia": Enjoy tea and a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Evergreen Branch Library, 2601 N. Arkansas, (316) 303-8181
The Big Read Finale: Ántonia’s Music: The Popular Tunes of Her Time
Saturday, Nov. 15
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Music historian Michael Lasser will entertain with musical samples of the ragtime and dance tunes that delighted Ántonia and Jim in Willa Cather’s Black Hawk.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main, (316) 265-9314
Book Discussion
Tuesday, Nov. 18
12:45-1:45 p.m.
Join Westlink's 3rd Tuesday Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Westlink Branch Library, 8515 Bekemeyer, (316) 337-9456
Book Discussion
Thursday, Nov. 20
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Join Evergreen's 3rd Thursday Book Discussion Group for a discussion of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." No registration required.
Wichita Public Library - Evergreen Branch Library, 2601 N. Arkansas, (316) 303-8181
"My Ántonia" - A Luminary Walk Through Her Story
Friday, Nov. 28
Saturday, Nov. 29
5:30-8:00 p.m.
Each night hundreds of candles will illuminate the path and electric lights will outline vignettes that illustrate Antonia’s life on the prairie: Mrs. Shimerda's cow, warm and snug under the buffalo robe, prairie grasses in winter, and more. Nov. 28 & 29: Enjoy supper in Willa Cather’s kitchen with Readers’ Theater in the Visitor Center (plus $5.99 for soup supper in Willa Cather’s kitchen, ages 4 and under free). Dec. 12 & 13: There'll be homemade goodies along the path and Christmas carols in the winter air.
$5 adults, $3 college students, $2.50 for children (ages 4 and under are free)
Dyck Aboreteum of the Plains, 177 W. Hickory St., Hesston, (620) 327-8127
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