Sampler Festival Comes To Liberal

The annual Kansas Sampler Festival made its return to southwest Kansas over the weekend. The two-day event was hosted by the city of Liberal this weekend, for the first of two years communities host the event. The festival offers visitors a glimpse of foods and attractions in rural communities throughout Kansas Though several counties, like Dickinson, had their own tents, most others were grouped by their general geographic location, such as southeast or south-central Kansas. Officials from tourism and community organizations from towns like Ulysses, Hugoton and Scott City gathered in the Wild West Country Southwest Kansas tent. Sally Fuller, coordinator of the event, also saw the event as a chance for people from eastern Kansas who might never have been in the western part of the state to learn about what the area has to offer. "We saw this as a way for not only the public to get a glimpse of Kansas, but for the rest of Kansas to see Liberal," Fuller said. Under tents, people sat on benches and small haystacks, watching and listening to actors playing various characters, real and imagined, depicting various aspects of rural Kansas history. Renea Beaver, of nearby Plains, came to the festival Saturday with her daughter Jade and friend Sandra O’Toole. They said they enjoyed the displays put on by various communities, highlighting the value of the yearly event. "Not everybody knows all that the state has," she said. Liberal will host the Sampler Festival again May 4 and 5, 2013.