We have fine for several years in a row. The artists being booked has regressed but we always have…read morea blast. Their security is nice. The food vendors are as well! The whole camping/clamping situation is very unorganized. But we will be back.

The Country Stampede has been a summer event in Kansas for almost 20 years now. They have 4 days of…read moretop country music artists come in to perform each afternoon and evening. In 2013, the headliners were Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins and Miranda Lambert. Over 160,000 people show up for the event. And, It's hot. If it rains, it gets muddy and stinky. But still, people come in droves. They camp there and they stay in the hotels in Manhattan, and they drive in from all over the US. This is the "biggest party on the plains". This was my first year to attend the Stampede. The staff and vendors were all wonderful. The Performers were all top notch, and even the people attending were fun to talk to. Lots of bare skin - as the temps were in the 90's and no shade - although as the sun set, it became comfortable and a beautiful evening to be out. Oh yeah, and it's LOUD. No joke - wear ear protection! At first pass, the tickets seem a bit steep, but after attending the event, I get it. There are all kinds of various packages you can purchase, but a basic 1-day event ticket is about $80. That's to see 4 - 5 different artists perform! Concert tickets generally run $80 a piece! Definitely a bargain. Plus, the 94.5 Country radio station in Topeka was practically handing them out this year - for a month before the event they gave them away on air, at remotes, and with online contests. Sure, you had to win them, but there were SO many opportunities to get your hands on some free tickets. Lastly, there are a bunch of freebie-giveaways from the vendors. (Rockstar was giving away free, full size beverages, for example.) There was also a bunch of expensive stuff to purchase. Tickets to use at the vendors were $5 for 8 tickets. 0.63 cents each. Prices were typical of a festival and so were the offerings. Corn Dogs to Ice Cream, Funnel Cakes and BBQ. Nothing healthy whatsoever - so don't go looking for it. ;) So, if you go, WEAR SUNBLOCK, take earplugs, and eat before you go. ;)

My grandkids absolutely loved this pumpkin patch and all the activities to do! Well worth the $10…read moreentry fee. So many activities that are not at other pumpkin patches.

Depending on the season, Berry Hill Upick Farm is where you can pick your own basket of fresh…read morestrawberries or wander through a vibrant sunflower field. I came here on a hot summer day to enjoy the rows upon rows of bright yellow sunflowers amongst a beautiful blue sky. The fields may be small, but they are big enough for there to be plenty of flowers and to look yellow from overhead. I had a very relaxing time walking through the sunflower field, taking pictures, and enjoying nature. The farm is free to visit. Strawberries are sold by the pound, and sunflowers are a suggested donation of $1 per cut flower. There were also fresh-off-the-vine watermelons and cantaloupes for sale at $5 each when I visited. Photography is welcomed though a donation is strongly encouraged for each shoot. Overall, Berry Hill Upick Farm is a lovely little farm in Topeka, Kansas.

We came to the Pennant after dinner for dessert. They have a pretty long list of sweet treats and…read moredrinks. Our server wasn't sure what items were gluten free but took the time to check, which we appreciated. We ended up splitting a PB Chocolate Madness, which was plenty of sugar for both of us. The Pennant had TVs tuned to hockey and basketball playoff games, arcade games, and a bar area. It was a bit loud, but we enjoyed dessert and checking out the playoffs games.

After exploring Topeka on a freezing cold KS day, we stopped in to warm up, grab a bite to eat and…read moreorder some of their shakes we've seen. What a cool place! Retro arcade, lots of dine in seating and a bar. Our waitress was nice and super helpful. We ordered a burger and Nashville chicken sandwich, which was good, but the star of the show was the shakes! Super creative, super creamy, super good! I highly recommended checking them out!

Watch arena cross and the races were good however the prices of drinks n food were along the lines…read moreof major stadiums. They did have a good crowd and the racing was good. For me was watching the determination of the young racers 4-8

I visited Stormont Vail Events Center in December to take my oldest daughter to Paw Patrol Live!…read moreShe's been a big Paw Patrol fan and is likely about to out grow her passion for it so when I saw it was coming closeby I booked us some premium seats here so she could really enjoy it. Now, Topeka is a solid hour away for us and I wasn't sure what to expect. To be honest I was kind of shocked that the tour stopped in Topeka rather than KC since I think they would have filled up better in KC. All that aside we made the drive no problem and something nice about it being in Topeka is that parking is a BREEZE here. Stormont Vail Events Center boasts a massive parking lot, which is something I'm just not used to seeing at big events centers in cities. Compared to the Sprint Center here in KC where parking is a competitive sport, I literally just drove in and parked super close to the entrance and we walked right in. That was pretty great - definitely earned a whole star for that alone. Once you get inside it's very similar to any other large-ish event space. You get in line to have your ticket scanned and then you find your seats. My big beef with this whole event, and why to me it was 4/5 stars was the way they had merch stands set up. The first one was right when you got to the top of the escalator which caused a bottleneck and the line was pretty massive. We had paid for a merchandise voucher to save some money, so I wanted to let my daughter choose her toy before the show started, but the line was so long I figured there must be another one and we moved on to use the restroom and then use the merch spot on the floor, near our seats. We got in line at the merch table downstairs and after waiting more than 10 minutes someone shouted out that you can't use a voucher at this one and you have to go upstairs. Now, have you ever had to explain to a four year old that you have to leave the line you are almost to the front of to go upstairs and get in a longer line that you already had waited in? No, well you're lucky. That was a nightmare. We did it though, got what she wanted, and she did handle it like a champ once we got over the initial shock. Aside from that the production was good, the ease of restroom lines and getting in and out of the venue was a breeze, and overall it was a decent experience. I do hope they consider fixing this issue though, even if just with signage so you don't wait in a line you can't use.

Really cool to see somewhere so profound in our history. The sign was being repaired when we went,…read moreand the parking was a confusing but it was a beautiful day and worth the stop.

Ranger Lawson and Ranger Jeff welcomed me from the moment I stopped into this historic building…read more Ranger Lawson directed me towards the exhibits and made himself available if I needed. The exhibits were amazing. The videos and interactive media were all functioning. DYK there were actually five cases that were combined and argued in front of the Supreme Court in 1954, combined they were known as the historic Brown vs Topeka Board of Education that ended segregation of schools in the U.S. in 1954. The Hall of Courage is an interesting exhibit that shows videos of discrimination on both sides. It attempts to mimic the feeling that folks back in the 1950s and the Jim Crow South had to deal with. The building also has a recreation of a kindergarten in Topeka during the 1950. Where teachers believed that play was the highest form of learning. So children could let their minds run free and creativity develop their curious minds. The Legacy Room has plenty of exhibits. I particularly liked the Wall of Courage, that highlight post-Brown heroes, and the Protest in Music exhibit that had songs from Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, to Public Enemy. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about the case and be on the grounds where the one of the cases originated. This location presents the information well, and visitors cannot help but feel proud about the event.

Loved the little shops here. Wall paintings are awesome! Really need to look around each building…read moreto find all the hidden items.

I love how they have revitalized North Topeka and made it into an Art District. They have some…read moregreat food and really neat places to checkout, also a first Friday artwalk every month.