Mound City :: A nice place to visit ... A great place to live

History of the Sugar Mound Arts & Crafts Festival

June 24, 2016

Young Danny Smith of Pleasanton, president of the Linn county Historical Society, started the celebration in 1971. He conceived the idea of having an art show on the courthouse lawn, when our sugar maples were in full color.  This would call attention to the graceful architecture of this lovely old building.  Due to rain that day it was moved to the Linn County Fairgrounds, last year we celebrated our 45th year there.

Sugar Mound Arts and Craft Show was the selected name; the festivities grew and developed.  Screens and tables were built, yards and yards of plastic were bought to cover open sided buildings and even to cover dirt floors. This festive and colorful event takes place every year in October in the most beautiful area of Kansas.
To open the festivities a 5-K will be at 8:00 a.m. at the Jayhawk Linn High School.  Promptly at 10:00 a.m. a large colorful parade is another special event of the opening festivities.

The Sugar Mounds Arts and Crafts Festival has gone from displaying art work by Linn County artists in the 4H building to us now utilizing all the buildings.  It now has 400+ booths displaying all types of hand crafted items with exhibitors coming from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Colorado and as far as California to join Kansas exhibitors of crafts and art work. We have a ratio of 75% returning vendors and 25% new vendors which gives a great variety to the show.

Each year on the second weekend of October Mound City’s population swells from about 1000 people to 10,000.  Visitors come to shop for craft and art work as much as to eat the taste temping foods which is supplied by Linn County food booths.

This event is organized and run by all volunteers which in 2011 numbered 21 ladies.

To learn more about this year’s event, visit http://sugarmoundartscrafts.com.

Last modified: June 26, 2017

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