Art and music fill the city this weekend

A Cultural-with-a-capital-C weekend is coming up in Hays. Friday evening is the spring Art Gallery Walk, and Saturday evening is the annual masterworks concert at Beach-Schmidt Auditorium. I’m proud to be involved in both events.

The Tea Rose Inn is showing paintings by Kansas artist Louis Copt. (Copt web site) His typical subject is landscapes that truly capture the look and feel of the Kansas prairie, from fields of crops to clothes drying on a line in the wind. The paintings of controlled burns are just mesmerizing. All works are for sale. I’ll be serving mushroom turnovers, tiny berry tarts, and of course tea (haven’t settled on a variety yet). The TRI will be open to all art lovers from 6:00 to 9:00 Friday evening. No charge! (Spring Gallery Walk)

At 7:30 Saturday evening the Hays Symphony Orchestra will present works by Beethoven and Dvořák. On Dvořák’s Te Deum they will be joined by the Fort Hays State University choir and the Smoky Hill Chorale, of which I am a member. A guest soprano and a guest bass will perform the solo parts. Two beautiful pieces of music in a perfect setting, the fabulous Beach-Schmidt Auditorium, at a bargain price. ($6, I think—less than a movie ticket!)

The last piece of good news is that there is still one vacancy this weekend! We’d love to see you here.

Happy Easter to all!

Was there ever a more glorious Easter Day? It’s just been beautiful in Hays. Everybody got a chocolate bunny on their pillow today! My guests have fragrant lilacs in their rooms, plucked from the back garden. Fresh mint and chives for breakfast tomorrow.

I brought home two boxes of plants today, so tomorrow I can plant flowers in all the porch planters. As the flower beds’ lilacs and tulips begin to fade in a couple of weeks, the irises, peonies and spirea will take their place…just in time (I hope) for Fort Hays State University’s commencement weekend.

A few days ago the petals from the white crab apple blossoms started to fall. They were so thick this year, when the breeze blew they drifted like snow against steps and rocks. Those flowers have scented the air for nearly two weeks now. Heavenly. Join us while it’s still springtime!