It’s time for a celebration of the tall grass cattle industry.
“That’s the annual Flint Hills Beef Fest at Emporia Friday through Sunday, August 20-21-22,” announced Shelly Wiggans.
“Cattlemen enter stocker cattle in a summer grazing competition as well as feedlot and carcass shows,” explained Wiggans, event official.
There’s a lot more than the cattle events as the entire community now gets involved in the festivities, she said.
Live broadcast of the 580 WIBW Ag Roundup Show kicks off festivities from Emporia Livestock Sales Friday morning, Aug. 20, at 6 o’clock. The live stocker cattle show starts there at 9 o’clock.
“The tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills is actually where the Beef Fest begins,” Wiggans said. “Cattle are grazed in a weight gain competition for a portion of the summer.”
Cattlemen enter pens of three steers and or heifers in a variety of different competitions. They include grass futurity, stocker cattle show, best of grass and show, feedlot contest and carcass contest. Prizes total nearly $18,000.
A Beef Producers Information Seminar hosted by 580 WIBW Radio is set for the Bowyer Community Building, Friday morning, at 11:30. There’ll be a complimentary dinner with reservation by calling 620-341-3220.
A ranch feed is Friday evening at 6 o’clock in the Bowyer Building. It’s followed by the ranch rodeo featuring a kids’ calf scramble at the adjacent Lyon County Fairgrounds.
Saturday, August 21, activities continue at the fairgrounds all day with morning and afternoon barnyard games and a free hamburger feed at noon.
The awards banquet will begin at 5:30, with the steak supper at 6:30. Entertainment for the banquet is Dueling Pianos, with a dance to the music of Brickhorse concluding the evening.
There’ll be a golf tournament at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course Sunday morning, Aug. 22, at 8:30.
Complete details about the Flint Hills Beef Fest are available at www.beeffest.com, by calling 620-528-3444, and on Facebook.