Fun and creativity attracts all ages

Lots of people ask how to get kids and young people involved in local community events. Partridge made it happen without thinking about it. Because the organizers are creative, fun at heart, and have a lot of kid in them, the young people turned out in abundance.

Partridge, a town of 250 in western Reno County, is a tight knit community. They even still have their own grade school. And, they also have lots of people that care about the notion of community.

A few years ago they added a bicycle twist to their annual event. It was so fun and added such a new dimension that it the whole thing is now called the Partridge Pedal Party!

In brief, anything that has to do with bicycles, it's done here. Home-adjusted bicycles are seen in the parade, pieces and parts are sculpted together and used in the home creation of the trophies. Bicycles are raffled away. There is unicycle hockey and bicycle jousting. There are crafts, poem reading, music, food, games, and a worthy parade with horses, floats, old cars and tractors, and more. It's such a fun day.

But it's hard to not notice how much fun the kids are having. They are engaged, they are part of it. So are teenagers and "kids" in their 40s and 50s. The spirit of the day is catchy and it's something we should all catch.

Sometime small towns have the most creative events. Be part of it and you'll Get Kansas.


Lucky to have been there, KE #2 Marci Penner