By Frankie Shayne
Reports from The Scene
Sun, outdoor activities, kids out of school, public pools are open, longer days, festivals, outdoor events, humidity, mosquitoes, flies, sun burn, hot dry winds sweeping across the plains…
Welcome to Kansas summer.
It’s always a mix of the good with the bad, but hey, we got it pretty good, all things considered. I’ve been in India in the summer, and man! We’re doing a lot better than they get it. And I’ve also been in Africa in their summer. Whew! You already know how that went. Yeah, we’ve got it pretty good. We also have no shortage of things to do in Hutchinson during the summer. If you want local activities and local entertainment, you just need to put in a little effort, and you can find it.
When I was growing up in Hutch, there were decidedly fewer options for us than what is available today. There has always been outdoor sports and racing, but the possibilities and the quality of our parks and programs has grown exponentially.
For instance, when I came up, there was no skateboard park until the very latter end of my skateboarding days, and we definitely did not have a bike park, both of which we have today. We have bike and walking trails all around the city. We have a public pool and three splash pads between Hutch and South Hutch.
We also have a great park on 43rd, east of Lorraine, complete with walking trails, a pond and green fields with lush grass to play catch, Frisbee, a pickup football game or just to lay back and look at cloud shapes.
If none of that does it for you, there is a bowling alley with laser tag and bumper cars at AJ’s. We have a brand new YMCA about to open, and our mall is finally getting a much-needed facelift and new retailers. All these things are great ways to enjoy a hot Kansas summer, but what about local entertainment?
Ah, yes, well, what do you fancy? Live music? Dinner? Museums and art? Well, we’ve got you covered there, as well, but my poison of choice is live local music, and the summer offers plenty of that. Third Thursdays are in full swing during the summer, and it is the perfect answer to all those questions in one fell swoop.
Local vendors, local artists and local musicians all come together to celebrate the craft and talents to the whole downtown corridor. This monthly event holds a special place in my heart, as it is the birthplace of so many local artists just trying to get an audience. It’s also a great learning ground for those looking to hone their performance and ability to hold people’s attention.
This monthly event is also what gave me the desire to start the Singer/Songwriter Showcase I host each month. I heard from so many up and coming musicians/artists during my stint helping host local artists at Third Thursday that they wanted a place to showcase their talents but didn’t have enough material to support an entire solo evening of music. This gave me the idea to offer just that: a showcase that limits each artist to 15 minutes and gives the audience a sample platter of the local music scene in one evening.
Now, we are three years in and still going strong and still debuting new local artists almost every showcase. Speaking of downtown, the showcase and things to do, this week is Smallville Festival, and it is going on downtown. Thursday evening at 7, we are holding the first ever Smallville Singer/Songwriter Showcase. It’s going to be jam packed with nine artists from Hutch and surrounding areas, and you will not be disappointed. Its a solid roster of Showcase alumni, and they are anxious to show off their stuff. I’ll be emceeing the evening, so stop by and catch some amazing artists and see what Hutch has to offer.
So, let’s just say that you are interested in a chill evening with some music maybe a bite to eat and some adult beverages. Well, Hutch has two breweries that do just that—Salt City Brewery and Sandhills Brewery—and both offer food, “beverage,” and on the weekends, live music.
With all that being said, summer is looking pretty hot, and Hutch is looking pretty cool. You’re never more than a few minutes away from something to do in Hutch, and I didn’t even cover shopping or thrifting, which we have a whole lot of that going on around here.
Maybe I’ll get into that next time, but until then, just remember your hometown only seems boring to you because it’s your hometown. Others love coming here for the stuff we take for granted. Sometimes, you gotta step back and realize how good we got it.
Frankie Shayne is a radio show host, a local singer/songwriter and an advocate for local artists and musicians. He can be reached at fsp7774@gmail.com.