Travel Midwest Magazine Travel Midwest Digital ReplicaSUM17 | Page 160
Kansas
THE BEST OF {KANSAS}
Lindsborg is known as “Little Sweden
USA,” and has a unique charm all its own.
Take a Lindsborg tour to really experi-
ence the authenticity of the town. The
tours are offered through the visitor’s
center, and can last all day, depending on
which one you choose. Many different
events and summer festivals are hap-
pening in Lindsborg, but the Svensk Hyll-
ningsfest is worth a visit if you’ll be around
in October. Beginning on October 13 th ,
the festival is a biennial celebration of the
Swedish culture and settlers that came
to the area in the late 1800s. With an array
of ethnic foods and cultural dances
and music, you will feel like you’re
spending the day in Sweden, rather
158 | Summer 2017 | Travel Midwest
than in Kansas.
The Midsummer’s Festival is happen-
ing this year on Saturday, June 17 th , and
is a national Swedish holiday, and
therefore one of the biggest annual
festivals in the area. Expect to see the
raising of the Midsommarstång, the
Midsummer Pole or May Pole, which
signifies the ring dance. The ring dance
is a traditional dance to celebrate the
summer and the setting of the sun,
which bring new life and a new season
with everything vibrant and in bloom. In
Sweden, this holiday rivals the impor-
tance of Easter and Christmas, so the
traditions stand firm and true.
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, and
boats lively botanical gardens, the Cow-
town Museum, the Museum of World
Treasures, the Wichita Art Museum, and
much more. The botanical gardens,
Botanica Wichita, open in 1987 and has
sense been adding to their four original
gardens. They now have over thirty ad-
ditional gardens, all with different themes
and exhibitions. The Children’s Garden is
great for little ones, and the other themed
gardens are magical for all ages, like the
Chinese Garden of Friendship and the
Butterfly Garden. Adult admission is only
$7, and with more than 4,000 different
plant species, the gardens will keep your
senses busy for a full day of fun.