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St. John planning multicultural event
Homecoming Hall St. John
Homecoming Hall and Museum in St. John is the host for an Oct. 22 program sponsored by the Humanities Kansas organization. The event focuses on the multicultural history of the Stafford County area.

ST. JOHN —  Organizers for the Homecoming Festival in St. John on Oct. 22 will have something new and different for all ages and all cultures. The event is designed to honor and celebrate the multi-cultural history of Stafford County, noted Beccy Tanner, a former Kansas history writer at The Wichita Eagle. “We hope to make this an annual event,” Tanner said.

The festival will include participation from several Native American tribes, with Mexican accordion music and karaoke, and dramatic presentations and programs sponsored by the Humanities Kansas organization.

St. John Homecoming Hall and Museum Director Anna Minnis said the idea grew out of looking for a way to focus on the area’s heritage. “We’ve had a lot of different cultures that have contributed to the settlement of this area,” Minnis said. “We had the Exodusters who came after the Civil War, we had the Hispanics that were early explorers and of course the Native American tribes that were here. It is our hope that we can make this an annual event that brings life to our museum and our history.”

At 2 p.m. at the Stafford County Museum Library, at 100 N. Main St. in Stafford, noted historian Dr. Leo Oliva will present the program “Railroaded: The Industry that Shaped Kansas." 

At the St. John Town Square, festivities begin at 3 p.m. that include Native American dancers; a kids’ tricycle pull; hayrack rides and bubbles, with a mystery celebrity guest. 

Meanwhile, at the St. John Homecoming Hall and Museum at 304 S. Main, Angela Bates, executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society, will present a program at 6 p.m. entitled “Children of the Promised Land,” which focuses on the Exodusters who settled that Kansas community.

Also, a movie produced by Oscar Michaeux, whose family homesteaded near Seward, will be presented at the Museum at 7:30 p.m. Michaeux is recognized as the first and one of the most prolific African-American movie producers in history.

A community-wide fried chicken dinner hosted by the Wheatland Cafe is also planned. Cost is $16 per person. Reservations must be made in advance by Oct. 15. To make a reservation, call the museum at 620-377-5005 or email at homecominghall@gmail.com.