Great Bend Alive, the downtown arm of Great Bend Economic Development (GBED), brings back Fridays on Forest this Friday with a Kick-Off event on April 28, 2023, from 5 pm to 9 pm. The event will take place on Forest Avenue, from Williams St. to Main St., following the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. to open the entertainment district for the 3rd season. Lovegrass Music Festival Association (LMFA) has partnered with Great Bend Alive to bring three highly acclaimed bands, Gravel Yard from Arkansas, the Brook Blanche Band from Wichita, and Old Fangled from Lawrence, KS.
Fridays on Forest take place on the last Friday of the month from April to October. All are welcome and no ticket is needed for the free concert, this month's event is sponsored by Marmies Auto Group. As a reminder, no outside food or drinks come into the district, no drinks leave the consumption area, no smoking is permitted, and no pets are allowed. In addition to great music, attendees can purchase delicious food from our vendors: Lumpy’s, Los Dos Potrillo’s, Brand 17 BBQ, Mock N'Roll, RePerks, and Yo Dog Wieners, as well as our alcohol vendors, Los Dos Potrillo’s, Lumpy’s, Charlie’s Place, and Dry Lake Brewing.
About Great Bend Alive:
Great Bend Alive has been designated as a Kansas Main Street Program by the Kansas Department of Commerce. Great Bend Alive, the downtown development arm of Great Bend Economic Development, has a focus on historic preservation, events/promotion, development/economic vitality, and design/streetscape.
For more information about Great Bend Alive visit: www.gbedinc.com/downtownevents, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
About GBED (Great Bend Economic Development):
The Great Bend Economic Development, Inc. is a public/private partnership focusing on the economic development efforts in Barton County, KS. Our mission is to improve the economic quality of life for working families in our community. We do this by creating jobs, through retention, recruitment and expansion of businesses, strengthening the workforce through recruitment, education and training, improving and increasing the number of living wage jobs, and expanding the tax base through increase capital investment.
For more information about GBED visit: www.gbedinc.com, call 620-796-2407. Sara Arnberger, President of Great Bend Economic Development, Inc., can be reached via email at [email protected].
About LMFA (Lovegrass Music Festival Association):
The LMFA, a Kansas 501C-3 charitable organization, was founded in 2017 by fellow Central Kansas residents who shared a desire to bring the bluegrass arts to their community. With that, an annual three-day bluegrass music festival was born at Lake Wilson State Park. August 10th-12, 2023 marks the 6th annual Lovegrass Music Festival. Each year the event has grown, with 1,200 attendees expected in 2023.
For more information about the Lovegrass Music Festival Association and the 2023 festival, please visit www.lovegrassmusicfestival.com. Aimee Riegel, President of Lovegrass Music Festival Association, can be reached via email at [email protected].