Get outdoors and celebrate your place in nature and your community at Discover Salina Naturally, this coming Sunday. The event  is from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Lakewood Park.

Organizers say this one-of-a-kind festival will have something for every member of your family, and it’s free to enter. This year’s festival offers many firsts for visitors.

It introduces young families to local history, children to nature and entertainingly educates the community on the value of a responsible and sustainable future. It offers over 60 participating  demonstrators, historical reenactors, artists, booths,  vendors and clubs. Enjoy delicious food, entertainment, kids activities and more. There will be temporary signs to help direct visitors to the free festival.

Children will especially want to search out the activity and craft areas. Kids can enjoy face painting, crafts, activities and much more! Don’t miss Thad Beach in the children’s area from 11a until noon. Activities and crafts can be found all over the park, so be sure to explore!

Live entertainment is offered throughout the day, with each performer or group bringing a unique sound and approach to the music. It all kicks off with a rich blending of vocals and guitars by Mattson & Weaver at 11:00a, followed by Triad Jazz Trio at noon. Based in Salina, this trio of young performers will put a swing in your step. Then at 1 enjoy the magnetic vocals and range of styles offered by Ashley Wheeler, singer and songwriter. The Serenity String Band will take the mic from 2-3. They’re a blend of four well-seasoned and talented veteran musicians. The day rounds out with The Radicles, four gifted artists offering acoustic rock and other energizing styles.

New this year is an engaging variety of demonstrations and presentations offered throughout the day. Don’t miss the farmer from the 1800s, buffalo soldiers, Hoke the arson dog along with Fire Marshall Troy Long, a presentation from the Concordia POW camp and much more! In addition, for the first time ever, Exploration Place in Wichita will be on hand with three highly-interactive stations, highlighting sustainability and renewable energy. Buffalo soldiers will have a camp set up at the festival. Meet the impressive Percheron horses, learn about their place in the past and present of Kansas and how they should be treated. There are too many to list—so come on out and explore!

And when all this fun makes you hungry, visit one of our food vendors. Below are the participating food vendors with a sampling of their offerings. There will be items at 5$ or less!

• Umami Bowl, featuring Asian rice bowls.
• Fun Foods, with shaved ice, chicken & pork kabobs, walking tacos & tropical salad.
• Snowie Bus, offering shaved ice, ice cream bars and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
• Skip’s Concessions, featuring Nathan all-beef hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, cheese fries, chili cheese fries, nachos, gater taters and pretzels.
• Silvey Concessions “There’s No Taste Like Home,” Wizard of Oz themed food truck, with loaded fries, chicken & waffles, grilled lemonade and cranberry pecan chicken wrap.

Parking is at Lakewood Middle school and Great Plains Manufacturing. CityGo buses will provide free shuttle service to the park. It’s free to enter. Be sure to stop by the information booth to pick up a program and check out the handy tote bags.

From things to do to things to buy—from geocaching to composting—from the past to the future—it’s at the Discover Salina Naturally festival. Come on out and enjoy five hours of fun that builds community and promotes sustainability by celebrating where we’ve been, who we are and how we can envision the future.  Bring your friends, bring your family or come on your own, but don’t miss this treat for all of your senses,      Discover Salina Naturally, Sunday, May 5, 11a til 4p – at Lakewood Park in Salina.

Discover Salina Naturally is planned by a dedicated group of volunteers, as an ad hoc committee of the Smoky Hills Audubon Society. Monetary support for this year’s festival came from the Greater Salina Community Foundation, Earl Bane Foundation, Verla Nesbitt Joscelyn Foundation, Smoot Charitable Foundation and OCCK.