5th Annual Great Plains Art, Food & Maker Festival

Celebrate creativity in all its forms at the 5th Annual Great Plains Art, Food & Maker Festival, Saturday, September 26, at Sesquicentennial Point Park in Lawrence, Kansas.

This carefully curated outdoor festival brings together original artists, makers, craftspeople, chefs, bakers, confectioners and culinary creators from across Kansas and the surrounding region. Discover handmade art, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, textiles, body and wellness products, creations for pets, artisan foods, incredible desserts and baked goods, and freshly prepared food from talented chefs and culinary geniuses.

The common thread is originality. Meet the people who actually create what you see, taste and take home.

Live music fills the Point all day with Caribbean and world-influenced rhythms, Kansas City funk and soul, ’70s-inspired jazz-rock, Grateful Dead-style improvisational jams, and Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz.

The festival is headlined by Rhythm Republic featuring Stanley Sheldon, internationally known for his longtime work as bassist with Peter Frampton, including the legendary Frampton Comes Alive! era. Rhythm Republic represents an exciting current chapter in Sheldon’s career, bringing bass, trumpet, piano, drums and congas together in adventurous, high-energy Afro-Cuban jazz.

And the setting is part of the experience.

Sesquicentennial Point rises above Clinton Lake and the Wakarusa River Valley, creating a naturally sloping grass amphitheater with sweeping views across the Kansas landscape. Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, explore the artists and food, settle into the hillside for live music, and stay for the sunset.

Guests may come and go throughout the day, making it easy to enjoy the festival at your own pace and explore Lawrence between performances.

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Gates open: 11:30 AM

Live music: Noon–8:00 PM

Advance admission: $10

Day-of admission: $12

Children 15 and under: FREE

Rain or shine

Come hungry. Come curious. Meet extraordinary people creating extraordinary things — and experience a day at the Point where art, food, music, community and the Kansas landscape all come together.