Bethel
College
Built in the late 1800s, the school radiates revival-style, romantic
architecture. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
the school has a well-known reputation for academic excellence. Bethel
also hosts art displays, lectures, concerts, sporting events and more.
Call (800) 522-1887 for more information.
Kauffman Museum
Located on the Bethel College campus at 27th and North Main, this
ultra-modern museum is nationally recognized, and features exhibits on
Mennonite immigrant culture, a tallgrass prairie reconstruction, a
historic farmstead, special changing exhibits and a museum store. For
more information, call (316) 283-1612.
Country Boys Carriage and Prairie Adventures
Relive the olden days when settlers were first discovering the prairie
that we now call home. Horse-drawn carriages, surrey and hayrack rides,
covered wagon excursions and more will make your next special event one
to remember. Available for weddings, festivals, parades, parties and
more. For more information, call (316) 283-2636.
Harvey County Historical Society Library and Museum
Built in 1903, this former Carnegie Library is Newton’s oldest building
in use today. The genealogical archives and museum exhibits preserve the
history of Harvey County. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and
by appointment. Located at 203 N. Main St. in Newton,
the musuem can be reached at (316) 283-2221.
500 Main Place
Located at 500 N. Main St. in the heart of Newton, this massive
limestone building erected in 1925 was renovated in 1985 to house
businesses, the Newton Area Chamber of Commerce and more. For more
information call (316) 283-6073.
Blue
Sky Sculpture
The sculpture is dedicated to the memory of Jacqueline M. Smith, a
prominent citizen and supporter of the fine arts in Newton. Located in
Centennial Park at 1699 N. Kansas.
Newton
Station
Built in 1930 and modeled after Shakespearian Stratford-upon-Avon,
Newton Station is currently an AMTRAK stop and home to offices and a
community college. Newton Station is located at 414 N. Main St. Call
(316) 283-5650 for more information.
Mennonite Settler Statue
Erected in 1942, and located in Athletic Park, the statue remembers
Bernhard Warkentin for bringing winter wheat to the USA, to the Santa Fe
Railway, and to the Mennonites who settled here and farmed the land.
The
Carriage Factory Art Gallery
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery hosts works of art by artists in all
mediums. View art galleries, and the Victorian-themed J.J. Krehbiel
Memorial Park and Museum, or shop for blown glass, pottery and more.
Call (316) 284-2749.
Old Mill Plaza
Once a wheat mill purchased by settler Bernhard Warkentin, the site now
hosts several businesses and a fine restaurant. Old Mill Plaza is
located at 301 N. Main St. Call (316) 283-4479 for more information.
Warkentin House
Former home of Bernhard Warkentin and built in 1887, this 16-room
Victorian home contains most of its original furnishings. Tours of the
house are available. The house is located at 211 E. 1st St. Call (316)
283-3113.
Events
• Santa at the Fox
Theater: four days in December when good little boys and girls can make
Christmas wishes directly to the Big Guy.
• September’s Hispanic Fiesta at Kansas Christian Home, now in its sixth
year, with a mariachi band, the Azteca Dancers from Newton High School,
piñatas, prizes, food, and more.
• The springtime performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” at Bethel College in
North Newton, described by one as “both dramatic and spiritual.”
• The Garage Unsale, a community giveaway of clothing and household
items to the needy.
• The Trinity Heights United Methodist Church’s Christmas Cookie Walk,
wherein more than 200 pounds of cookies are sold in support of the
church’s philanthropy.
• Three months’ of fundraisers for Relay for Life of Harvey County, the
overnight walk honoring cancer survivors, and raising money for services
to cancer patients and families.
• The Harvey County Kid Fest, a daylong educational event disguised as
great fun, serving this past April some 300 children and their families
with developmental screenings and immediately useful information on
child safety car seats, nutrition, local attractions, and service
providers in Harvey County.
• The Apple Blossom Festival, an intergenerational party celebrating the
arrival of spring, with a pig roast, multiple bands, and the American
All Stars cheerleading squad.
• The Parade of Lights, a Newton celebration of the Christmas season.
• The Warrior Bowl, in which dozens of youth football clubs from Newton
and surrounding communities compete in two days of good times.
• The Greater Newton Duck Race, involving more than 5,000 rubber ducks
being dumped into Sand Creek for float from the Fifth Street Bridge to
the First Street Bridge with proceeds benefiting Big Brothers & Big
Sisters, USD 373s Endowment Fund, the Boy Scouts, and childcare at
Newton Medical Center.
• The “Old Fashioned Hymn Sing” at Zion Lutheran Church for the
Community Assistance Fund of the Newton Ministerial Alliance.
• Performances of the Newton Community Children’s Choir.
• The annual Harvey County Community Health Fair, now in its
twenty-sixth year, with screenings for all sorts of potential health
problems, analysis of body-mass indexes, wellness checks for children,
vaccinations for pneumonia and influenza, and hearing and vision
testing.
• The Wings of Remembrance Air Show honoring members of the armed
services, veterans, and their families.
