KANOPOLIS — With only days to go until the Fort Harker Days celebration kicks off July 12-13, Joye Neuman is buzzing about, making final preparations for the community’s biggest event of the year.

In only her second year on the event committee, Neuman already has a deeper appreciation for the amount of planning necessary in pulling off the two-day celebration.

“Of course, you know going into this that obviously there’s a lot to do,” she said. “But once you get into it, it’s pretty overwhelming with everything you need to do for an event like this.”

Despite a year under her belt, Neuman admits she still feels new to the committee.

Last year, several longtime volunteers stepped down, making room for younger residents to step up and take charge. One of those who left was former Kanopolis Police Chief Kenny Bernard, who retired earlier this year.

Neuman and her husband, Dustin, were asked by volunteer Greg Tripp to join the planning committee, which included himself, Kanopolis Mayor Anthony Hopkins and another Fort Harker Days’ veteran, Meredith Vargo. Together, the five planned this year’s event, which includes new activities like a dodge-ball tournament and assorted yard games, including horseshoes and cornhole, on Saturday. More craft vendors are also planned this year, as well as a DJ for the annual dance, she said.

“We’re just really trying to add a few new things and keep things fresh,” Neuman said. “We just want to keep building Fort Harker Days, so it’s bigger and better every year.”

One of the biggest traditions of Fort Harker Days is Saturday’s parade. This year’s parade, which begins at 10 a.m., is set to the theme, “Come to the Movies,” in honor of the Kanopolis Drive-In Theater, which was selected as 2019 grand marshal.

“The drive-in is a staple of our community,” Neuman said. “It’s something we’re proud to have, and we wanted to showcase them.”

Owners Josh and Amanda Webb reopened the drive-in in 2011, breathing new life into a facility that stood silent for four years.

Tony Blazina, a World War II veteran, opened the drive-in in 1952. Despite Blazina’s death two years later, his widow, Olga, and their daughters, Liz Ray and Irene Pacey, continued operating it. Ray died in 2005, and her mother passed away a year later. Pacey and her husband originally planned to take the reins and reopen the drive-in in 2011, but ultimately sold the business after being approached by the Webbs.

But 50-plus years of Kansas weather had beaten the facility, resulting in some wear and tear. Before they opened, the young couple replaced the concession stand roof and applied a fresh coat of white paint to the theater’s 30-by-60-foot movie screen.

Years later, the Webbs have developed a winning formula, attracting movie-goers from nearly an hour away. Today, the theater plays a double feature every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the season, which runs from early April through mid-September. Along with fresh heartlandgrown popcorn, the concession stands serves up hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos and other snacks, which help support the nonprofit.

“Those two have really put a lot of time and work into the drive-in,” Neuman said.

Only a handful of Kansas drive-ins have survived — with Kanopolis being one of those. As of 2018, only 524 drive-in theaters were left nationwide, according to the National Association of Theater Owners.

“We are just so honored and blessed to be a small part of this magnificent celebration of Kanopolis and Fort Harker,” the Webbs wrote in an e-mail. “Kanopolis truly is a place where your neighbors still talk to you, and you can always count on them. The town has seen many changes, but much like the enduring nature of its proud citizenry, the Kanopolis Drive-in will remain. We humbly thank the committee for this honor, and hope that we can continue to be the outstanding corporate citizens that the people of Kanopolis have come to expect.”

The celebration, July 12-13, opens Friday in Kanopolis City Park with a sand volleyball tournament at 5 p.m. From 5-7 p.m., a hamburger feed will take place at the Commanding Officers’ Quarters. The feed, sponsored by the Ellsworth County Historical Society, is offered for a $6 per plate donation. At 6 p.m., the beer garden opens in the park. At the same time, the coed softball tournament gets underway at the Kanopolis Middle School ballfield. Later that evening, a washer board tournament is set for 7 p.m., followed by a free dance featuring Big Dawgs DJ from 8-midnight.

Saturday’s events get an early start as registration opens at 6:30 a.m. for the Fort Harker fourmile run/two-mile walk/run. The race follows at 7:30 a.m. Both registration and the run/walk event will take place at the intersection of A and Kansas streets.

The softball tournament also resumes at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m., the sand volleyball contest takes up where teams left off, followed by live music in front of the city offices at 8:30 a.m.

Parade participants will begin lining up for the annual parade at 9 a.m. at the corner of First and Kansas streets.

Following the 10 a.m. parade, registration gets underway from 11 a.m. - noon for the Legion Riders Post No. 174 poker run. Activities pick up by mid-morning with registration for the Lego building contest, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Community Room. Turtle races round out the morning’s events, beginning at 11:30.

Noon not only marks the start of the free watermelon feed in the park, but the opening of the Bounceroo wet water slide, which runs until 4 p.m. The Lego building contest kicks off at 1 p.m.

Also at 1 p.m. is the Kanopolis Mud Run, located a quarter-mile south of 18th Road and Avenue M.

Get ready to reminisce about high school during the Kanopolis All-School Reunion social hour at 4 p.m. in the Kanopolis Community Center. A dinner follows at 5 p.m.

Watch the July 11 issue of the I-R for more information.