By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Twenty-eight years of the Kansas Sampler Festival came to a close in 2017. The Big Kansas Road Trip was started by Kansas Sampler in 2018 to keep the community connection going. Two or three counties are featured each year, and the 2024 season includes Ellsworth and Lincoln counties. Great Bend's Kurtis Koch and the Kansas All Star Big Band will provide the free entertainment Saturday, May 4 from 7-10 p.m. at the Historic Midland Railroad Hotel in Wilson.
"This time, it's a condensed version of a big band, so I believe it's only going to be nine musicians," Koch said. "Usually, we have a 16-piece full ensemble. It's outside on the north part of the Wilson Hotel. The dancing is all free. Of course, food and drink is up to you to take care of. It's part of the bigkansasroadtrip.com."
The band will play swing music starting from the 1940s with tunes from Glenn Miller and Count Basie and even some more contemporary tunes. The event is planned for the outdoor patio at the hotel, and forecasts show the rain should stay away for a night of live music and dancing.