Culture

The Joplin neighborhood has hosted the music festival since 2017. This year was its biggest ever, with 70 solo acts and bands playing on 32 porches.

People interested in Pittsburg’s history have a new way to research it through the Pittsburg Public Library. Local newspapers from the years 1886 to 1915 that were previously preserved on microfilm reels are now online.

Khadija Ceesay is a poet from Pittsburg who recently released "Black by the Bedside," her debut chapbook featuring 23 poems. KRPS’s Raegan Neufeld sat down with Ceesay to talk about the experience of getting the book published.

According to the last census, the population of Hepler, Kansas, is just 90. Despite its size, the community is home to a Fourth of July tradition that's lasted over half a century.

The Colonial Fox Theatre Foundation is partnering with Devil Damnit Promotions and Booking for an outdoor summer movie series. It will run every Friday and Saturday starting on June 19 and end with a Friday-only showing on July 24.

“Fort Scott Stories” features a variety of community members, including business owners, teachers, city workers and life-long residents. It premiered on April 26 with a red carpet event at the Gordon Parks Museum.

At the end of March, city commissioners approved the purchase of 23.7 acres of land for a new park, which will feature three soccer fields. The land was previously owned by Mercy Health Pittsburg and is on Centennial Drive between Hospital Drive and Springdale Street.

Filmmakers from across the country will soon have their work shown in Webb City. The annual Uplift Film Fest expanded this year and will feature films from 18 different states. KRPS’s Raegan Neufeld recently spoke with festival organizer Steve Head about what attendees can expect.

Southeast Kansas residents gathered at the Miners Hall Museum on Sunday for information about the historic walking dragline.

“Kansas Matters: Twenty-First-Century Writers on the Sunflower State” was published in September 2025. It contains poems, essays and short fiction from 35 authors. The writings are described as what the authors know Kansas to be and what they want it to be.