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06/14/2003 Archived Entry: "KANSAS CITY BRINGS JAZZ TO NICODEMUS"

KANSAS CITY BRINGS JAZZ TO NICODEMUS

I know where I want to be next Saturday, June 21st....in Nicodemus with Angela and Barry Tompkins and her Aunt Ernestine. Nicodemus will be the site of the Coors Original First Annual Nicodemus Jazz and Blues Festival. There will be live music by Mud Bone from 2:00 until 4:30, Acoustical Blues. (Members of the Code Blue Band.) From 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. the BMW Band (Brothers Making Waves) will be playing.

Angela will be serving Ernestine's famous smoked beef, hot fried chicken and plenty of beer. Coors, no doubt. Take your lawn chairs and sit back and enjoy the music and good food. They ask for a $3.00 donation. I'm sure the food and beer are not included in that price.

Nicodemus is on highway 24 (the famous one) between Hill City and Stockton. If you want an interesting day trip, become informed about the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance CLICK HERE and spend a day heading west, stopping along the way. There are twenty-four communities to choose from, all with a common agricultural heritage, yet each with a unique personality that have collaborated to interpret, preserve and promote their heritage. I'd definitely suggest you include a tour of the Cottonwood Ranch among your stops.

Stretching from the high plains of western Kansas, from which the Solomon River gets its start, the Solomon Valley slopes gently down as the river flows east along Highway 24. It's a great experience to leisurely follow this route to Nicodemus.

Once you reach Nicodemus, you can eat and listen to the music, then start home later in the evening. Sounds like winner to me.

The original Ernestine's barbecue was in Nicodemus. It burned down years ago so eventually Ernestine's niece, Angela, reopen the restaurant in Bogue. Just recently they moved the restaurant back to Nicodemus where it belongs. Nicodemus is definitely worth a visit, especially for this special occasion.