Lawrence
You can find everything from Civil War history to outdoor band concerts in Lawrence. Home to writers such as Langston Hughes and William Burroughs, the University of Kansas and a wealth of locally owned shops and businesses, Lawrence appeals to a wide range of interests.
“Lawrence offers small-town friendliness and easy access with college town openness and fun,” said Toni Dixon, the manager of marketing and advertising for the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Recently voted the top tourist attraction in Kansas by Parade Magazine, the downtown area and Massachusetts Street are full of thriving shops, including boutique and antique stores; the area also offers many restaurants and a developing art district. Local artists showcase their work in galleries, and Final Fridays, held every last Friday of the month, feature special exhibits, performances and demonstrations.
Lawrence is also home to the Spencer Museum of Art, one of the school’s four museums, located on the University of Kansas campus. One of the top 10 college art museums in the nation, Spencer features artwork from a vast array of periods and media, and offers lectures, films, gallery talks and more at no cost to visitors.
Live music is a feature of Lawrence visitors can’t resist. The Lawrence City Band Summer Concerts are held outdoors every Wednesday evening in the summer in South Park and are open to the public. Downtown Lawrence’s clubs regularly feature live music as well, and the university’s Lied Center performing arts center hosts everything from plays to Broadway shows.
You can find a plethora of special events and festivals in Lawrence. The Tour of Lawrence is a fast-paced bike race; the Free State Festival is a five-day event filled with music, film and art; the Busker Festival showcases exotic performers such as escape artists and sword swallowers. And those only scrape the surface of festival fun to be found.
There is a wealth of venues for off-site events, including the Cider Gallery.
“It’s a converted cider vinegar factory that currently has artwork showing, and it’s available for meetings,” Dixon said. “It’s a beautiful old building with wood floor and rock walls; it’s quite pretty.”
Other venues for off-site events include the Lawrence Art Center and Theatre Lawrence, both of which have ample space for events with an artistic flair. Theatre Lawrence even offers murder-mystery dinner theaters and cabaret entertainment for convention groups and parties.
Primary meeting facilities: Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center, SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Other meeting properties: Oread Hotel and Eldridge Hotel
Largest meeting space: Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center (9,000 square feet)
Total hotel rooms: More than 1,300
CVB website: www.visitlawrence.com
