The Butler County Historical Society Home of the Kansas Oil Museum is hosting a summer concert on the museum lawn on Tuesday, August 3rd at 7 p.m.
The family friendly event featuring the Treblemakers Gospel Singers is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. Free ice cream will be served for the first 100 people.
The event also occurs on the same night as “National Night Out” which will take place at East Park from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
“National Night Out is an opportunity to bring neighbors and police together for an evening of fun,” according to the El Dorado Police Department. “It works to build a safer community and strengthen partnerships between the community and police.”
The community is invited to join the El Dorado Police Department for an evening of food, games and prizes and then walk over to the museum and conclude the evening with the “Summer Concert on the Green.”
Fun and games at National Night Out in 2019Food served during National Night Out in 2019 was prepared by the El Dorado Red Devil Chefs.
Butler County Historical Society Home of the Kansas Oil Museum held its annual Rock Fest on Saturday, May 22, 2021. Rock Fest is a free event hosted by the museum for visitors to learn about the geology of Kansas.
Geodes
The rain held off and the cool weather provided the perfect atmosphere for the event. With more than 20 vendors and activities and 10 acres of outdoor fun, there was something for everyone to enjoy including a fun family Yoga activity. Participants were entered to win a Fitbit sponsored by Humanities Kansas. And a scavenger hunt gave visitors the chance to find objects and win prizes.
Kansas Strong brought their mobile energy education truck. The truck provides hands-on STEM education on wheels.
Making pet rocks
Visitors were able to make their own pet rock, learn about geology with fossils found in Kansas, explore Geodes with a Geologist were they were able to break open a geode and find crystals.
Having fun with fossils.
Wes Hansen with the Kansas Geological Society taught about mineral formation.
“Geodes have a more resistant layer on the outside,” said Hansen. “But fluid can still pass through the rock and when it does, it crystallizes. Most often the mineral inside is quartz.”
Geode smashing
Sierra Marie Bonn, Miss Southwest 2020 and founder of ‘Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead!’ was glad to be invited to teach an engineering activity using rocks and Play-doh.
“I love to volunteer in my community for events like Rock Fest,” said Bonn. “Free events like today provide an opportunity for hands-on learning about STEAM and help kids have fun while learning about science, technology, engineering, arts and math.”
Sierra Marie Bonn teaches how to create like an engineer with rocks and Play-Doh.
Tours of the vintage oil equipment and living history presentations were part of the educational fun.
Volunteer Dale Wilson demonstrates early oil industry equipment.
Jodi Hoffman, Valley Center resident, came to hear living history presenter John Schuster. Schuster shared about the use of nitroglycerin in the oil industry.
John Schuster tells about the use of nitroglycerin in the early days of oil exploration.
“I didn’t realize all this was here,” said Hoffman when referring to the museum. “What a gem it is!”
Deanna Bonn 
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