Elk Falls Outhouse Tour

30th Annual
ELK FALLS OPEN HOUSE
November 20 & 21 ~  9 am to 5 pm

14th Annual  OUTHOUSE  TOUR  and  CONTEST
Pick up OUTHOUSE BUTTONS, ballots and maps at the Outhouse Headquarters
An UNFORGETTABLE TOUR!
Commemorative Outhouse Buttons
“GET OUT of the HOUSE & VOTE” Tee Shirts
Raffle for 42” X 30” beautifully framed  Western Art Print
by Tim Cox – a fund raiser for The Friends of Elk Falls Assn.

STITCH  MILLER  BAND Saturday only
Playing bluegrass music at various locations around town
Sponsored by Southern Kansas Telephone Company

TIFFANY’S TREASURES & HOLIDAY SHOP downtown

Kansas souvenirs, sweatshirts, dolls,  handmade crafts, Christmas gifts, candy,  T-shirts,  disposable  cameras and Flint Hills 4-H Goodie Cans.

ELK  CO.  COUNCIL  on  AGING Transportation Fund Raiser
(Senior Center – downtown)

Biscuits & Gravy,Whole Hog Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Coleslaw, Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Chips, Pie, Brownies & Drinks. 8-6 Friday,   8 – 4 Saturday                  Restrooms

‘GOOD EATIN’  @  the  ELK  FALLS   CAFE (on 9th St)

11 am to 5:30 pm Friday & Saturday

Ham, Turkey, or Roast Beef Sub Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Soup,
Brownies, Pie, and Beverage                                               Restrooms

PERSHING-PRAIRIE  GEM  SCHOOL (W of the Gym)

9 – 3 pm  One room schoolhouse museum restoration project

Gem of the Prairie Outhouse on the Tour

New Homer Allison Outhouse Collection

RANCHER’S  BEST  BEEF (S. of Outhouse Headquarters – downtown)

Breakfast Burrito, Biscuits and Gravy, Steak Pinwheels, BBQ Beef Sandwich, 1/4# all Beef Hot Dog,  1/3# Cowboy Classic Hamburger, 1/2 # Double Cheeseburger, Nachos, Chips, Popcorn, Candy Bars, & Drinks

ARTS  and  CRAFTS (At the Gym)
9 – 6 pm Friday   &    9 – 4 pm Saturday
Candles, Quilts, Handmade Blankets & Clothing, Baked Goods, Flower Arrangements,  Woodworking,  Jewelry,  Knitted items, Crochet items, Handmade Soap,  Stained Glass,  Tuckerbee Honey                             Restrooms

OLD  FASHIONED  HOME  COOKIN’ (At the Gym)
Biscuits & Gravy, Cinnamon Rolls, Ethel’s Chicken & Noodles, Chili, Nachos, Hot Dogs, Sloppy Joes, Chili Dog, Hamburgers, Frito Pie, and Drinks                                  Restrooms

ELK  KONNECTED  YOUTH  DEVELOPMENT (Downtown)
Kids activities 9am – 4 pm
Enjoy some good ole fun!

QUILT SHOW AT CALVARY CHAPEL (on Hwy 160)

A beautiful display of quilts.       Vote for your favorite!
Homemade Apple Dumplings – ice cream too!                   Restrooms

ELK  FALLS  POTTERY (on S. 6th St)
Celebrating 33 years
Potter’s wheel demonstrations, fine selection of stoneware,
2009 Commemorative Christmas mugs & ornaments,
Jane’s Bread Sampler &  hot spiced cider
2009 Commemorative Outhouse Mugs

Don’t miss Pee Wee, and his two story outhouse!

Enjoy your day in Elk Falls!        You’re always Welcome!

As stated, we have lifted our 10 outhouse limit this year and it looks like we have a record number of entries!  Here’s what we have so far:

The Coffee Pot – by Southern Kansas Telephone

The Tot’s Pot - by Elk Konnected (NEW THIS YEAR)

The Collection Drop – by the Elk Falls Post Office, Licia Nichols

Bear Necessities – by Alan Heck

The GREENhouse - A Loo With a View – by Steve Fry (NEW)

The Barber’s Hole – by Chrissy Wells (NEW)

Goin’ To the Dogs – by Mike Washburn

The Quilter’s Quarter – by Cynthia Washburn

The Chamber Pot – by Elk Falls Pottery, Steve Fry

The Gem of the Prairie - by Friends of Elk Falls, Gerald and Virginia Huntington

The Social Movement – by Zach and Laura Fry (NEW)

Deere John – by Linda Adams and friends

The Voting Booth – Friends of Elk Falls, Beki Eck

Gilligan’s Contemplation Palace – by Cecelia Stich

DO YOUR DUTY AND VOTE!!

Glenn Kaufman moving an outhouse for Elk Konnected to use during the contest.  This outhouse originally came from Edie Baker’s farm east of Elk Falls.  It then moved into town and was entered as the “Quiltreen” at Edie’s quilt shop for several years.  It was later moved to the Cafe where it was transformed into the “Bum Appitit”.

Only in Elk Falls!

Friends of Elk Falls president gets into some unusual situations from time to time with his official duties.  This outhouse belonged to long time Elk Falls resident and postmaster, Merle Stiles.  Jim Tuggle gave it to Steve Fry to be repaired and recreated as the “Social Movement,” another of the new entries this year by Zach and Laura Fry.

If  you’ve not yet attended Elk Falls Outhouse Festival, you’ve gotta go!  And if you have attended, you know how much fun the Outhouse Tour and Contest is.  The 14th Annual event will be held during the Elk Falls Annual Fall Open House, Friday and Saturday, November 20-21.

Outhouses are being repaired, remodeled, moved and painted all over town as competitors prepare for this year’s contest.  Several new outhouse entries, as well as returning favorites, will vie for the prize money and bragging rights.  Elk Konnected will be sponsoring a new entry competing against the Barber Hole, the Laboratory, the Social Movement, and the Loo With a View.  Visitors will be the judges when they buy a $1 Outhouse Button, pick up a map and ballot and take the self-guided tour.

New this year is the Homer Allison Outhouse Collection, part of the lifetime collection of outhouse memorabilia, donated to the Friends of Elk Falls by retired Air Force sergeant Homer Allison from rural Maryland.  The collection is on display at the Pershing/Prairie Gem Schoolhouse.  On Saturday only, Marci Penner and WenDee LaPlant of the Kansas Sampler Foundation will be on hand as official Outhouse Greeters.  Also on Saturday the Stitch Miller Band, sponsored by SKT will be playing bluegrass music around town..  For the kids, there will be a graham cracker outhouse making station downtown, sponsored by Elk Konnected Youth Development Action Committee.  A beautiful framed 42”x30” print of children riding a horse by Tim Cox will be raffled on Saturday.  Raffle tickets will be available at the festival.

Other activities will be the Arts and Crafts Show at the Gym, the Quilt Show at Calvary Chapel, Open House at the one room schoolhouse and at Elk Falls Pottery.  Check out the 2009 Christmas mug,  along with Jane’s famous Bread Sampler and hot spiced cider.

And what would a festival be without food?  You’ll have to come both days just to try it all!  At the gym, you’ll find Ethel’s Homemade Chicken and Noodles along with a wide variety of other delicious choices.  You can support the Elk County Council on Aging with pulled pork sandwiches at the Senior Center, or the 4-Hers with baked goodies downtown.  If you prefer beef, you’ll want to try Rancher’s  Best Beef.  And the Elk Falls Cafe is reopening under new management serving a special menu for the festival of soup and subs.  It will be open Saturdays and  Sundays starting in December.  And of course, the Elk Falls Open House wouldn’t be complete without a homemade apple dumpling, served again at Calvary Chapel on the highway.  Rumor has it that you might also be able to find gourmet hot chocolate, outhouse cookies, and other treats around town – a tasty treasure hunt!

Maybe outhouses aren’t your idea of Going Green, but the fun is definitely all natural, low impact, and easy on your entertainment budget.  So grab a friend, do your duty and vote!

The Frys promoting the Outhouse Festival in Howard at the Elk River Festival

Craft spaces are filling up in the gym.  And Ethel’s homemade chicken and noodles will be featured in the gym concession this year.  Other concessions will include a whole hog roast at the Senior Center and the Elk Falls Cafe will be open under new management!!  More details to come

There has been an unusual amount of new interest in the contest this year!  Several new entrees are being planned.  Elk Konnected is entering – don’t know any details yet.  Two new residents of Elk Falls have spoken for one of the outhouses behind the old O & B service station.  Something about Plushy, Not Flushy was their unofficial theme.  There’s also talk about a social networking outhouse (Social Movement?), a glass outhouse??, and maybe a Deere John.

Other new activities include a kids graham cracker outhouse contest and an outhouse photo booth.  Get your picture taken in an outhouse!