Kansas
When Colorado leaf-peeping season ends, head for Kansas
I grew up in the Midwest, and if there’s one thing I really miss, it’s the long, drawn-out falls of years past. Here in Colorado, autumn is a blip, a frantic shoulder season that usually includes one nightmarish day stuck in I-70 traffic with my kids, all of us racing to Kenosha Pass, hoping to arrive before the last aspen leaves drop.
Back home, the harvest period is expansive. Authoritative, even. Fall stretches itself out like a lazy cat that won’t budge, and there’s never any rush to peep the silver and sugar maples, native bur oaks, ash, giant sycamores, American elms and Eastern redbuds, with their bifurcated trunks and leaves as yellow as sunbeams.
Trees are everywhere in the Midwest, so it’s no wonder Nearmap, an aerial technology company, recently ranked one of Denver’s closest capital cities, Topeka, Kan., as one of the top “leafiest” capitals in the U.S.
Tree canopy shades more than 30% of The Golden City, making it a forest metropolitan, according to Bob Ross of the Greater Topeka Partnership. Early settlers gave Topeka its nickname upon observing its sunlit rolling hills and autumn elms. Mother Nature doesn’t feel rushed in Kansas: Glimmering leaves can glow into Thanksgiving, in a fierce rainbow of red, deep orange, gold, lingering green, purple and rich brown.
Bright days and cool nights seem to bring out the best colors, and according to a 2024 fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains National Park, smokymountains.com, the northern half of Kansas will begin to see leaves change in early to mid-October. Full peak is expected between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, with a partial peak happening the week before. Leaves should continue popping well into November. For families and budget travelers — or any Coloradans who just can’t resist a bonus round of leaf peeping — Topeka is only a road trip away.
Here’s the first thing I really want you to know: Topeka has one 4-star boutique hotel, the Cyrus Hotel, 920 S. Kansas Ave., a Marriott property in the heart of downtown with views of the Kansas Capitol Dome. Rooms start at about $189 a night, and I don’t think I have to tell any Denverites that this is a screeching good deal for luxury rooms and service.
“If that’s too much, there’s always — ” Ross begins. I try to stop him right there, but he’s insistent. Two even more affordable Topeka lodging options are the SpringHill Suites Topeka Southwest, 2745 SW Fairlawn Road, and the Hilton Garden Inn, 1351 SW Arvonia Place.
In addition to offering upscale accommodations, the Cyrus’ lobby, with its high ceilings and modern aesthetic, opens to a variety of restaurants and bars, all plotted along South Kansas Avenue, Topeka’s main street, running from the Kansas River to the turnpike. A few suggestions for meals within walking distance of this hotel include Iron Rail, 705 S. Kansas Ave.; The Celtic Fox, 118 SW Eighth Ave.; Brew Bank, 822 S. Kansas Ave.; The White Linen, 112 SW Sixth Ave., with its compact, chef-driven menu; and a new wine and champagne bar, Royal Society, 913 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka is ready for its close-up. Over the last decade, the city has invested about $500 million in its historic downtown district, Ross tells me. Evergy (not a typo) Plaza, 630 S. Kansas Ave., opened in 2020, and this newish public venue, complete with interactive fountains and a firepit, offers 400 events a year, including a free concert series on Thursdays, Friday night movie screening (April through October), and regular cultural events, including Fiesta Topeka in July and India Mela in August. On Oct. 19, Evergy Plaza hosts its Outset event, with trick-or-treating, live music and vendors.
There are plenty of ways to experience fall colors in Kansas, but for active Coloradans, hiking stands out as a familiar and enjoyable option. Start your adventure by climbing 296 steps at the Kansas Capitol Dome, 300 SW 10th Ave., where tourists gain a bird’s-eye view of the town’s forests. Free tours take guests to the peak of the dome. Walk outside onto the cupola to see up to 20 miles in any direction. Fun fact: The Kansas Statehouse is the only U.S. capitol building where guests can go up to the top of the dome and walk along the outside balcony.
From here, it’s a 1.5-mile drive to Ward-Meade Historic Site, 124 NW Fillmore St., one of the best places in town to see fall colors. Park in the lot off NW Clay Street, and start your day by strolling through history at Old Prairie Town. The 1800s village is part of a 6-acre historic site that includes the Ward-Meade mansion, a national historic landmark and a 2.5-acre botanic garden shaded by a variety of trees. Paved trails take walkers through several distinct zones, including a national conifer reference garden.
A few minutes past Ward Meade Historic Park, there’s Gage Park, 635 SW Gage Blvd., a great place for families to enjoy the colors while riding on a historic mini-train or taking a spin on the Herschell-Spillman carousel (circa 1908). You’ll find the inexpensive Topeka Zoo on the northeast corner of Gage Park — a destination for kid-approved leaf peeping. If you’re vying for caregiver of the year, check out the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, 4400 SW 10th Ave., which maintains an incredible outdoor space for curious young guests.
Continue west to MacLennan Park, SW Fairlawn and Cedar Crest Drive, in northwest Topeka. There are multiple places to park, including along Sixth Street, just west of Fairlawn Road. I’d recommend starting up north, though, near the Governor’s Mansion, aka Cedar Crest, a castle-like estate built on a 244-acre wildlife refuge overlooking the Kansas River.
You’ll see some spectacular color from the moment you step out of your vehicle. From here, hikers gain access to the Cedar Crest, Governor’s Mansion and MacLennan trails, offering miles of looping dirt and limestone singletrack that drop you into the colorful timber. The terrain is mild by Colorado hiking standards, but still enjoyable and drop-dead gorgeous this time of the year. Since the Kansas River is currently experiencing low water levels, it’s possible to walk onto the riverbed and explore the sandbars.
While you’re on this side of town, continue down SW Sixth Avenue to reach the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW Sixth Ave. The museum is currently closed to the public through January as it undergoes a major redevelopment. But the building sits on an 80-acre lot featuring a modest, absolutely lovely trail system bypassing the historic one-room Stach School from 1877.
You’ll have to drive across town to reach the Ted Ensley Gardens, 3650 SE West Edge Road, a 37-plus-acre free botanical garden featuring panoramic views of Lake Shawnee. With more than 450 trees in its arboretum, including 87 varieties rare to Kansas, it’s hard to image a better place to stroll through fall foliage. Golfers can do their leaf peeping from the links since the Lake Shawnee Golf Course, 4141 SE East Edge Road, is surrounded by trees. Cyclists, meanwhile, might want to enjoy the colors from the Shunga Trail, an 8.5-mile concrete path beginning at SW 29th and SW McClure, continuing to the Deer Creek Trail, which offers another 3.7 miles of riding in East Topeka.
If you’re up for a side trip, Echo Cliff Park, 24927 Echo Cliff Road, located near Dover, Kansas, is only about 30 minutes west of Topeka. You won’t regret the stunning country drive to the site’s 50-foot cliffs. For a taste of Kansas, picnickers can grab a sandwich or salad at Somerset Hall Café, 5701 SW Douglas Road, open daily until 2 p.m. Housed in a can’t-miss-it white building that opened as the Sage General Store in the late 1800s, the homestyle restaurant dishes up one of the best pies in America, I’m told. You can also order chicken fried steak, and you’re in the Midwest, so why not?
About 30 miles east of Topeka, the college town of Lawrence is another fun pit stop. Grab lunch at one of the many restaurants lining Massachusetts Street before renting a SUP or kayak for some leaf-peeping on the river. Great Blue Heron Outdoors, 823 Massachusetts St., is a reputable local outfitter.
In Colorado, fall isn’t quite complete without a little agritourism, and Topeka has that base covered, too. Located off Highway 24, between Topeka and Lawrence, Gary’s Farm, 5991 17th St., Grantville, runs its annual Fall Festival through October. There are more than 30 attractions to explore on the farm, including a pumpkin patch, corn maze and petting zoo, to name just a few.
The Maple Leaf Festival, held on Oct. 19 and 20 in the nearby town of Baldwin City — which looks like something straight out of a Hallmark movie — is another seasonal offering with more than 300 craft exhibits, quilt shows and displays, performing arts, music and activities.
What are you waiting for? Grab the car keys, and don’t believe for one second that leaf season is nearly over.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas fire department is asking people to be more careful about what they throw away.
The Mulvane Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon. The driver of a trash truck had smelled something burning and pulled over to call 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the back of the truck. In the trash bay, a firefighter discovered a discarded laptop computer with a lithium battery that was heating up.
The department said it was able to remove the battery from the truck and flood the truck with water to cool off the trash. This is the second incident involving a lithium battery crews have responded to this month, according to Mulvane Fire.
Lithium is highly reactive, and when batteries are damaged, they can heat up uncontrollably. The reaction cascades, with the battery getting hotter and hotter until all of the lithium is consumed. In some cases, when exposed to oxygen, lithium can ignite instantly.
The fire department is urging residents to never throw computers or anything with batteries in the trash. Sedgwick County offers this free recycling guide with information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household goods and chemicals.
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