Want to know what is happening in the Capital City while you are visiting? Better yet, want to find all of this information in one place? Now you can thanks to topeka365.com.

Topeka365.com is the hub for all things happening in Topeka. This website lists everything from art events to live music to performing arts, anything and everything far and in between.

Topeka has several great venues for music, art, performing arts, sporting events and much more. If you have a venue in mind that you would like visit, check out topeka365.com to see what the latest attraction or performance will be.

From topeka365.com you will also be able to purchase tickets from Brown Paper Tickets to the event you want to attend.

The site is a combination of several event calendars that were spread throughout Topeka. Topeka365 serves as the community event calendar.

Have an event in Topeka? Add it to the calendar!

For your guide to things happening in Topeka, check out topeka365.com!

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Heartland Park Topeka will host Speedfest in downtown Topeka Thursday, May 17. Speedfest will feature numerous race cars on display including NHRA Top Fuel cars, dirt track cars, motorcycles and more. Fans will enjoy event activities including music, food, fan giveaways, and a kid’s zone, among others.

The highlight of the day will give fans a chance to meet some of the fastest drivers in the world during an autograph session with some of the greatest of NHRA racing, beginning at 5 p.m.

Don’t miss the 2012 Dollar General NHRA Summer Nationals May 18-20. Tickets are on sale now at www.hpt.com

For more information about Speedfest and the NHRA Summer Nationals, check out the Visit Topeka website.

Each year, communities from across the United States hold events to champion the power of travel during the first full week of May.

This year Visit Topeka will celebrate tourism as well as their new location downtown with a Downtown After Hours on Thursday, May 10 at the Visit Topeka office, 618 S Kansas Ave and you’re invited!

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., live music by up and coming country artist Travis Marvin, food from the Brickyard Inn Catering, wine from Wydlewood Cellars and beer will be available for attendees, the wine and beer of course to the attendees over 21. There will also be some great door prizes including tickets to a popular Topeka sporting event, gift certificates and more!

RSVP to the Downtown After Hours, Visit Topeka Block Party Facebook event today!

However, the celebrating doesn’t stop there. Each week during the summer, Visit Topeka will be selecting events and locations to hand out “Topeka Tourism Starts Here” reusable bags filled with coupons from Topeka businesses. In addition to handing out the bags, Visit Topeka will be creating short videos detailing events, location, history, sports and more.

Thank you to all the Topeka businesses that sponsored National Tourism Week and the Downtown After Hours event!

Thank you to businesses who donated items for the reusable bags!
CiCi’s
Starlite Skate
McDonald’s
Wendy’s
Sonic
Glory Days
Highland Animal Clinic
Ego’s Hair Salon
Olive Garden
Chili’s
Marion Lane Candles
Buttercups and Daisies
Lupita’s
Jason’s Deli
Westridge Lanes
Jersey Mike’s
Hanover Pancake House
Jiffy Lube

Topeka: Past, Present & Future Tour

Day 1 – Past

10  am – Visit Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site and Museum and gain an understanding of the role of this 1954 Supreme Court decision played in the Civil Rights Movement.

12  pm – Lunch with the Harvey Girls and tour at the Great Overland Station. Take a step back in time and let railroad heritage take over at this former Union Pacific Station.

2 pm -  Drive to Aaron Douglas Mural and see a replica portion of the work that Aaron Douglas created. Douglas, a native Topekan, was commissioned to create a mural in New York City depicting black Africans as they were taken from their homeland and brought to the United States as slaves.

2:30 – Visit the Charles Curtis House, Charles Curtis was a native Topekan and the only Native American vice president. View his home and memorabilia from his political career.

4 pm – Tour the historic Ritchie House, Topeka’s oldest standing home. John and Mary Jane Ritchie traveled from Indiana to Topeka to start efforts to make Kansas an anti-slavery state. Their home served as an Underground Railroad location, one of 23 in Topeka.

5:15 – rest at hotel

6:30 pm – dinner at the Blind Tiger, a local award winning brewery and comfort food favorite among locals.

Day 2 – Present

10 am – Tour the Kansas State Capitol Building. It took over 36 years to complete and is currently undergoing extensive renovations to equip the 19th Century building with 21st century safety features, but don’t let that stop you! The building is still mostly accessible!

12  pm – Visit historic Topeka High School, a gothic style high school with the only working 18 Deagan chime system in a public high school. Topeka High is fully equipped with marble flooring, fire places and more!

1:30 pm– Tour of Cedar Crest, the Kansas Governor’s Home. Standing on a 244-acre estate overlooking the Kansas river, Cedar Crest is the home to many Kansas treasures such as art, murals and more.

3:00 pm– First Presbyterian Church – tour of Tiffany Windows, which were crafted by Lois Tiffany especially for the church.

4:30  pm – Tour of Ted Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee. View flowers anytime of year at this majestic garden with creative landscaping and beautiful walking trails.

5:30 pm– rest at hotel

6:30 pm –Enjoy dinner at Annie’s Place, the place for homemade food and deserts. You must try the apple pie!

Day 3 – Future

10 am – Discovery Furniture – After your fabulous visit to Topeka, you will have the opportunity to learn how to spruce up your home with decorative techniques from local designers. A must for the budding “future” designer in each of us!

12 pm – Have lunch at downtown location-Lupitas, a local Mexican favorite, Blue Planet, a unique cafe featuring vegan and vegetairan options, Jayhawk Corner Café, catered by a local bed and breakfast, perfect for groups, Classic Bean, a local coffee shop making delicious sandwiches.

1:30 pm – Spend some time downtown at Marion Lane Candles & Hazel Hill. Make your own candles at Marion Lane Candles, then walk across the street and see a candy making demonstration and enjoy some free samples of handmade chocolate treats!

2:45 pm – Tour NOTO Arts District, an up and coming arts district that features antique shops, art galleries, dining and more. Arrange for a wine and cheese tasting in one of the venues!

For more information about this tour, or a abundance of other tours Visit Topeka offers such as “Grandparent Grand Adventures,” “Man’s Weekend,” “Girls Weekend” and more, contact Rosa Cavazos at Rosa@VisitTopeka.com or 785-234-1030. The toll free line is 800-235-1030.

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Love good food? The kind of food that keeps your taste buds yearning for more? If so, check out The Pad in North Topeka.

Fast food with a twist, The Pad serves up classic hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pork tenderloins and more. On the non-traditional side, they also feature a salad bar and homemade deserts.

My favorite food at The Pad is the Jumbo Cheeseburger. It really is perfection. I personally do not eat hamburgers very often, but when I get that craving, there is only one place on my mind. The Pad.

You walk in and order just like every other joint. You are given a slip with numbers at the top. Once you hear your number called, you race to the counter, well not really but the anticipation is welling up inside. You can’t wait to grab your tray!

As soon as you sit down, you unwrap the paper enclosing heaven on a bun. It’s juicy, its flavorful, it is bliss. The toppings delicately complement your burger. The bun serves as tasty vessel transporting the burger into your mouth.

The last bite is just as good as the first and you almost don’t want it to end.

The atmosphere is generally laid back. Families, couples, seniors and teens can be found chowing down at The Pad. It does not feel rushed like some other fast food restaurants.

After, don’t forget to grab a desert. The Pad offers everything from cherry pie to a frosty and it is delicious.

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Click on the photo to see a slideshow of Soho Interiors!

Explore Westboro Shopping area and you will find several hidden treasures, but one you are sure to enjoy is Soho Interiors, 3129 SW Huntoon Street. Soho Interiors has been open for four years as a furniture store, art gallery and most recently, a coffee shop.

The ladies at Soho attend international markets to provide the highest quality furniture possible for their clients.

Aside from furniture, customers can purchase a latte especially crafted for them. The baristas at Soho are in no hurry when they make your drink. Each one is delicately made with coffee beans from PT’s coffee.  The head barista spent over 50 hours preparing lattes prior to the espresso bar opening just to perfect the craft.

Soho also offers design consultations for their customers. A consultant from Soho will measure your room so they can accurately design the ultimate space with you in mind.  Don’t see exactly what you are looking for in the store? Don’t be afraid to ask. Many of the popular lines Soho now carries are due to people requesting certain brands.

Soho sells first class artwork that is featured every day and participates in Topeka’s First Friday Artwalks. Several artists hang on the walls of the building. Pieces can be purchased directly through Soho, you do not need to wait to contact the artist.

So for your furniture, coffee and art needs, head over to Soho Interiors! You won’t regret it.

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Most people use Trip Advisor to help plan a visit before they reach their destination, but Trip Advisor also serves as a resource once you arrive at your destination. If you are having a bad experience at your hotel or you are not impressed with the restaurant you choose, Trip Advisor is there to help.

We picked the brain of a Trip Advisor super user to find out how to gain the most from the site. The super user gave us some helpful tips.

1. Don’t read one review and give up on a place. Look at several before you make up your mind.
2. It only works if everyone contributes, don’t be worried about what others will think and try and review a destination while it is pretty fresh in your mind.
3. People actually read and use your review! Trip Advisor sends you a periodic update that states how many people have read and or used your review.

Trip Advisor helps the person in charge of planning look like a hero, according to our super user.

The super user has been called a hero several times for taking the time to read about what others say regarding places. This also helps provide information on places you should avoid.

The super user has found lots of useful information regarding directions, best times to go to a destination or times to avoid, even down to what to eat and maybe a great waiters name.

So before you go on your next trip or maybe while you are on your trip, take a look at Trip Advisor and see how it can help. Even check out Topeka’s Trip Advisor page and what ranks the highest according to travelers!

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Click the photo to see Tulip Time Festival slide show from past years!

Spring is beautiful in Topeka! Around the capital city, thousands of tulips and daffodils can be found scattered throughout some of Topeka’s outdoor locations.

Due to the spring weather arriving earlier this year, the annual Tulip Time has changed dates to March 23 –April 12. This is an estimate however. Mother Nature is the one in charge as we are so often reminded. The tulips are near blooming and once they have bloomed, they remain for two weeks.

Tulips can be found at Lake Shawnee, Old Prairie Town, Gage Park, Downtown and on Washburn University’s campus.

Check out Visit Topeka’s Facebook album featuring tulips that have bloomed downtown.

If you have any questions about Tulip Time, please contact our office at (785) 234-1030 or toll free at (800) 235-1030.

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St. Patrick’s Day in Topeka is unlike many celebrations throughout the United States. Among the masses of green seen around town, Topeka holds an annual parade, bed race, “Blarney Breakfast” and this year, there will be a flash mob downtown.

So just in case you were worried about how you were going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, don’t worry. There is plenty to do.

7 a.m. to 11 a.m.- Blarney Breakfast at Texas Roadhouse, 5901 SW Huntoon, is your chance to start St. Patrick’s Day with a full stomach and a sense of do-good. The breakfast features such items as pancakes, eggs, sausage and hash browns. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children.  A portion of the proceeds benefit the Topeka Easter Seals Capper Foundation which provides individualized services to people with disabilities and their families.

9 a.m.- 4th Annual HCCI Great Topeka Bed Race rolls in downtown Topeka on Saturday, March 17. Participants race a twin size down a block, one participant must put on pajamas, then race back. The team to do it the fastest wins $150!

Noon- The 33rd Annual Topeka St. Patrick’s Day celebration starts at noon. Parade attendees are encouraged to dress in
green and prepare to receive lots of candy from the parade floats. View the parade route in the picture.

7:05- The Topeka Roadrunners will cap off your greenilicous day with a fast paced, fun hockey game at the Kansas Expocentre. The Roadrunners will be sporting a specialty jersey that will be up for auction immediately following the game. The puck drops at 7:05 and tickets start as low as $11. Get your Roadrunners tickets today!

For the latest bar specials, check out seveneightfive’s St. Patrick’s Day Party guide. Want to make the day even more special? Come stay in Topeka at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center downtown. As a guest, you will get a first class breakfast, free shuttle service to and from downtown plus much more!

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Visit Topeka is excited to announce that the 2013 Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played in Topeka!

Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. will be the site of the 2013 Kansas Shrine Bowl. The Shrine Bowl includes a band camp, cheer camp, cross country camp and a football game consisting of players from all over the state of Kansas. The Kansas Shrine Bowl will be held July 26-27 2013.

The event is expected to have more than 5,000 attendees and an estimated economic impact of $250,000 to the Topeka community.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is a non-profit charity raising funds and awareness for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Shrine Bowl has been in existence since 1974 and has raised more than $2.5 million for the hospitals.

To read more, check out the Topeka Capital-Journal’s article “Topeka lands 2013 Shrine Bowl.“