News / Press Releases

Talent Show Emcee got her start on Liberal Stage

Liberal, Kans.—Emceeing this year’s Pancake Day Talent Show on Feb. 11 will be Kandee Kay Marchel-Kavanagh, a talented vocalist who is also a Liberal native with a soft spot in her heart for the talent show.
Marchel-Kavanagh first competed in the Pancake Day Talent Show in 1989, taking second place in her division with her rendition of Judy Garland’s “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart.”
“That was the day I knew performing would always be part of my life,” Marchel-Kavanagh said.
From the Pancake Day Talent Show stage, the vocalist went on to compete in the Miss Kansas Pageant, where she was named fourth runner up and won the Margene Savage Top Vocalist Award. Marchel-Kavanagh has performed at Mickey Gilley’s Theatre in Branson, Missouri, was a featured act with her sisters one summer at Silver Dollar City, and spent six years working on music in Nashville.
While a student at Liberal High School, Marchel-Kavanagh was active in music and drama, performing with the Redskin Singers her last three years of high school.
“I will always call Liberal home,’ she said.
Marchel-Kavanagh now lives in Wichita, where she works at the Director of Admissions, Recruiting, and Placement for Paul Mitchell. She continues to perform and is the mother of a four-year-old son, Briggs.
The Pancake Day Talent Show is slated for 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11 in the James Maskus Auditorium at Liberal High School and will feature 22 acts as they compete for trophies and prize money in four divisions. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Tourist Information Center, One Yellow Brick Road; First National Bank in Liberal; or from talent show contestants. For more information, call 620-624-6423.

Jan. 24, 2013
For immediate release

Get your Pancake Day breakfast button now!

Liberal, Kans.—The 64th International Pancake Day Breakfast buttons have arrived. Buttons may be purchased for $3 at the Pancake Day Hall of Fame, 318 N. Lincoln, which is open from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. The buttons make a great Pancake Day souvenir and also serve as admission to the Pancake Breakfast, slated for 6-10 a.m. on Pancake Day, Feb 12, at the Seward County Activity Center.
This year’s t-shirts have not yet arrived, but plenty of Pancake Day merchandise is available for purchase, including tote bags, aprons, bandanas, postcards, sno-globes and a variety of other items.
Merchandise will also be available for purchase during Pancake Day. Call 624-6423 for more information.

Posted 1-17-2013

Pancake Day concert to feature popular Christian artist Andrew Peterson

Liberal, Kans.—Get your tickets now to see critically acclaimed performing artist Andrew Peterson in concert Feb. 9 in Liberal. Peterson recently performed at The Grand Ole Opry, and his latest album, Light for the Lost Boy, has just been named by USA Today critic Brian Mansfield as one of his top 10 favorite albums of 2012. Light for the Lost Boy was also named the number five album for 2012 by Christianity Today.
Peterson, who lives just outside of Nashville with his wife, Jamie, and three children, has toured widely for more than ten years and has released a number of contemporary Christian albums. His acoustic sound appeals to a wide audience, but according to his website, Peterson said his main goal is not “thunderous applause and piles of cash.” Instead, he said, “I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can.”
A prolific writer, Peterson pens not just song lyrics, but also novels. He is the author of The Wingfeather Saga, a fantasy/adventure series for young adult readers, published by Waterbrook Press, a subsidiary of Random House.
Fans can read more about Andrew Peterson on his web site: www.andrew-peterson.com <http://www.andrew-peterson.com> or find him on Facebook.

The Liberal concert is one of many events planned for this year’s International Pancake Day celebration and is sponsored by the Pancake Day Board, First Southern Baptist Church and the Liberal Ministerial Alliance. The concert is slated for 7 p.m. Sat. Feb. 9 at First Southern Baptist Church, 621 N. Western, in Liberal. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door and may be purchased at the Tourist Information Center or First National Bank in Liberal. Tickets may also be purchased online at itickets.com. All seating is general admission. For more information, call 620-624-6423.

2013 Talent Show Finalists announced:  Posted 1-16-2013

Liberal, Kansas— Area and local talent competed in the preliminary round Sat., Jan. 12, and the finalists for the 2013 Pancake Day Talent Show are as follows (finalists in each category are listed in random order):
Tiny Tot Division (ages 4-8):
Faith Beesley, Cianna Rogers, Sayler Stapleton, and Ashlynn Brady.

Junior Division (ages 9-13):
Gatlin Clawson, Emma Evans, Montana Beesley, Walker Clawson, Sydney Beesley, and Korben Clawson.

Senior Division (ages 14-18):
Mariah Rome, Shelby Savely, Dance Images Dance Troupe, Sydney Mathews, Rylee Mitchell, and the Hold Still band.

Adult Division (ages 19 and older):
Katelynn Draper, Rylan Davis, David Kerwood, Jaime Mejia Jr., Laci Martin and the Ezequiel/Javier/Ivan/Erick vocal group.

The Pancake Day Talent Show is slated for 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11 in the James Maskus Auditorium at Liberal High School and will spotlight these 24 acts as they compete for trophies and prize money in four divisions. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Tourist Information Center, One Yellow Brick Road; First National Bank in Liberal; or from talent show contestants. For more information, call 620-624-6423.

Posted 1-16-2016

Sign-ups for all Pancake Day races begin Jan.19 at City Rec Center

Liberal, Kansas—International Pancake Day, Feb. 12, is just a few weeks away, and racers of all ages may begin signing up at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Liberal Recreation Center, 1109 W. 7th St. (in Blue Bonnet Park). This is a new location for sign-ups, and Sign-ups will continue until 6 p.m. on Feb. 1. These sign-ups are for all races and all age groups, except for the Parks and Rec Pancake Chase.
The number of entrants allowed in each race is limited to 15, and a category will be closed once that limit is reached. There is no entry fee. No early or late sign-ups will be accepted.

RACE CATEGORIES

The International Race
The International Race is the main event, and this will be 64th match-up between the women of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. This race is limited to women age 18 or older with a Liberal address who have “domestic duties.” (High school students who are 18 should enter the youth division.) Women who sign up for the International Race will have a photo taken when they turn in entry forms, or if they prefer, they may bring a photo with them.

Men’s Pacer Race
The Men’s Pacer Race is open to all men ages 18 and older (except those still enrolled in high school, who will run in the youth division).

Women’s Last Chance Race
The Last Chance race is open to women ages 50 and older. (Women who are over 50 may enter the main International Race if they prefer, as long as they meet the Liberal residence requirement.)

Youth Races
This category is for teens ages 14-18 who live in Liberal. The youth division will feature at least two races, one for men and one for women. The number of racers who sign up will determine how many age categories the racers will be grouped into. The youth division race is a 75-yard dash and will be held immediately after the children’s races conclude. Pancake Day organizers would like to encourage high school students to enter, since USD 480 is closed in honor of Pancake Day. Winners will receive medals only and no monetary prizes, so high school athletes can enter without losing eligibility. Any entrant under 18 must have a parent or guardian present to sign the entry form.

Children’s Races
Children from ages 3-13 who live in Liberal are eligible, and each age and gender competes in a separate category, offering lots of room for Liberal’s youngest Pancake Day Racers. The child’s parent or guardian must be present to sign the entry form.

Sign-ups will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 and will continue during regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. -6 p.m. through Feb. 1. (The Rec Center will be closed Mon. Jan 21 for MLK Day.) All sign-ups will be at the Liberal Recreation Center, 1109 W. 7th St. (in Blue Bonnet Park). For more information on any race, call Ronna Stump, at 620-626-0133 or JoAnn Combs at 620-624-6423.

posted 11-30-12

Pancake Day Talent Show to award thousands in prizes
Area residents invited to enter

Liberal, Kans. —It’s Talent Time, which means it’s time to enter the 2013 Pancake Day Talent Show. Preliminaries are set for Sat., Jan. 12, 2013 with the finals slated for Monday, Feb. 11. Both events will be held in the James Maskus Auditorium at Liberal High School. During the preliminary round, judges will score all entries and choose six acts in each division to move on to the finals. Contestants will compete in four divisions: Tiny Tot (ages 4-8), Junior (ages 9-13), Senior (ages 14-18), and Adult (ages 19 and older). The contest is open to all types of entertainment and all entertainers are encouraged to enter.

The Feb. 11 finals will spotlight 24 acts as they compete for trophies and prize money. An average of $2,700 in prize money has been awarded each of the last three years. Trophies and prize money are awarded to the top three finishers in each division, as well as an overall People’s Choice Award.

Entry forms and official rules are available online at www.pancakeday.net <http://www.pancakeday.net> , by calling 620-482-2878, and at the Liberal Tourist Information Center. The entry fee is $30 per act and must accompany completed entry forms.

Entries for the preliminary competition must be postmarked by Thurs. Jan. 3, 2013 and mailed to Amy Hinkle, P.O. Box 2438, Liberal, KS 67905, or hand delivered by 2 p.m. Tues. Jan. 8, 2013 to the Tourist Information Center, One Yellow Brick Road, Liberal, Kans. No entries will be accepted after this time. The Pancake Day Talent Show is sponsored by the Liberal Lions Club. For more information call Amy Hinkle, Talent Show Chairman, at 620-624-5638