What’s Happening

Envista Eats & Beats MAKEUP DATE

9/17/2026

Evening community event featuring food and live entertainment at Evergy Plaza.

Lady Shakes Theatre Company: Measure for Measure

Friday, September 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM. Lady Shakes Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at the Topeka Performing Arts Center.

NOTO Summer Concert Series: Velvet Blues Revue

Friday, September 18, 2026. The NOTO Summer Concert Series features Topeka blues band Velvet Blues Revue, with opening youth musician Sophia Johnson.

Zach Bellas Live at 6th & Polk

Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 7 PM. Zach Bellas performs live at 6th & Polk Music & Event Space.

Bach for Two: Music for Violin and Harpsichord

Saturday, September 12, 2026, 7-9 PM at Grace Cathedral. InQuire presents Bach sonatas and suites for violin and harpsichord. General admission is $20; students are free.

Holy Smokin' Jamboree 5K Run/Walk

Saturday, September 12, 2026. Registration and packet pickup at 7 AM; kiddie run and 5K activities begin at 8 AM. Pancake breakfast and awards are also scheduled.

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea

Ongoing immersive art exhibit made from ocean debris, scheduled through September 12, 2026, at the Topeka Zoo. This week’s regular zoo hours are 9 AM-5 PM daily.

Touch-A-Truck

Community vehicle-exploration event at Evergy Plaza on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 1 PM.

Friday Flicks presented by Communication Federal Credit Union

Free outdoor movie night at Evergy Plaza on Friday, September 11, 2026. Vendors open at 7 PM; movie begins at 8 PM.

The Name for Blue Preview Screening

9/19/2026

Free preview screening featuring live poetry, bus stop artwork, filmmaker Q&A, refreshments, and downtown loop bus rides. Begins at 6 PM.

Wildlife & Nature Festival

9/19/2026

Family-friendly conservation festival with activity booths, keeper chats, hands-on education, Monarch Village, birdhouse building, and a native seed sale. 9 AM-3 PM; included with zoo admission.

Mexico Independence Day Celebration

9/16/2026

Community celebration with food, music, and activities at Evergy Plaza.

Downtown Topeka Farmers Market

Recurring Saturday farmers market with local produce, baked goods, crafts, and other vendors. The market operates Saturdays from April through October; this week’s market is Saturday, September 12, 2026.

Friday Flicks at Evergy Plaza

Outdoor movie night on Friday, September 11, 2026. Vendors open at 7 PM and the movie begins at 8 PM. Free and pet-friendly.

Museum After Hours: “Riverine Dreams”

Friday, September 11, 2026, 6:30–8 PM at the Kansas Museum of History. George Frazier presents Riverine Dreams; the museum is open 5–8 PM and admission is free.

Monday Farmers Market @ Your Library

Local produce, baked goods, flowers, plants, herbs, and honey. The 2026 market runs Mondays through September 14; this week’s final market is Monday, September 14, 7:30-11:30 AM.

Downtown Topeka Touch-A-Truck 2026

Free family event at Evergy Plaza featuring trucks and vehicles. Saturday, September 12, 2026, 9:30 AM-1 PM. Quiet Hour is 9:30-10:30 AM.

Live @ Lunch presented by Morris Laing Law Firm — September 9

Free downtown live-music and food-truck event at Evergy Plaza on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 11 AM to 1 PM.

Huff ’n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally

September 11–13, 2026, at Mount Hope Balloon Field. Weather permitting, balloon launches are planned for the evenings of September 11–12 and mornings of September 12–13. Free and open to the public.

Friday Flicks: Mean Girls

Outdoor movie night on Friday, September 11, 2026, 7–10 PM at Evergy Plaza. The scheduled movie is Mean Girls, with food vendors on site.

Live @ Lunch

Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 11 AM–1 PM at Evergy Plaza, with food trucks including Poppin Squeeze, Ronn’s Jazzy Doggs, and Flavor Wagon.

Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape

Ongoing special exhibit at the Kansas Museum of History, available Tuesday through Saturday, September 8–12, 2026, 9 AM–5 PM, and Sunday, September 13, 1–5 PM.

Lowrider Culture Fest / Festival Cultural

Free, family-friendly Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with lowrider cars, trucks, bikes, games, face painting, a photo booth, and piñata making on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 11 AM-3 PM.

Girls in Aviation Day

Free aviation event at the Combat Air Museum on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 8 AM-3 PM, featuring aircraft, pilots, maintainers, and aviation organizations.

Monday Farmers Market at the Library

Monday, September 14, 2026, 7:30-11:30 AM. Seasonal farmers market in the library's east parking lot, with the 2026 season scheduled through September 14.

Downtown Topeka Touch-A-Truck

Free family event at Evergy Plaza on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:30 AM–1 PM. Visitors can explore emergency, construction, and service vehicles; a quiet hour runs from 9:30–10:30 AM.

Brew at the Zoo

Adults-only 21+ evening at the zoo on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 5-9 PM, with 30+ beer tables, live ’80s rock, food trucks, games, and animal encounters.

51st Annual Huff ’n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally

Free hot-air-balloon rally at Mount Hope Balloon Field, September 11-13, 2026. Weather permitting, evening launches are planned for September 11-12 and morning launches for September 12-13.

Envista Eats & Beats

Live music, food vendors, beer garden, and activities at Evergy Plaza on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 6-9 PM.