Every September, The Gyp Hills is the backdrop for the annual Peace Treaty Festival in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, centered around the Native American heritage of the area.
The last full weekend of each September, an inter-tribal powwow is held in the Peace Treaty Powwow Pavilion. This same weekend, the Annual Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo is held at the Pageant Arena, featuring working cowboys competing in events much like the day work on their ranches. The festival also features a parade, shopping, special food vendors, a small carnival, and a mountain man encampment. Every three years, a rare and magnificent display known as the Peace Treaty Pageant takes place in the Memorial Peace Park. This grand scale historical pageant encompasses 300 years of history, illustrating time through the birth of the prairie; features famous explorers like Cortez, Lewis and Clarke, and Sacajawea; includes a full-scale wagon train; and culminates with the commemoration of the signing of the peace treaty that was signed near Medicine Lodge in 1867.
Each year, the Peace Treaty Festival attracts thousands of visitors eager to observe and participate in centuries-old Native American traditions, as well as experience the unique opportunities of rural life.
Tickets
Adults: $35
Youth 7-17 - $15
Under 6 - Free