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In the shadow of a grain elevator that reads “Hudson Cream Flower,” locals know of
a Sunday chicken buffet that draws crowds from miles around. Hudson, KS, southeast of
Great Bend off highway 281, is a place you don’t go unless you go there, and the weekend
dining experience is one good reason. But another is “Ham and Jam,” an annual event
that blends good country eating with local Kansas country music. Event organizer Darrell
Bauer, owner and chef of the famous Wheatland Cafe and catering service, is also a country
music songwriter and musician. And once a year, the main street of Hudson is blocked
off for an inexpensive, good time that draws about 300 people to this town of 150.
The event has all the hospitality and down-home you’d expect from a small farming community.
Sit down with this crowd, and you won’t be a stranger for long. The $6 pulled pork
meal, served buffet style in the Hudson Community Center, starts at 6:00 o’clock. And by the
time everyone is full, park cottonwoods shade the flatbed truck stage set up out front.
Lawn chairs make for easy listening as local pickers sing radio favorites and original
songs they write themselves. It’s a good-time, relaxed atmosphere where they’ll loan you
a guitar and invite you on stage, if you’re a-mind. Having fun is the only requirement.
The free concert features several local country bands and runs until the crowd goes home – 11:00
o’clock at this event. Even on a hot day with temperatures well over a hundred, the
evening air was pleasant and bug-free. It was the kind of evening that many would love
to attend – interesting, fun, with minimal cost. The ride through the Kansas countryside
is a summer pleasure to the Hudson destination some might describe as “quaint.” But to
folks that live here, it’s just home, and this annual celebration is a good summer excuse
to sit under the stars, or to get up and dance, while music plays.
Kansas is full of destination opportunities. If you’re a Kansas resident, get out and
enjoy what our state has to offer. Bring along friends, and tell out-of-state acquaintances.
Kansas outdoors opportunities are well known, but events like Ham and Jam often fly under
the radar. Seek them out, and pair them up with other travel opportunities for great
day-trips or weekend getaways. KDWPT’s Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National
Wildlife Refuge, for instance, make great side trips for the annual event at Hudson.
Visiting from out-of-state? Come on in. You’ll find heartland hospitality a great break from
hectic routines.
Wherever you come from, get to know Kansas!
I’m Mike Blair for Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism
If you like country music and you like good food, just come to Hudson on the first weekend
in August, on a Saturday, and we put on a good show and have a good time.