Wichita City Council members on Monday announced plans to bring the highly acclaimed cowboy band Prairie Wranglers to Old Cowtown Museum as the regular marquee act, beginning with an opening night performance tentatively scheduled in late September.
City of Wichita officials and band management are negotiating a lease agreement and other forthcoming details regarding the Prairie Wranglers, formerly known as the Prairie Rose Wranglers. During an afternoon news conference at City Hall, Prairie Wranglers officials discussed plans for concerts, other shows and a chuckwagon supper.
Terms of the lease agreement will be released later, said Vice Mayor Sharon Fearey and Council Member Sue Schlapp who spearheaded negotiations and attended the news conference. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer said he was eager to attend the opening performance and excited about the future of Old Cowtown Museum, which has endured recent operational and financial challenges.“The Prairie Wranglers are a premier attraction and a perfect fit for Cowtown,” Mayor Brewer said.
Fearey and Schlapp said early discussions included other City officials, museum board members and Prairie Wranglers management, Village Charters. Located at 1871 W. Sim Park Drive, Cowtown is a historically significant attraction that offers another entertainment option for the downtown Museum District along the Arkansas River. “The City is committed to keeping the museum not only open, but also thriving,” Fearey said.
In 1999, the Prairie Rose Wranglers formed as the anchor attraction of the “Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper” in Benton, near Wichita. Since then, hundreds of thousands of fans have enjoyed their award-winning music and other shows. The group headlined two sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and performed during three “Cowboy Caribbean” cruises. A year ago, the Prairie Rose Wranglers were the first musical group of any genre to receive an official permit to perform a concert on the Great Wall of China. They also toured in Beijing and Shanghai.
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