Two High Flying Events

Photo by John Burns
Kicker Country Stampede & Thunder Over the Heartland Photos Submitted

Much to the dismay of diehard Stampede fans, last year’s event was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Stampede founder and president Wayne Rouse said the time off was actually a blessing because it allowed them to make some much needed improvements to give Stampede goers an even better experience.

“We used the time to change the layout of the Stampede,” Rouse said. “We moved the festival footprint to a much nicer area. The ground was leveled and drains added, so standing water will no longer be an issue.”

They also added more campgrounds, moved the RV camping area and are installing roads and walkways from the camping area to the main festival grounds. Rouse hopes the improvements will help the Stampede continue to grow.

“We have tripled in size since we first started. My hope is that with this expansion, we do it again,” Rouse said. “We overbuilt on purpose so we would have room to grow.”

This will be the 25th Stampede, but only the second one held in Topeka. Rouse, who has been bringing big name headliners to the festival since its inception, says he is excited to once again welcome country music fans to the festival.

“This is going to be such an exciting weekend,” Rouse said. “I think people are ready to get out and have a great time. Ticket sales are going really well, and I expect big crowds to turn out to see the talent we are bringing in this year.”

Headliners for the 2021 Kicker Country Stampede include: Riley Green on Thursday, Sam Hunt on Friday and Luke Combs on Saturday.

Heartland Motorsports Park owner Chris Payne, who partnered with Jeff Engroff to purchase the Stampede festival from Rouse when it moved to Topeka three years ago, says their overall plan is to give the Stampede the space and tools to grow into the largest music festival in the Midwest.

“In order to do so, it was obvious we needed to utilize the entire facility at Heartland,” Payne said. “This year’s festival has expanded from 100 acres to almost 400 acres. This includes the use of many the facilities’ permanent pavilions, buildings, restrooms and concessions buildings.”

After the muddy mess resulting from the deluge of rain in 2019, they also invested in proactive measures
to keep fans out of the muck. Payne says much of the camping area is on solid ground now, and the festival area where the main stage is located is on an area with proper water drainage and surrounded by all the needed amenities.

Having much of the RV camping now on asphalt inside the facility allowed for the largest camp grounds, known as Rustic Camping, to remain in the grass field out front of the facility where the 2019 festival took place. The Rustic Camping area by itself is now almost 100 acres. Interior roadways and a small stage for the after parties are planned for the Rustic Camping area.In 2021 the Stampede will also have a larger midway area for sponsor displays and fan interaction. Corporate and group outings will be able secure private hospitality functions with amenities including tent, tables, chairs, along with food and beverage catering.

“It’s great to hear concert fans referring to the facility as the County Stampede Festival Grounds,” Payne said. “For Heartland to be financially successful, the facility needs to lend itself to more than just racing venues. With that said, we have our sights set on bringing other events to Heartland.”

Those lofty ideas are helping bring a historic tradition back to town: The Great Topeka Airshow. After a 20-year hiatus, military and civilian planes will take to the skies over Forbes Field to once again inspire awe in the watchers below.

Brooks Pettit, the organizer of the airshow and president of Vaerus Aviation, partnered with Country Stampede to bring a two-day airshow to the Topeka Regional Airport. “Thunder Over the Heartland” will take flight on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 and will feature a special night show on Saturday.

Thunder Over the Heartland will include a wide variety of military performers, a huge display of military airplanes, both on the ground and performing fly overs, as well as a variety of acrobatic and stunt performances.

Other groups performing at the airshow include the Aeroschell Aerobatic Team that fly WWII formations and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team, which will do two jumps each day. The F-16 Viper demo team will do a flyover complete with afterburners to close out the show.

Pettit says bringing an airshow back to Topeka has been an idea years in the making. His father was chairman of the Great Topeka Airshow for a number of years in the late 80s to early 90s, so he has fond memories of growing up being part of that experience.

“This used to be a staple event in our community. It was an annual event that everyone marked on their calendars and planned for. It also brought in a significant amount of tourism dollars,” Pettit said.

While Pettit’s dreams of reincarnating the airshow in Topeka seemed viable, the actual logistics required to produce an airshow of that scale grounded his high flying plans.

“The timing just wasn’t right,” Pettit said. “I needed to be at a point in my own company where I could take a six-month sabbatical to put in the horsepower and time required to execute this airshow right.”

But finally, this year, the timing is perfect. Pettit, in collaboration with Payne and Engroff, will see his dream of a Topeka airshow take off.

“With Stampede having relocated in Topeka, it just made sense to package these events into a weekend full of spectacular entertainment,” Pettit said.

While Country Stampede and Thunder Over the Heartland are taking place over the same weekend, they are still separate events. People can purchase tickets for just the airshow, but Stampede wristband holders will be able to attend the air show for free.

“Between the Stampede and the airshow going on, it will be an amazing weekend,” Rouse said.