Last First Friday Will Be Biggest

A bonus First Friday event is planned in Salina this week. It will be the last one of the year, and the biggest.

The event will include artist receptions, live music, and a book signing by a member of the Kansas City Royals broadcast team.

Enjoy artist receptions at:

Greater Salina Community Foundation
Peaceful Body Wellness Retreat
Salina Art Center
The Temple

Shop late, dine local, and soak in the downtown vibe while The Blades rock the Campbell Plaza Stage from 6–8 PM.

Red Fern Booksellers will welcome musician Don Wagner, artist Gene Hulstine, and author and broadcaster Joel Goldberg, along with Canyon Cocktails.

Don Wagner has lived in Ottawa and Saline Counties his entire life, working 41 years in education along with farming and ranching. Since 1980, he’s performed music professionally and authored three prairie poetry books plus one on education. He and his artist wife reside in rural Kansas, enjoying the peace, solitude, and beauty of rural living.

Gene Hulstine, an Ashland, KS native, is an artist and retired educator. He spent three years teaching art and 33 years as a high school counselor in Salina. His ink and pencil pieces include abstracts and Western landscapes. Inspired by his sons’ creativity, retirement after 42 years led him back to doodling, which he finds both meditative and therapeutic. Now he enjoys making art while his grandchildren draw nearby.

Joel Goldberg has aced the art of winning trust. His Game Changer Speaking Series gives audiences a front row seat to the strategies that empowered his own evolution from a kid sharing game highlights to a renowned sports broadcaster with nearly thirty years of award-winning experience. Since joining the Kansas City Royals in 2008, Joel has studied the skills that turn players into leaders and teams into champions. Now, using behind-the-scenes stories from the biggest names in sports, Joel reveals the exact playbook to winning trust and building culture that will put your organization in a league of its own. He will be here to sign both his books, “Small Ball Big Dreams and Small Ball Big Results.

Canyon Cocktails will join in again, pouring delicious drinks.

The Temple will host an evening of art, music, and community. The Artists and Musicians Showcase will take place transforming the venue into a vibrant hub of creative energy.

More than ten local and regional artists will display their work on the first floor of the historic venue. Guests are invited to meet the artists, explore original artwork, and enjoy complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening.

The night’s musical performance will feature “The Radicals” with Anita Chase live in the Temple Theatre. Visual artist Paul Alexander will create a new piece in real time during the show, blending sound and color into a one-of-a-kind performance experience.

Featured Artists:

Tom Flemming
Paul Alexander
Erin Moore
Lyric Cairns
Donovan Miller
Audrey Umekebo
Rebecca Foster
Billy Walker
Jenny Davis
Julie Hess
Isaiah Marcotte

“This event brings together so many forms of creativity under one roof,” said Mary Landes, Executive Director. “It’s the perfect way to close out 2025’s First Fridays and celebrate the incredible artists who make our community thrive.”

Temple Event Details:

4:30-7:30 Artist Showcase
5:30-8:00 Music with The Radicals

Admission: Free and open to the public
Extras: Complimentary wine & hors d’oeuvres

All are invited for an evening of art, music, and community to close the year’s First Friday season with creativity, connection, and celebration.