Festival Events

2020 Messiah Festival of the Arts
Calendar of Events

March 29 – May 31
122nd Annual Midwest Art Exhibition, 10am-5pm @ Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery

March 29
Messiah Dress Rehearsal featuring student soloists, 3pm @ Presser Hall Auditorium

March 16 – April 17
Juried Student Art Exhibition @ Mingenback Art Center
Closing Reception and Award Ceremony details below!

April 2
Fine Arts Preview Day
Band Concert, 1:30 PM @ Presser Hall Auditorium
Art and Digital Media Arts

April 3
*”Little Women: The Broadway Musical,” 7:30 PM @ Burnett Center
The Bethany College Theatre Department will partner with Lindsborg’s Broadway R.F.D. for this special presentation.
Tickets: $15 adults, $7 students — general admission

April 4
*”Little Women: The Broadway Musical,” 2:00 PM @ Burnett Center
The Bethany College Theatre Department will partner with Lindsborg’s Broadway R.F.D. for this special presentation.
Tickets: $15 adults, $7 students — general admission

April 4
Maker’s Street, 5-8 PM @ Downtown Lindsborg
Details to come!

April 4
Landmark Concert Series – Jazz Walk, 7 PM @ Downtown Lindsborg
The Messiah Festival will partner with the Lindsborg Landmark Concert series starting with the Jazz Walk that will take place on Saturday, April 4, at 7pm starting in historic downtown Lindsborg, featuring different locations on Main Street and ending at the J.O. Sundstrom building on the corner of Lincoln and Main. From blues to world music, the audience will be treated to a wide variety of styles of jazz that complement the unique locations throughout the walk.

April 5 (Palm Sunday)
*”A Celebration of Women in Leadership,” 3:00 PM @ Bethany Lutheran Church
This special Palm Sunday event will feature special guest speakers and highlight important women throughout the history of the Smoky Valley, including Alma Swensson, wife of the founder of Bethany College and one of the first to teach the people of the Smoky Valley Handel’s “Messiah.” Other speakers include Lindsborg Mayor Becky Anderson, Bethany College President Dr. Elizabeth Mauch, Bishop of the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Susan Candea, and recently sworn in Kansas Supreme Court Justice, Evelyn Zabel-Wilson.
This event will also feature a 100-voice women’s chorus directed by Mrs. Britney English, vocal music teacher at Smoky Valley High School. Seating is limited!
Following the 3 pm presentation, all attendees are invited to attend a special ceremony at nearby (walking distance) Swensson Park to commemorate the groundbreaking of Alma Swensson Gardens.
Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students — general admission

Juried Student Art Exhibition Award Ceremony, 4 PM @ Swensson Park
After the groundbreaking ceremony, the art department will honor students receiving best of show, best of two-dimensional, and best of three-dimensional artwork awards. This will be followed by a reception in Mingenback Art Gallery featuring artwork from local women artists in the Lindsborg area.  

Juried Student Art Exhibition Closing Reception, 4:30 PM @ Mingenback Art Center

April 7
Recital featuring Messiah Soloists, 7:30 PM @ Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church

April 9
Student Honors Recital, 2:30 PM @ Pearson Chapel

April 10 (Good Friday)
*J.S. Bach’s “Passion According to St. Matthew,” 7:30 PM @ Presser Hall Auditorium
New to the stage this year is guest conductor, Dr. Bradley Vogel from Hillsboro, KS. Dr. Vogel will make his St. Matthew’s Passion conducting debut with the Bethany Oratorio Society in this one-time guest performance. Bach’s setting of this Passion story is considered one of the pinnacles of choral-orchestral performance and features two choirs and two orchestras.
Tickets: $17 — reserved seating

April 12 (Easter Sunday)
*Handel’s “Messiah,” 3:00 PM @ Presser Hall Auditorium
Tickets: $17 — reserved seating

The Bethany Oratorio Society will perform its historic and rich performances of J.S. Bach’s “Passion According to St. Matthew” on Good Friday, April 14, and G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” on Easter Sunday, April 16. The Bethany Oratorio Society has been performing Handel’s “Messiah” continuously since 1882 and Bach’s “Passion” since 1929. During Holy Week each year in Lindsborg, the more than 300 member community chorus and orchestra are joined by professional operatic guest soloists for the performances.

*Ticketed events