Former Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders, who won the Kansas Democratic Primary by a wide margin, is expected to be a big draw at the Democrats annual gathering in Topeka, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25. The annual meeting, which will be held at the Downtown Topeka Ramada, 420 S.E. 6th Ave, Topeka, KS, is free to attend and enjoy, but some events are ticketed.
Washington Days, as the annual gathering is called, is the largest gathering of Democrats in the state. The event kicks-off Friday evening with receptions and hospitality rooms with plenty of free food, drinks and fun. There’s a Washington Days Kick-off rally from 6 – 7 p.m. and the evening concludes with a dance from 10 p.m. – Midnight, sponsored by the African American Democratic Caucus.
Saturday morning events include Congressional District meetings, with the afternoon dedicated to special caucus meetings. The Dems have a caucus for almost every group, including Young Democrats, LGBT, Hispanics, Asians, Veterans, Women, Progressives and African Americans, just to name a few.
Everything we’ve mentioned so far is free to attend. However, there are some ticketed events. Saturday’s luncheon, from Noon to 1:30 p.m., is $60 per person. Bernie’s presentation is from 7- 8:30 p.m., but arrive early to get the best seat. Attendance for the Bernie rally is free for members of the Blue Kansas Club. Blue Kansas Club members contribute as little as $10 a month, to the Kansas Democratic Party. If you’re not a Blue Kansas Club member, sign up and become one, and you can get a free Bernie ticket. To learn more about becoming a Blue Kansas Club member, or to sign up, go to www.kansasdems.org.
Another way to get a ticket to the Bernie rally is to buy a ticket to the Washington Days Cocktail reception. Tickets to the reception, which will be held after the Bernie Rally, re $159 each and come with a ticket to the Bernie rally. Tickets to the luncheon and the reception can be purchased at www.kansasdems.org.