Topeka's NOTO District celebrates a decade with music, art, and history
The NOTO Arts and Entertainment celebrated a decade of making Topeka a little more colorful on Saturday.
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - The NOTO Arts and Entertainment District celebrated a decade of making Topeka a little more colorful on Saturday.
The large crowd partook in music, art, antiques, food and learning the history of NOTO and what it has done for the community.
"There's so many shops down here, antique shops, so many things to see just walking up and down," said Mark Banks, a Topeka musician who performed at the celebration.
Singer-Songwriter Reagan Zagan was another of the performers. Zagan moved back to Topeka eight years ago, in search of a cultural hub. Low and behold, Zagan found what was missing in NOTO, which was only a few businesses at the time.
"Now, I just look down the street and I'm like," Zagan said, singing angelically. "This is exactly how I envisioned it."
That is exactly what the Topeka community celebrated all day Saturday, a whole decade of NOTO. With the crowd ranging from young, to old, to even furry friends with live music, antiquing and much more.
12 years ago NOTO was just an idea, when a survey asked Topekans what they wanted to see most in their community. The answers culminated into the arts district, turning 10 years old on Saturday.
"This has been something that the whole entire community has worked so hard for over the last ten years, and that's really what this celebration is about," said Staci Ogle, program and communications coordinator for NOTO. "To celebrate the success, and the drive, and the motivation and just the love and support that Topeka has really put forward over the last 10 years."
The district offers events for the community, including their First Friday Art Walks, concerts, and art and music classes.
"It's important for Topeka to have a place where the community can come together, and NOTO does that for us," Ogle said. "In order for us to continue to grow, and become a bigger and brighter city than we are, we need environments that are conducive to growth, and what better place than NOTO."
The district is not just a group of businesses, but a home where people are not afraid to be creative and expressive, and Ogle hopes to continue that expression for many more decades to come.
"Long live NOTO," Banks said.
With several new businesses opening in just the last few months in NOTO, Ogle recommended people to come to the area and check it out.