NOTO offers spooky addition to FFAW

Do you enjoy a night of shopping, drinking and dining? Or are you more of a fan of the spooky, the paranormal, and the unexplained? Either way, the North Topeka Arts District’s First Fridays have got you covered. The North Topeka, or NOTO, First Fridays are art walks that occur on the first Friday evening of each month, and feature food, drink, music, shopping, and of course, art.

The events usually draw anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people, but NOTO’s hoping to up those numbers even more with their newest attraction, as up until now they’ve been void of any supernatural draw. That ends this Friday, though, as NOTO is adding a new feature to First Fridays, courtesy of Ghost Tours of Kansas. At every First Friday from now until October, Ghost Tours of Kansas will be your paranormal guide for $10, with tours that last an hour, starting at 5:30 and 6:30.

The tours offered aren’t just for the supernatural buffs, either, as skeptics and non-believers will appreciate that each tour will include a small sampling of the history of North Topeka that relates to each of the ghost stories being told.

“I’ve had the North Topeka tour for eight years now, and as this particular area has cleaned up over the years it has a lot of great shops and a lot of great history,” said Cathy Ramirez, founder of Ghost Tours of Kansas, and native North Topekan. “The tour will be a walking tour that covers several blocks of North Kansas Avenue and Great Overland Station, and I’ll be sharing all the [ghost] stories and the history.”

The approximate walking distance of the tour is one mile, so comfortable shoes are encouraged. Furthermore, the first set of tours will be hosted by Ramirez herself. The recurring tours over the next few months’ First Fridays will be led by tour guides in her employ at Ghost Tours of Kansas.

Additional information about the NOTO Arts District and First Fridays can be found at notoartsdistrict.com, while more information about Ghost Tours of Kansas can be found atghosttoursofkansas.com.