The sun is dipping low over the breathtaking Flint Hills, casting a golden glow across the prairie. The rich sounds of the Kansas City Symphony fill the air, playing John Williams’ “The Cowboys.” Behind them, cattle move steadily across the grassland, driven by cowboys on horseback. 

This might sound like the opening scene for a new Western, but this was no movie set. It was the 20th anniversary and grand finale of the Symphony in the Flint Hills, an event where nearly 8,000 people gathered to witness music, art and prairie heritage come together in a one-of-a-kind experience. 

A ranching legacy 

Before the orchestra played a single note, another story unfolded in the tents scattered across the Evans Family Ranch. Ranchers and conservationists, who care deeply about the Flint Hills that stretch across eastern Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, spoke in educational sessions.  

Among the speakers were Angus producers Joe Carpenter and Barb Downey, of Downey Ranch in Wabaunsee, Kan.  

“We run about 6,000 owned acres,” Downey says. “Most of our ground is native tall grass…meaning for the last several thousands of years it has looked like what you see out here.” 

Downey Ranch manages their land using fire, rotational grazing and careful stewardship to balance cattle production and conservation. 

“It all comes back to the health of the soil, the foundation of…why a prairie looks like it does,” says Downey. “We love this ground. It talks to us.” 

By committing to regenerative agricultural practices like no-tillage, cover crop diversity and rotational grazing, the Downey Ranch is helping to preserve this ecosystem for years to come. 

The prairie is our teacher. We’re just doing our best every day to make sure that your kids and my kids see the same wonderful stuff out there every time.” — Barb Downey

Carpenter spoke candidly about the threats facing the Flint Hills. He highlighted ways that tillage, urban sprawl and what they call the “green glacier” — the slow but steady advance of woody plant encroachment — threaten to transform grassland into brush and forest. 

“Since 1990, Kansas has lost 1 million acres,” Carpenter said. “If you can imagine 1 million acres, how many pounds of beef could we raise off that? That’s unbelievable.” 

A record of research 

In another tent, John Blair and Jesse Nippert from the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS), discussed ways local institutions are working to protect the region.  The KPBS is an 8,600-acre preserve of the Flint Hills jointly owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Kansas State University (K-State). 

“The research that we're doing at Konza Prairie allows us to not only document and determine the causes and consequences of these changes to grasslands, but also to start testing ways to mitigate negative impacts and manage the systems differently under an environment that's going to be different than prairies’ we’ve experienced in the past,” Blair said. 

By researching topics like prescribed burning, increasing carbon dioxide levels, invasion of exotic species and declines in biodiversity, KPBS is leading the charge to protect the grasslands. 

Nippert adds, “I think, would hope that the preservation and conservation of this place, of something that is part of our unique Kansas heritage, we want to continue to understand it. We want to continue to protect it, and we want to make sure that it is available for our children.”  

The signature event 

The all-day event offered roping demonstrations with outriders, guided prairie walks, powwow dancing and a showcase of prairie art from local artists leading up to the evening’s highlight: a sunset concert by the Kansas City Symphony accompanied by a cattle drive across the hills. 

The signature event was part collective celebration, part meditation. A reminder that this land, from soil to sky, is a shared inheritance. 

With a sold-out crowd and perfect weather, the event underscored just how beloved this gathering has become through the years. The success of the 20th and final Symphony in the Flint Hills event reflected more than just careful planning or popular appeal, it marked two decades of commitment to preserving a rare ecosystem and celebrating the people who care for it.