Disclosure: Explore Crawford Kansas sponsored my trip. All opinions and photographs are my own. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Arma, located off Highway 69 and 11 miles north of Pittsburg, is not just another Southeast Kansas one-time coal-mining town.

Its identity is rooted in Belgian heritage and patriotism, kept alive by a community of welcoming residents who have proudly celebrated it. Since 1946, the town has hosted a V-J Homecoming, an annual celebration that draws hundreds of participants.

The town’s shops and city park make it a worthy day-trip destination year-round.

More than 1,100 residents call Arma home. I discovered that the town is just as charming as the locals are nice.

Small-Town Surprises: Best Things To Do in Arma, Kansas

Originally named Rust, the town of Arma lies along the Frontier Military Historic Byway.

Stop for the military history, stay the afternoon to shop its retail stores.

MILITARY HISTORY

VICTORY OVER JAPAN AMRA HOMECOMING

On August 14, 1945, Americans celebrated Japan’s surrender, signaling the end of World War II. The residents of Crawford County welcomed returning veterans two years later at the first Arma VJ Homecoming, which included a parade, dance, and contests.

The annual Arma VJ Homecoming continues for three days in August as a tribute to veterans and their families.

VJ Arma Homecoming attracts hundreds. Events like sports tournaments, Cruise Car Night, 50-50 Bingo, and a Spaghetti Feed. The Annual VJ Homecoming Parade is a spectacle with floats designed with the festival’s annual theme.

I felt the town’s pride of place as I walked through Arma City Park, watching locals set up arts-and-crafts booths and the hamburger stand for the weekend’s festivities. Food truck owners plugged in generators, and the band set up their equipment for the all-ages street dance.

Consider planning your visit to Arma around the next VJ Arma Homecoming.

MUST-VISIT LOCAL SHOPS

THE WELL TRAVELED CHEF

The Well Traveled Chef (401 E. Washington) is the newest addition to Arma’s downtown thoroughfare, and locals are lucky to have it.

A specialty foods store with imported oils, vinegars, and kitchen supplies, The Well Traveled Chef also hosts cooking classes.

Every once in a while, I stumble upon a locally owned business that is a jewel. The kind of store I want to tell everyone about as soon as possible.

The owner, who is also a lawyer, was inspired by her global travels and wanted to bring international products to her hometown community.

Rows of quality olive oils and vinegars line shelves, and customers are encouraged to sample them. Home cooks will find inspiration from cookbooks, Italian dried pasta, syrups, and honey hand-curated by the store’s owner.

After chatting with the owner, Angela, and her father, who was present on the store’s opening day, it was apparent that this locally owned store was the dream of a hard-working woman who wanted to provide her community with the quality pantry products she loved.

Kansas needs more stores like The Well Traveled Chef.

PRO TIP: Follow the store’s Facebook Events page to learn of upcoming classes and festive in-store celebrations.

KENNY’S HARDWARE & BUILDING SUPPLY

If you haven’t shopped at a small-town hardware store, you’re missing out

Kenny’s Hardware & Building Supply (507 E. Washington St.) may be small, but it has everything you could need under one roof, plus lumber in the back.

And Kenny is one of the best in the business.

The store smells of newly cut timber. Peg walls are organized by usage. Wooden bins filled with nuts, bolts, and gadgets remind shoppers that Kenny’s Hardware is the real deal. Established in 1973, the store maintains a loyal customer base.

But one item consistently flies off the shelves at Kenny’s Hardware.

The Electric Belgium Cookie Iron by Palmer.

A staple in Belgian households, the store sells 50-70 of them from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Maybe you need to prepare thin, crispy waffle-like cookies, too?

SCHROEDER’S BUTCHERING

I never miss an opportunity to stop into a local meat shop.

Some of the best-tasting meat I’ve eaten in Kansas came from a small-town butchery.

Schroeder’s Butchering (418 E. Washington) welcomes shoppers to walk in and order quality sausage products to go.

On any given day, you’ll likely see handmade salami, hillbilly bacon, smoked sausage, ground sausage, snack sticks, and beef jerky available for sale inside the refrigerator case.

Employees paused their cleanup work to ensure my questions were answered. They are helpful and eager to educate shoppers about their products.

PRO TIP: Shop at Schroeder’s Butchering outside of the lunch hour, 12 pm-1 pm, when they are closed.

WORTHWHILE STOPS NEARBY

Bonus places to check near Arma include Chicken Annie’s in Girard and nearby Pittsburg, Kansas, which I recommend for a weekend getaway.

Arma, Kansas, is not a town you want to skip. It offers visitors the chance to pause and experience the calm, genuine charm of life in Southeast Kansas.

The quaint deserves to be discovered, whether visiting for the day or the Victory Over Japan Armada Homecoming.