10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Oct. 27-29)

I hope I’m not the only one who feels like this year has absolutely flown by.

October is pretty much over, leaving November and December as the last vestiges of 2017.

But no need to get all Auld Lang Syne on me yet – we haven’t even gotten through Halloween yet. The last part of the year is often one of the busiest times event-wise, so we’ve just begun the fun.

Use this list to plan your weekend in Wichita:

FREE: Final Friday

Friday evening, various galleries across town

Tonight is Final Friday, which means Wichita’s art galleries will be open late for exhibitions. If you’ve never been before, here’s how it works: check this listing to see what’s going on at Wichita’s art galleries and spend an evening on the town taking in the town’s cultural scene. While you’re out, why not dine at a local restaurant and then get a drink in Old Town? It’s a perfect Friday evening out – just be sure to bundle up.

Free.

Last weekend for corn mazes/pumpkin patches/haunted houses

Fri.-Sun., various venues

Just a friendly reminder that this is likely your last weekend to get lost in a corn maze, get spooked at a haunted house or get your gourd on at a pumpkin patch. Want to know where all those are at? Click on this article and scroll to the bottom, where I’ve included listings for all area fall attractions.

Pumpkins at the Park

6-9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., Tanganyika Wildlife Park, 1000 S. Hawkins Lane, Goddard

Tanganyika’s annual Halloween event returns this year, and its “Zombie Task Force Paintball Experience” is back. The whole zoo is filled with Halloween fun, including haunted trick-or-treating, inflatables, a pumpkin patch, fire performers, creepy crafts and a haunted hay ride. For the Zombie Task Force, guests pay extra to shoot zombies with paintballs in an attempt to defend the denizens of Tanganyika against zombie invasion. For adults, alcohol will be available for purchase. For more information, visit

$6-$45. www.pumpkinsatthepark.com, 316-794-8954

Night of the Living Zoo

6:30-8:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd.

This Halloween tradition features several ghoulish activities, like pumpkin bowling and beanbag tosses, as well as other Halloween-themed games. Take a stroll down “jack-o-lantern lane” and pick up some candy along the way. Costumes encouraged.

$9 non-members, $7 members, $7 when purchased in advance at area QuikTrip locations. www.scz.org, 316-660-9453

‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Midnight Screening

11:59 p.m. Fri., Wichita Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway

Let’s do the Time Warp again. This annual screening of the classic Halloween film will be at the Orpheum again this year. Participants can buy a ticket by itself or buy tickets with participation kits. Costumes encouraged but not required. Bar will be open from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. For more information, visit

$10 general admission, $15 ticket and participation kit. www.wichitaorpheum.com, 316-263-0884

Wichita Home Remodeling and Decorating Expo

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Century II, 225 W. Douglas

Big Celeb and Tiny Homes are coming to Wichita Home Remodeling and Decorating Expo this weekend at Century II. Shop at hundreds of booths that offer ideas, resources and for inside and outside your home. HGTV’s “Yard Crashers” celebrity Ahmed Hassan will be on hand to offer tips and tricks. He’ll offer two seminars on Saturday - “The Dirty Truth about Landscaping” and “Real World Sustainability.” Attendees also will have a chance to tour a tiny home and register for prizes.

Free admission. www.wichitahomeremodelingshow.com

Empty Bowls: Chili Cook-Off

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., Wichita State University – Henrion Hall, 1845 Fairmount

If you just can’t get enough chili, this may be the event for you. This chili cook-off is a fundraiser for Empty Bowls, put on in collaboration with the WSU Ceramics Guild, Ceramics Media and the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries. Your donation gets you a free bowl to keep and fill with more than 25 varieties of chili made by local chili lovers. Proceeds benefit the Kansas Food Bank.

$20 general admission, $10 students. www.ulrich.wichita.edu/events, 316-978-3664

Hay, Hooves and Halloween

2-8 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd.

This signature event at Cowtown is a trick-or-treat paradise in Wichita’s 1800s-themed museum. Come dressed in costume for a fun time with the whole family. Featuring a “monster murder mystery” that you can attempt to solve. For more information, visit

$5. www.oldcowtown.org, 316-350-3323

FREE: 37th Annual Wichita Asian Festival

5-9:30 p.m. Sat., Century II, 225 W. Douglas

The purpose of the Asian Festival is to promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding, but most Wichitans also welcome it as a chance to sample really delicious cuisine native to Asian countries like China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and India. Put on by the Wichita Asian Association, the free event showcases cultural dances. This year’s featured performers are Korean dancers from the Kim Kuja School of Dance in Houston. Crafts will be available for purchase along with pieces of art and Henna tattoos. Eight women will be competing in the Miss Asian Festival 2017 Scholarship Pageant.

Free and open to the public. Children must be accompanied by an adult. www.wichitaasianassociation.org, 316-264-9121

Trunker Drunker Treat

5-11:59 p.m. Sat., The Rail Scratch Cocktails, 701 E. Douglas

Heads up: this is a Halloween party for adults only. The Rail Scratch Cocktails, at Union Station, is hosting a Trunker Drunker Treat party on Oct. 28. What is that? From 5 to 7 p.m., children can go trunk-or-treating at the business, and then at 8 p.m., the “drunker treat” begins with DJ Marcobiotics, a Bud Light Beer Garden, Deep Eddy’s Bar and more. There will contests throughout the night with more than $600 in prizes.

$5 for 21+, $10 for 18-20-year-olds

This story was originally published October 27, 2017 at 3:08 PM with the headline "10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Oct. 27-29)."