Happy 20th birthday, Old Town
It’s difficult to remember a time when Wichita didn’t have Larkspur’s lush patio, Heroes’ cheap date night and a downtown movie theater that served food and adult beverages during the movie.
Not to mention those Old Town Square searchlights — an entertainment beacon in the weekend night sky.
The 20th birthday of Old Town — a downtown entertainment district bordered by Douglas, Washington, Third Street and the elevated railroad tracks — is being celebrated this weekend with back-to-back nights of outdoor celebrating.
“Old Town plays a pivotal part in a lot of people’s lives,” said Ann Keefer of Wichita Downtown Development Corp., who is helping organize the celebration. “The district has given so much back to the community. It’s one of the bright spots.”
Though Old Town doesn’t have an official birthday, per se, Heroes Sports Bar at 117 N. Mosley opened in 1991, paving the way for the scores of restaurants, bars and nightclubs that have followed. Developers David Burk and Rich Vliet, who opened Larkspur and started the Old Town Farm and Art Market, and original Heroes and Pasta Mill owner Gary Streepy are often credited as Old Town pioneers.
The party officially started earlier this week with Old Town merchant discounts and several planned group bike rides through the area.
But the real partying is planned for Friday and Saturday.
It starts with a family-friendly event from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Farm and Art Market Plaza. Mayor Carl Brewer will cut a birthday cake, and the first 500 visitors will get cake and ice cream. Burk and Vliet will speak, and a youth band will perform. The event also will include face painting, balloon twisters and street performers. Later, the party will move to Old Town Square for a picnic and concert that will last from 7 to 10 p.m.
The square will be blocked off from traffic, and attendees will be invited to buy boxed dinners from restaurants such as Sabor, Luca Italian Eatery and Warren Old Town Theatre & Grill.
Most of the bars on the square also will sell adult beverages, which can be taken onto the plaza. Tom Page Trio and Crowson & Hardin will perform.
Attendees can bring in their own picnic dinners, but not their own adult beverages. The square will be closed to traffic again on Saturday, and from 8 to 11 p.m., live music will be provided by Monterey Jack, Jenny Wood & the Watchers and Scroat Belly. Luca and Sabor won’t have their boxed dinners, but the Warren will be serving hot dogs and brats, and the bars again will be serving adult beverages that can be taken onto the plaza.
Organizers are hoping for crowds of around 1,000 each night.
Reach Denise Neil at 316-268-6327 or at dneil@wichitaeagle.com.
If you go
OLD TOWN’S 20TH BIRTHDAY BASH
What: A two-night party celebrating Old Town’s 20th birthday
Where and when: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday for family fun at Farm & Art Market Plaza; 7 to 10 p.m. Friday for a picnic and music in Old Town Square; 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday with live music in Old Town Square
How much: Admission is free. Boxed dinners will be sold in Old Town Square on Friday. Adult beverages can be purchased and taken from Old Town Square bars both Friday and Saturday.
For more information, visit www.oldtownwichita.com/old-town-20th-birthday-events
Wanted: Your pictures of Wichita’s Old Town In honor of Old Town’s birthday, we want your photos of the district’s architecture, concerts and more. Or share your favorite photo of a day or night out with friends. Your photos will be featured on Kansas.com and may be featured in a Final Friday gallery crawl exhibit later this month. Check out Old Town photos through the years at Kansas.com.
This story was originally published September 22, 2011 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Happy 20th birthday, Old Town."