10 things to do this Memorial Day weekend in Wichita
The first official three-day weekend during the pandemic is here and some of us are wondering what to do with ourselves, eager to do something beyond bingeing Netflix and maybe even looking for a way to honor the reason for the holiday.
The state of Kansas continues to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recommending residents avoid nonessential travel and avoid gatherings of more than 15 people to help decrease the spread of COVID-19.
Here are 10 ideas for things to do if you live in the Wichita area. Remember when visiting restaurants, shops or attractions to follow CDC guidance of staying at least 6 feet apart from others and wear a mask when around people.
1. Watch a Memorial Day concert
While there are no scheduled Memorial Day commemorative events in our area, you can tune in to PBS from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday for a National Memorial Day Concert with new performances and tributes filmed around the country as well as iconic stories from past concerts. The special presentation includes musical performances, documentary footage and dramatic readings that honor troops, veterans, wounded warriors, all those who have given their lives for our nation and their families.
2. Pick strawberries
Sure you can get locally grown berries at farmers markets but part of the fun is picking your own. Strawberries are in season at local you-pick farms. Each property’s conditions vary depending on rain and other growing factors; the hard freeze in April has slowed ripening.
It’s best to check their Facebook pages for current conditions and any virus-related procedures before heading out. We’ve found these farms posting recently that they are open for pickers: Sweet Berries & Brambles, 309 NE 120 Road in Harper; Meadowlark Farm, 11249 SW 160th St. in Rose Hill; and Sargeant’s Berry Farm 9836 S. Hydraulic in Haysville.
3. Visit an arboretum
The buildings are closed at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, a 13-acre botanical garden about 30 miles north of Wichita on the campus of Hesston College, but the grounds remain open daily from dawn to dusk. General admission, $2 per adult and $1 for ages 11 and younger, can be paid online at dyckarboretum.org or placed in the brown metal payment pole at the southeast corner of the visitor center.
Bartlett Arboretum, the 18-acre, 110-year-old tree museum 20 miles south of Wichita in Belle Plaine, will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday to family groups of eight or fewer who agree to practice social distancing with other visitors. Admission is a $10 donation per person (ages 10 and under free with adults); $25 donation requested per photography session.
Steward Robin Macy welcomes guests to bring a picnic but notes there will be no bathroom facilities available. If you’ve not been before or prefer to stay home, you can get an idea of what the arboretum offers by watching the recently produced short films “Beauty in a Broken World - Parts 1 & 2” at bartlettarboretum.com. The films, by Jaime Green, a filmmaker and a Wichita Eagle photojournalist, chronicle the grounds’ history and what Mother Nature can teach us during the pandemic.
4. Play bocce ball at Chicken n Pickle’s block party
Chicken n Pickle claims, “We have so much room that you will be able to celebrate with your family at a safe distance.” The indoor/outdoor dining and entertainment complex at 1240 N. Greenwich in the east Wichita Plazzio development is throwing a Memorial Day Block Party from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. They’ll have music from DJ Bearfoot and $1 shuffleboard and bocce ball (reserve courts online and note that staff has reserved 15 minutes between bookings to sanitize). They are also advertising food and drink specials, plus The North Shore Shave Ice will be selling on site.
5. Explore the zoo or a wildlife park
Sedgwick County Zoo, Tanganyika Wildlife Park and the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit in Central Riverside Park are open daily.
Admission to the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, a collaboration between the city of Wichita and Great Plains Nature Center, is not monitored and is free. It includes eight naturalistic enclosures with about 25 species, including Rufus the bobcat and Chapa the beaver.
To limit the number of visitors coming in each hour, the zoo and Tanganyika require you reserve timed tickets in advance online, even if you’re a member or season pass holder. Both attractions are keeping some areas and features closed so be sure to check their websites for full details if your intention is to see a specific animal or experience.
The Sedgwick County Zoo (scz.org) has early-bird ticketed admission at 8 and 8:30 a.m. for members and seniors ages 62 and older, others can reserve entry times between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can stay until the zoo closes at 5 p.m. Cost for non-members is $11.70 for ages 3-11 and 62 and older, $15.70 for ages 12 to 61.
Tanganyika (twpark.com) is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you don’t have a season pass, general admission is: $19.99 for ages 3-11, $20.99 for ages 60 to 89, $24.99 for ages 12 to 59 and free for other ages. Animal encounters are additional.
6. Check out a city park or state park
There are several well-known Wichita green spaces (read: crowded) but also many among the city’s 144 parks that are used less often or give plenty of room to roam. Visit Wichita.gov/ParkandRec and click on the “Parks” tab to find a park you’ve yet to explore. If you’re not quite ready to venture outdoors, try one of the Park and Recreation’s online activities or workouts found at the same website.
The 28 state parks in Kansas have remained open throughout the pandemic and those with camping were expecting full crowds this weekend. Day access is $5 per vehicle and the closest to Wichita are: Cheney State Park, about 20 miles west; El Dorado State Park, about 30 miles northeast; Sand Hills State Park, about 50 miles northwest; Fall River State Park, about 65 miles east; and Kanopolis State Park, about 85 miles northeast.
7. Schedule a wine tasting
Jenny Dawn Cellars and Grace Hill Winery are offering tasting sessions by appointment.
Book private tasting at Jenny Dawn inside Union Station in downtown Wichita by calling 316-633-3022 or emailing customerservice@jennydawncellars.com. The cost is $20 per person and times are available on the hour for groups of two to six people. The tasting room is open 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Each taster gets a 2-ounce pour of all seven wines and a small charcuterie plate. If you want to hang out longer, you can purchase a bottle and enjoy it on the patio.
Grace Hill charges $5 tasting for its traditional sweet or dry flight, $10 for a small batch cellar series. Reserve a time at gracehillwinery.com; timeslots are available between noon and 5:15 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Outdoor areas, including three patios, surrounding the event center on the family run 11-acre vineyard 20 miles north of Wichita are open with no appointment needed. You can purchase by the glass or bottles when on site from noon to 6 p.m.
8. Enter a chalk art contest
The Kansas State Fair and Hutchinson Art Center extended their deadline to enter their Chalk Art Contest to May 25. Artists of all ages are invited to enter this family friendly competition with chalk drawings that celebrate Kansas and the Kansas State Fair.
Create your chalk art, then email Amy.Bickel@ks.gov one photo with the artist and one without the artist, focusing on the chalk creation. The youth category (ages 12 and under) winner gets a State Fair kids’ pack and the top entry in the adult category earns a fair season pass. The entries will be part of an online exhibition and people’s choice awards will be given.
9. Play a round of golf
The city’s Park and Recreation Department has two golf courses open and two more will open Saturday. Auburn Hills, 443 S. 135th St. West, and MacDonald, 840 N Yale, are already open; Arthur B. Sim, 2020 W. Murdock, and Tex Consolver, 1931 S. Tyler, are set to open May 23. MacDonald also has a new, free Pitch & Putt course, with five holes to improve any skill level’s game. Learn more at golfwichita.com.
10. Attend a local concert, in person or online
If you’re missing live music, there are several venues offering live performances and audiences this weekend in addition to continuing streaming concert series.
Catch a local musician performing live via the Facebook pages of these venues: The Artichoke invites a band to its empty bar/restaurant each Friday night (and sometimes Saturdays, too); The Wave does the same from its indoor stage on Sunday nights; Lasting Expressions Studios has a virtual concert series Thursday through Sunday evenings.
At least three venues have concerts planned and are open for audiences this weekend, but are also streaming the music on Facebook in case you’re not ready to attend in person. Chicken n Pickle’s weeknight concert series features Anthony Harvey on Friday and The Steinbergs on Monday; both start at 5:45 p.m. At 10 a.m. Saturday, R Coffee House in Riverside has Charlie Wilks playing a mix of pop, rock, jazz and fingerstyle acoustic guitar on the outdoor patio. From 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, the Brickyard outdoor venue in Old Town has singer-songwriter Brandon Ellis followed by cover band A Band in Kansas (reservations required).
Wichita-based DJ Carbon has a weekly streaming schedule: Family Dance Party at noon on Saturday and regular sets at 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The best place to stream is twitch.tv/ictlive, where you can also view past sessions.