This week in Wichita
Confirm details of in-person events you plan to attend in case of last minute changes. Protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by avoiding close contact, washing your hands often and covering your mouth and nose with a mask.
Sunset kayak tour on the Arkansas River
7:15 p.m. Friday, on the Arkansas River
The city of Wichita Park & Recreation offers this Floatin’ on the River Sunset Tour for ages 12 and older and all skill levels. After a short lesson in paddling the group kayaks to the Keeper of the Plains, stops for photos and then returns to the starting point near the Kellogg Bridge. The $35 per person registration includes all equipment and a barbecue dinner served outdoors. Register in advance at wichita.gov/ParkandRec where you’ll see the full schedule of sunrise, sunset and moonlight tours offered into September.
Free: Meet the Artist Fridays
11 a.m. to noon Friday, virtual and at Mark Arts, 1307 N. Rock
Mark Arts is hosting artist talks each Friday for the duration of its “100 Years of Instruction” exhibition. Of the 15 current instructors showing artwork in the exhibition, six will participate in the free Meet the Artist events: Addie Wise, July 31; Andy Patton, Aug. 7; Charlotte Patterson, Aug. 14; Troy Becker, Aug. 21; James Gross, Aug. 28; and Virginia Grass Simmons, Sept. 11. Space is limited to 14 participants; call 316-634-2787 to attend in person or watch Mark Arts’ Facebook page for recorded segments.
Free: Final Friday at the Boathouse
6 to 10 p.m. Friday at Wichita Boathouse, 515 S. Wichita St.
Xclusive Booze Truck is serving drinks, including to-go cocktails, Logo Depot is selling limited edition Wichita 150th birthday T-shirts and the two businesses are coordinating about a dozen local artists and vendors to join them for this indoor-outdoor Final Friday event at the Wichita Boathouse. There will be food trucks, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inside the boathouse will be viewable and singer/songwriter Harrison Steele will perform from 6 to 9 p.m.
Free: Grimm for Grownups
7 p.m. Friday, virtual
The Independence (Kansas) Public Library is hosting this free Humanities Kansas program featuring storyteller Priscilla Howe discussing the history of the Brothers Grimm and their folktales, many of which were never intended to become children’s tales. The presentation will also cover why collecting stories can be important for understanding a community’s values and fears. Find the event live streamed on the library’s Facebook page.
Carload Sundays at the drive-in
Sundays in August at Starlite Drive-In, 3900 S. Hydraulic
Watch a double-feature at Starlite Drive-In on Sundays in August for $14 per carload. If you’re attending and regular entry pricing is cheaper, you’ll pay that amount ($8 ages 12 and older, $4 ages 3-11 and free for ages 2 and younger). Concessions and bathrooms are open and spaces are marked for social distancing. Watch starlitefun.com or Facebook for each week’s lineup, released on Wednesday. Carload pricing must be purchased at the box office.
NBC World Series baseball tournament
6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Aug. 3-10 at Eck Stadium, 4100 E. 21st N.
The 86th annual National Baseball Congress World Series is scheduled to welcome 12 teams for a double-elimination baseball tournament starting Monday. There will be two games nightly, at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium. Games also will be played at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson for the first four days of the tournament. Watch Facebook for a schedule showing teams and locations. Tickets are $10 per day; any youth player wearing a little league jersey gets in free with an adult paid admission. Organizers are encouraging fans to buy tickets online at nbcbaseball.com to limit lines and contact at the stadium box offices.
Free: Virtual wine seminar
6:30 p.m. Monday, virtual
The Mulvane Public Library is hosting a wine seminar on Zoom with John Brewer, a professional wine judge and co-founder of Kansas’ Wyldewood Cellars Winery. The session will cover what to look for on the label or menu when purchasing wine from a liquor store or restaurant and how to develop the skill of seeing, smelling and tasting wine. Find the link and log in information on the library’s Facebook event page.
Ackerman Island program by Wichita filmmaker
1:30 p.m. Wednesday virtual and at Museum of World Treasures, 835 E. 1st St. N.
Learn the history of Wonderland Park during this Senior Wednesday presentation about the amusement park that opened in 1906 on tiny Ackerman Island in the middle of the Arkansas River in Wichita. The presenter is Sara Joy Harmon, the filmmaker behind the 20-minute documentary “For Your Amusement: The Wonderland Park on Ackerman Island” released in 2018. Attend in person at the Museum of World Treasures or online via Zoom or YouTube Livestream. It’s free for museum members, $4 for others. Register at worldtreasures.org.
Free: William Clark Green outdoor concert
7 p.m. Thursday at Island Park, 200 N. Main Street in Winfield
Texas red dirt country singer/songwriter William Clark Green performs as part of Winfield’s Duck Jam in the Park Concert Series. Gates open at 6 p.m. with opener Tequila Songbirds starting at 7 p.m. followed by Green at 8 p.m. Bring your own chairs or blankets; food and drinks are also permitted. Pork burgers, sides and desserts will be sold along with merchandise. Plan to wear masks at the park entrance and exit as well as in bathrooms, and find a space for your core group to sit away from others. Hand washing stations are available throughout the concert area.
Free: Online fall gardening series
6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, virtual
The fall gardening series offered by the Wichita Public Library and K-State Research and Extension – Sedgwick County continues this week with “Monarch Butterfly, the ‘Rock Star’ of the Insect World.” See the full schedule and register for the free online events at wichitalibrary.org/gardening.