Your guide to the 2020 fall events and festivals in the Wichita area

First, the good news: Fall is not canceled.

Now, the bad news: Some of your favorite fall activities are COVID-canceled.

That includes several long-running regional festivals that many of you look forward to every autumn when the weather cools enough that being outside is great again.

Let out that sigh, and read on. We didn’t say all events were off the calendar. While quite a few hung out a “see you in 2021” shingle, some festivals are morphing into online experiences and a few others are still scheduled to happen in person with modifications to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Admit it, sometimes it was hard to carve out enough time to make it to all the films you wanted to see during the Tallgrass Film Festival’s five days. This year, you have twice as long and you can watch the films anytime you want from your couch.

While an online event won’t be the same as the in real life experience, some event organizers believe they’ll reach more attendees in this format.

“We feel going virtual will allow us to reach a larger audience and extend Gilbert’s legacy even farther,” said Jennifer Dawson, co-leader of the Gilbert Baker Film Festival Committee.

Usually held in Parsons, this upstart festival keeps alive the legacy of Gilbert Baker by creating awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community through film and animation. Baker was an activist who grew up in the southeast Kansas town and created the rainbow flag in 1978 that become a universal symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride. The film festival will be online only Sept. 14-19.

The inaugural event was planned with Baker in 2017, but he died one month before it was held. Audiences have been in the double digits for the first two festivals, but Dawson said, “We have films from all over the world submitted, so going virtual not only allows us to reach a national audience but internationally as well. We hope that the anonymity of a virtual platform will allow for questions to be asked, answered and considered. We hope everyone, gay, queer, straight and questioning will be able to participate.”

For other events, the prospect of drawing their usual 30,000 attendees was too risky due to concerns about the pandemic. Even an outdoor event like Autumn & Art. The 11th annual event will transform to Autumn & Art: An Online Affair Sept. 18-20.

“Autumn & Art is an event that lends itself beautifully to a virtual format, so we figured ‘why not, let’s try it,’” said Teri Mott, director of marketing and communication for Wichita Festivals, Inc., the nonprofit that also organizes Wichita’s Riverfest.

Rather than strolling along the Bradley Fair Parkway, attendees will log on to the website during festival hours to chat with artists about their process and view their artwork for sale. Much of the programming that happens in person—live entertainment, art-themed activities for all ages and demonstrations—is being reimagined online to create a virtual festival atmosphere.

The online affair features 52 juried artists competing for cash awards totaling $7,000 as well as another 25 alumni artists (they’ve been juried into, and have shown, at past Autumn & Art festivals).

According to Mott, there are “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of alfresco fine art fairs across the nation” and the majority canceled this year’s in-person events. Only a handful adapted to virtual art fairs, she said, and those have averaged about 30 artists compared to Art & Autumn’s 75.

Mott said Wichita Festivals isn’t quite ready to disclose whether plans are still on for a fall-themed community event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Wichita and Sedgwick County. The organization had announced the event with a tentative November date when it had to cancel Riverfest earlier this year. She said to expect an announcement later this month.

Here are a selection of options we could verify are on the schedule, as of late last week. For any in-person events, check event websites and social media for last minute changes, and always confirm requirements for visiting. Protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by avoiding close contact, washing your hands often and covering your mouth and nose with a mask.

In-person events

Aug. 21-Sept. 12, 3rd annual Kansas Maze Sunflower Festival, Buhler, $7, kansasmaze.com

Walk one and a half miles of paths cut into the sunflower fields at Gaeddert Farms, about 50 miles north of Wichita, stop for photo ops and take a sunflower home. The play area has more than a dozen attractions including a jumping pillow and tire mountain. Hours are 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; ages 4 and older need a ticket. On Sept. 12 there’s also a Sunflower Festival Craft & Art Market on the farm from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check online or call 620-543-3073 for weather and crop conditions.

Sept. 11-12, ICT Yoga Fest, Wichita Boathouse and Wichita WaterWalk outdoor areas, festival passes $40-$50 per person, limitlessyogastudio.com/ict-yoga-fest. Classes, workshops and activities representing different styles of yoga and movement available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, along with a marketplace from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For an extra $10, add the Friday night yoga and cocktails class and priority sign-up for limited participant classes including paddleboard yoga on the Arkansas River and aerial yoga.

Sept. 19-Oct. 31 (weekends only), Gary’s Fall Festival, Grantville, $14.95 online or $16.95 at gate, garysberries.com/fall-festival. Gary’s, 8 miles east of Topeka, is putting on its fall festival with an American flag corn maze, 30 attractions — from a petting zoo to inflatables and pumpkin bowling, and hayrack rides. Go in the evening for a trail of lights choreographed to music. All visitors ages 3 and older need a ticket; save $2 buying online.

Sept. 26, 48th annual Whimmydiddle Arts and Crafts Fair, Scott City, free, whimmydiddle.org. One of the largest crafts shows in western Kansas, this event is scheduled to have 200 vendors from across the U.S. set up in Scott City Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. selling everything from fine art to original crafts.

Sept. 26, Canton Fall Market, Canton, free, http://facebook.com/cantonfleamarkets. Vintage, antique, handcrafted, along with upcycled and boutique items from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McPherson County Fairgrounds.

Oct. 2-3, ICT Bloktoberfest, The Wichita Boathouse, free, facebook.com/ictbloktoberfest. Wiener dog races, yard games, live music, keg rolling, stein hoisting, biergarten and food trucks 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 2 and noon to 10 p.m. Oct. 3. There’s a separate ticketed Beer Fest, $40-60 per person on Friday night with limited edition beers, specialty wines, tequila tasting, small bites and desserts and private amenities.

Oct. 2, 46th annual Art in the Park, Winfield, $2 suggested donation benefits children’s art classes, winfieldarts.org. Juried event with more than 50 fine art and fine crafts exhibitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Winfield’s Island Park.

Oct. 2-3, 11th annual Bricks, Broncs & BBQ, Russell, free, russellmainstreet.com. The local barbecue competition starts Friday with the public invited to join at 5 p.m. for the BBQ sale, beer garden, live music and fourth annual cornhole tournament. The festivities begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and include BBQ sale, cornhole, beer garden, kids zone, pie baking contest, vendors and the Flatland Car & Cycle Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There’s also a ticketed event Saturday: Brew Me Microbrew and Wine Festival offers craft beer, wine and spirit sampling from 6 to 8 p.m. Organizers are limiting tickets to 100 VIP ($40 with sampling starting an hour earlier and including food) and 200 general admission ($25 in advance, $30 at the gate).

Oct. 9-11, 31st annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta, Columbus, onetime $5 parking fee per vehicle, columbusdayballoons.com. The balloons will launch each day, weather permitting, and on the ground you’ll find events on the ground all weekend, including a car show, art show and much more entertainment during Saturday’s 51st annual Columbus Day Festival.

Oct. 10, Keriel Dairy Fall Barn Sale, Whitewater, $5 parking fee per vehicle, facebook.com/KerielDairy. The Wiebe family invites about 50 vendors to set up in and around the barn from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on their working dairy farm to sell handmade crafts, original art, antiques and food items.

Virtual events

Sept. 1-Oct. 18, War Eagle Fair, free, facebook.com/WarEagleFair1954. One of the Ozarks’ largest arts and crafts events that draws 80,000 daily visitors to Hindsville, Ark., to shop 250 booths is canceled but is featuring two to three registered vendors daily on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Sept. 12-20, Walnut Valley Festival, by donation, wvfest.com. Organizers are calling this version of the event that usually takes place in Winfield WVF 48.5. There’s no cost to participate in the week’s activities though there is accompanying online fundraising campaign asking for donations starting at $10 (you’ll get merch in return).

Highlights of the schedule are an evening concert on Sept. 15 by multi-instrumentalist and folksinger John McCutcheon as well as full days on Sept. 18-19 of streaming concerts recorded for the festival by artists who were scheduled to perform in Winfield. Check the full schedule on the website for dates and times of sessions showcasing winners of the new songwriting contest and last year’s instrument contest winners, Zoom workshops to improve instrument playing skills and kids music camp activities

Sept. 14-19, Gilbert Baker Film Festival, $10 and up, gilbertbakerfilmfestival.com. Tickets will start at $10 per individual session, and day and whole festival passes are also available. Online opening ceremonies and all screenings are scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each day (no festival activities or sessions on Sept. 15). Over the course of five days, choose from among six short films, three documentaries, two animations, one web series and one feature film that showcase the LGBTQIA+ culture. There also are several industry panels free to log into.

Sept. 18-20, Autumn & Art: An Online Affair, free, autumnandart.com. The 11th annual event will feature original works from 75 artists in 11 artistic media. You’ll access the virtual art fair by a link that will be posted on the website. Festival hours are 6 to 9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. During those hours you can visit the artists by video chat and shop their booths, as well as view music, dance and theater performances, artist demonstrations and mixology tutorials. Art activity sessions for all ages and youth interactive games designed for at-home creative learning will be on Saturday and Sunday.

The main festival is always free to attend with support from an opening night patron party. This event is now a party-in-a-box with local food, drink and entertainment delivered to your door between 4-6 p.m. Friday in time for a patron-only online entertainment from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets begin at $100 per person and must be reserved by Sept. 15.

Oct. 4-18, 20th annual Oklahoma City Memorial Virtual Marathon, $20-$345, okcmarathon.com.

It’s not a festival by name but it is Oklahoma City’s largest annual event. The “Run to Remember” celebrates life while honoring everyone affected by the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Besides going virtual, the 2020 event adds 26.2 mile and 13.1 mile bicycle rides to five returning events. Participants choose their own race day between Oct. 4-18 and run, walk or ride the distance of the race they are registered for at their own pace and at a location of their choosing.

Oct. 16-25, 18th annual Tallgrass Film Festival, $8-$300, https://tallgrassfilm.org/. Details are still coming together but organizers say the online edition of the annual film fest will screen more than 100 short and feature films from around the world and they’ll still offer signature Tallgrass events. That should include guest Q&As, happy hours, parties for ticketholders as well as free educational roundtables and industry panels. You’ll have twice as many days to fit it all in.

Film selections are typically announced in late September. General admission tickets will be $8-$10 per film or collection of shorts, and all-access passes are $175 for an individual or $300 for a household.

Tallgrass also has a virtual fundraiser, TALLshorts!, on Sept. 12. For $70 (or $95 delivered), you’ll get a box of wine and recipe cards. You’ll log on at 7 p.m. and follow local chefs Jennifer Ray of Monarch, Joumana Toubia of Two Olives and Don Wright of Old Mill Tasty Shop to make appetizers. There will be a curated short films to enjoy with the appetizers and wine.

Hybrid (online and in-person elements)

Aug. 1-Sept. 13, 48th annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, free or museum admission, nationalcowboymuseum.org/prix-de-west.

More than 270 paintings and sculptures in this invitational art exhibit are on view at the museum through Sept. 13 or via an immersive 3D virtual tour on its website. The auction portion is by proxy-bid-only and winners will be announced during a streaming event Sept. 12 that will also include artist interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Sept. 26, Saturday in the Alley, Oklahoma City, free, facebook.com/automobilealley.

The Automobile Alley historic and redeveloped district in downtown OKC is having an all-day, come-and-go event from noon to 11 p.m. Participating businesses will set up outside of their storefronts to create a district-wide sidewalk market. Live music, art demonstrations and free family-friendly programming is planned in-person and they’ll offer ways to support the district online, too.

This story was originally published September 6, 2020 at 5:01 AM.