What to do in Wichita: Summer music festivals; cowboy celebration; Wichita birthday party
Saturday will be a busy day for fun in Wichita and will include a long list of events including a couple of outdoor music festivals, a birthday party for Wichita, and a celebration of cowboys at Old Cowtown Museum.
Following is a list of some of the fun things happening around Wichita this weekend and into next week:
National Day of the Cowboy
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd.
Saturday is the annual National Day of the Cowboy event at Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita, and attendees will get the chance to experience and celebrate the lives of everyday working cowboys. Activities scheduled for the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., include demonstrations of cowboy skills, music, poetry readings and a birthday celebration for the city of Wichita. Regular Cowtown admission will be charged and is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors 62+, $7 for ages 12-17, $6 for ages 5 to 11 and free for ages 4 and under as well as for Cowtown members.
Summer Sol Fest
2 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Hidden Lakes, 537 W. MacArthur Road
Downtown’s Odd Fellow Hall is putting on a big music and art festival on Saturday, but it won’t be at the downtown venue. Instead, the Summer Sol Fest will be staged at the Hidden Lakes venue, 537 W. MacArthur Road, and will include six live bands, 10 art vendors, food from restaurant Local Flavor and several food trucks, three cocktail and beer bars, cooling tents, a bounce house, face painting and more. The festival is from 2 p.m. to midnight and is open to all ages. Among the performers will be Josue Estrada Band from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Making Movies from Kansas City, on stage from 9 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $75 for early bird VIP tickets. Parking passes are $10 as are kids general admission tickets. Get them at oddfellowhall.com/events/
Happy birthday, Wichita
1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main
Both Wichita and Sedgwick County are turning 153, and their birthdays will be observed at a special party this weekend at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum downtown. The party lasts from 1 to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday and will feature refreshments, activities and music in the museum’s Heritage Square. Museum staff also will offer special tours, and visitors will get to explore the museum’s four floors of exhibits. Admission to the party is free as long as visitors bring a birthday card addressed to their favorite Sedgwick County town, city or community. Wichita was “born” on July 21, 1870 — three months after Sedgwick County was established.
Sunset Summerfest
4-10 p.m. Saturday, McAdams Park, 1320 E. 16th St.
McAdams Park will be the site on Saturday of an event called Sunset Summerfest, which invites participants to watch the sun set while enjoying live music and food from local food trucks. The bands performing include national recording artists Men At Large as well as The George Sanders Blues Band and several more. Several health and wellness organizations also will be on site sharing information. Sunset Summerfest is from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free, and attendees are advised to bring their own lawn chairs.
Rudy Love Fest
5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Wave, 650 E. Second St.
Saturday’s Second Annual Rudy Love Fest — a music festival designed to celebrate the local music legend who died in 2021 — will feature a long lineup of performers, including Kimberly Paige, Roberto Bernardinello, Heather and High Frequency, Marrque Nunley, JUS 3 and more. The event lasts from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday on the outdoor stage at the Wave venue. A special dance party with DJ Carbon starts at 4:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., and tickets are $20 and $80 at waveict.com
Boz Scaggs in concert
7 p.m. Wednesday, Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway
Music legend Boz Scaggs will bring his Summer ’23 tour to Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre next week. The singer, best known for 1970s and 1980s hits like “Look What You’ve Done to Me,” “Lowdown,” “Breakdown Dead Ahead” and “Jojo,” will perform at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Tickets are $49 to $129 and are available at www.selectaseat.com, by calling 316-755-7328 or in person at the Select-a-Seat box office inside Intrust Bank Arena.
Recent concert announcements
Here’s a look at the recent additions made to Wichita’s concert calendar:
The Word Alive, Sept. 2, TempleLive, tickets on sale at wichita.templelive.com
Mersive, Sept. 14, Wave, tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at waveict.com
Cheap Trick, Oct. 5, Stiefel Theatre, tickets on sale at stiefeltheatre.org
Little Miss Nasty, Nov. 10, Wave, tickets on sale at waveict.com
Newsboys, Nov. 10, Stiefel Theatre, tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at stiefeltheatre.org
Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, Nov. 16, Wave, tickets on sale Friday at waveict.com
The Guess Who, Dec. 1, Cotillion, tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 25 at thecotillion.com