There’s fun to be had outside of the Wichita Riverfest this weekend, too

The Wichita Riverfest returns this weekend and will draw thousands to its many events in and around Century II. But those looking for fun elsewhere in the city also will have options, including a big brewery party, a library branch reopening and the return of an annual plant and art market.

Here are some details on other fun activities happening around Wichita.

Happy birthday, Hopping Gnome

Noon-11 p.m. Saturday, 1719 E. Victor

Hopping Gnome Brewing Company has just turned 10 and is celebrating with a party on Saturday. It lasts from noon to 11 p.m. at the brewery and will feature music from Sunblush from 1 to 3 p.m. and The 99 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Food trucks will be set up from noon to 8 p.m., and Lamphouse Photobooth will be there from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Victorian Cottage returns

Tuesdays-Sundays, Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main

Every summer, the Sedgwick County Historical Museum opens its exhibit “A Wichita Cottage” for just three months, and the 2025 run starts on Sunday. The exhibit recreates a typical middle class Wichita home of the late 19th century and includes seven individual rooms filled with authentic decor, including a wooden ice box on the back porch and a gas-and-electric ceiling light fixture in the parlor. The exhibit, which is on the museum’s third floor, is open through August from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under. Admission is free every Sunday.

Plant & Art Market

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sedgwick County Extension Center building, 7001 W. 21st St.

The Fourth Annual Plant & Art Market will be set up inside of the 4H Hall at the Sedgwick County Extension Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The event, put on by ICT Stems & Gems and The Wichita Plant Community, will have more than 40 vendors offering art, jewelry, clothing and baked goods, plus fun for kids, a pop-in paint class and more. The day will also include a build-your-own terrarium activity, and food trucks will be serving outside. Admission is free.

Library concert

11 a.m. Saturday, Wichita Public Library Angelou Branch, 3051 E. 21st St.

The Wichita Public Library’s Angelou Branch will celebrate its grand reopening from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday with a concert by Roy Moye the III, also known locally as “The Singing Engineer.” The branch, which first opened in 1996, closed for interior remodeling in October but reopened in March with temporary shelving. The concert will blend music and learning and is appropriate for all ages. Admission is free.

Riverside play days kickoff

11 a.m. Saturday, Riverside Park Wildlife Exhibit, 700 N. Nims

Riverside Play Days is a summertime series that invites families to Riverside Park every Saturday morning for nature-related activities, and it starts with fishing lessons on Saturday at the park’s Wildlife Exhibit. Staff will be there with poles and supplies to help kids get started. It’s free to participate. Riverside Play Days will repeat at 11 a.m. every Saturday through the end of July. For a schedule, visit www.facebook.com/KansasWildlifeExhibit/events

Celebrating women’s sports

5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Naftzger Park, 601 E. Douglas

A big event focused on women’s sports — and featuring a speech by former WNBA star and Kansas native Jackie Stiles — is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita. The event will include a Women’s College World Series watch party, a softball skills and hitting clinic, a fitness clinic, games for kids, face painting and vendor booths. Food trucks will be set up at the event, and organizers will be raffling off a basketball autographed by Stiles, who will speak at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Olympic gold medalist and volleyball star Jordan Larson will speak at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday. Admission is free. For a schedule of events, visit www.wichita.gov/1741/A-Celebration-of-Womens-Sports