Saturday’s Tomato Day in Wichita will include samples, contests and a chef demo
Garden tomatoes around the Wichita area are finally ripe, and that fact is always celebrated at the Kansas Grown Farmers Market on the final weekend of July. The market’s annual Tomato Fest, which will feature tomato samples and contests, is just one of the many fun things happening around Wichita this weekend.
Keep reading for more ideas about where to spend your free time this weekend:
Tomato Fest
7 a.m.-noon, Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W. 21st St.
The annual Tomato Fest, a yearly tradition at the Kansas Grown Farmers Market at 21st and Ridge, is set for 7 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Sedgwick County Extension Center. It will include food trucks, fresh fried green tomatoes, a chef demo, balloon animals, tomato samples and a tomato contest that will award ribbons for the largest, ugliest and prettiest tomatoes. Admission to the market is free.
Bridal Expo
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Century II Expo Hall, 225 W. Douglas
The annual Wichita Bridal Expo, which gives future brides and grooms a chance to meet potential vendors, returns on Saturday and Sunday to Century II’s Expo Hall. It will feature more than 120 booths offering information about decor, venues, photographers, DJs and more. It will also include live wedding fashion shows. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17.34 for a single-day pass or $20.90 for a weekend pass at selectaseat.com or at the door.
Alternative and Holistic Fair
Friday-Sunday, Holiday Inn Wichita East, 549 S. Rock Road
The Holiday Inn Wichita East will be the site this weekend of the annual Alternative and Holistic Fair, which runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 on Friday and $5 on both Saturday and Sunday, and only cash will be accepted for entry. Those who attend will be able to shop at vendor booths and meet with healers and card readers. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/alternativeholisticfair
Concert series moves to Wichita
8 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 15, Naftzger Park, 601 E. Douglas
The Audacy Summer Concert series, which has been running weekly since late June at Andover’s Capitol Federal Amphitheater, is moving to downtown Wichita this week for a four-week run at Naftzger Park. The concert on Friday will start at 8 p.m. and will be headlined by The Astronauts, a local band known for high-energy covers. The series will continue with Lucky People on Aug. 1, Monterey Jack on Aug. 8 and Roadhouse Saints on Aug. 15. All ages are welcome, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring chairs and picnic blankets. Local food trucks and beverage vendors will be on site each week. Admission is free.
Yelawolf concert
8 p.m. Saturday, Cotillion, 11125 W. Kellogg
Southern Rapper Yelawolf, known for hits like “Till It’s Gone” and “Best Friend,” is bringing his “45 Tour” to the Cotillion in Wichita on Saturday night. The opening act will be J. Michael Phillips. Yelawolf, who hails from Alabama, first rose to fame around 2010 and released his album “Radioactive” on Eminem’s record label in 2011. Tickets for the show are $44.14 at thecotillion.com. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Celebrating Black filmmakers
4-6 p.m. Saturday, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 Museum Blvd.
The Wichita Art Museum’s Gordon Parks photo exhibit “Homeward to the Prairie I Come” is set to close on Sunday, and the museum is marking the occasion by highlighting three Black filmmakers from Wichita with a program called “Breaking Frames: The Black Cinematic Movement in Kansas.” It will last from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and will feature film screenings and a discussion lead by filmmakers Maliq Little, Angelo Garibaldi and Troy Andrews, who will talk about their careers and their filmmaking styles. Admission to the event is free, and people who attend can also see the Parks exhibit for free. A cash bar also will be available.