Another annual Wichita festival goes virtual amid COVID-19 concerns
Yet another of Wichita’s big annual events is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, Wichita Festivals Inc. announced that its Autumn & Art festival, which happens each September at Bradley Fair, would be presented online instead of in person because of concerns about COVID-19.
The organization already had to cancel its big event of the year, The Wichita Riverfest, for the same reason. It would have happened May 29-June 6.
And organizers are still not sure how they’ll proceed with a planned Riverfest replacement — a smaller downtown party called Wonderfall that it scheduled for Nov. 5-8.
“Rest assured that every single day we are revamping budgets and re-imagining Wonderfall as a live, hybrid, virtual and anything-we-can-think-of event to keep the doors open until we can see the future more clearly,” said Teri Mott, the festival’s director of marketing and communication. “It is an unprecedentedly challenging time in the giant event biz.”
The virtual Autumn & Art festival will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 19, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20. During those times, attendees can visit artists’ booths virtually and browse or buy works. They’ll also be able to speak with the artists via video chat as well as see artists demos, tutorials and more.
People also can also still participate in the popular Opening Night Patron Party, only this year festival staff will deliver to patrons’ doors packaged, food, wine, beer and spirits as well as a limited edition mask and a program. The “Patron Patio Party in a Box” is $100 a person and available at AutumnandArt.com. (Organizers are suggesting that small groups of patrons get together outdoors to enjoy the packages in a socially distant manner.)
“While we’d really rather be outside, of course, we are pretty hyped about the virtual platform we are using,” Mott said. “Hopefully our patrons will still support us, as that is our main source of Autumn & Art income.”
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