10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Aug. 18-20)

So we have an interesting weekend ahead of us.

It’s not every weekend that you can choose to either go see wrasslin’ or go do yoga on a paddle board. Or see professional mime theater.

Yet that is this weekend, and that should make everyone excited.

Use this list below to help plan your weekend in town:

Back-to-school parties

7-9 p.m., Fri., Rock River Rapids, 1900 E. James St., Derby

Rock River Rapids is hosting a kids-only pool party Friday evening. Kids in grades 5-8 can get in for $5 with a student ID. Volunteer chaperones are welcome.

10 a.m.-noon Sat., OJ Watson Park, 3022 S. McLean Blvd.

The good folks over at OJ Watson Park are ready to help you get back in the school spirit with a party this Saturday. Children can ride the train, take a spin on a pedal boat, play miniature golf and jump in bounce houses. That, in addition to everything else you can normally do at OJ Watson Park. There will also be games for families to play and kayaks available to rent on the water.

1-2:30 p.m., Sat., Towne West Square, 4600 W. Kellogg Drive

This Saturday afternoon, Towne West Square is hosting a Back to School Bash, featuring lots of freebies. There will also be food, games and a DJ. Bring a school supply item to be entered into a prize drawing.

Yoga sessions

All weekend long, various venues

This weekend, there are a lot of interesting/unique yoga sessions going on in Wichita, ranging from yoga on stand-up paddle boards to “yoga and mimosas.” The Eagle’s Delaney Hiegert has compiled a list of the top five yoga events going on this weekend, so for more information on how you can get your namaste on, click here.

Various prices.

FREE: Pet adoptions at the Kansas Humane Society

11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sat., Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside

If you’ve been on the fence about adopting a pet, this Saturday could change your mind. All day long, any pet adoption is free at the Kansas Humane Society, because of a partnership with NBCUniversal (locally KSN). Don’t let price dissuade you from adopting a furry friend, because this Saturday that excuse is no longer valid.

Free. www.kshumane.org, 316-524-9196

Iron ChileHead 2017

noon-3 p.m. Sat., Johnson’s Garden Center, 2707 W. 13th St.

Johnson’s Garden Center is about to get lit. This weekend, the annual Iron ChileHead competition returns to the garden center, featuring lots of locally brewed craft beer and food trucks. As my colleague Denise Neil writes, the event has become a hot-ticket item for beer fans. Perhaps the coolest part about it: “party polka” band The Bolzen Beer Band will perform all night long.

$25, includes a commemorative sampling glass, Iron ChileHead sticker and unlimited beer sampling. www.ironchilehead.com, 316-942-1443

Sole Purpose 2017

noon-5 p.m. Sat., Abode Venue, 1330 E. Douglas

Heads up sneaker fans (or rather, foots up): the annual Sole Purpose buy/sell/trade expo is this Saturday at Abode Venue. The event is put on by TheCRWN and Unboxed Sneaker. It will feature sneaker giveaways, sneaker collections and the latest styles from some of the best sneaker designers in the Midwest.

$10. Eventbrite

Pooch Pool Party at Rock River Rapids

1:30-3:30 p.m. Sat., Rock River Rapids, 1900 E. James St., Derby

Though it’s fair to say the dog days of summer are behind us, this Saturday you’ll have one last chance to give your dog a chance at summer fun. Rock River Rapids is hosting its annual Pooch Pool Party, an event where the pool is opened specifically for dogs, as the chemicals in the water will be adjusted for our furry friends. All dogs will need to have current vaccinations. Guests 16 and older can go in the water up to their thighs. Prizes will be awarded for biggest, smallest, cutest and best-dressed dog.

$5 per dog (limit two dogs per owner). www.rockriverrapids.com, 316-788-3363

Grub and Groove Festival

3 p.m. Sat., Hartman Arena, 8151 N. Hartman Arena Drive, Park City

Are you ready to get your groove (and, I suppose, your grub) on? This Saturday’s Grub and Groove Festival sounds like just the thing for you, then. The event will feature headliners The Whispers, a Los Angeles R&B group that first formed in the late 1960s and whose hits include “Rock Steady” and “And the Beat Goes On.” Also on the bill: After 7, Chante Moore, Lyfe Jennings and Ron Gutierrez. The show will be hosted by MC Lightfoot. There will also be lots of soul food for purchase.

$45 in advance, $50 at the gate. VIP tickets, which include a reserved table and chair, are $75 online, $80 at the gate. www.grubandgroovefestival.com, 816-919-1631

National Wrasslin’ League at the Crown Uptown

7 p.m. Sat., Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas

Who doesn’t love some good, old-fashioned wrasslin’? The National Wrasslin’ League is a professional wrestling organization based in Kansas City, and it’s making its Wichita debut on Saturday. If you like entertaining wrestling characters and other such action, this is the place to be. Plus, it’s just fun to say it. Wrasslin’.

$10-$30. www.crownuptown.com, 316-612-7696

Alithea Mime Theater at the Orpheum

7:30 p.m. Sat., Wichita Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway

Now for something out of the usual: how about mime theater? Nick Johnson’s Alithea Mime Theatre, based out of Wichita State University, is world-renowned for its mime theatre, a technique that requires actors to only use gestures, expressions and movement. The group will perform solo and ensemble pieces alongside guest vocalists and musicians.

$10-$20. www.wichitaorpheum.com, 316-263-0884

Abode Forum Room Sessions

6 p.m. Sun., Abode Venue, 1330 E. Douglas

Wind down your Sunday with some acoustic music at Abode Venue. This Sunday continues the venue’s Forum Room Sessions concert series, featuring Oklahoma-based singer/songwriters Jason Scott and Wink Burcham. The two are touring with Gabe Mor and Kangwa Mudende for three acoustic acts in one night. All ages welcome, and a cash bar is available.

$5. www.abodevenue.com, 316-267-1330

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 2:28 PM with the headline "10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Aug. 18-20)."