10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Nov. 17-19)

Another weekend is now upon us, and those sweet, sweet aromas of Thanksgiving are nearing.

Those sweet days off from work will complement the (hopefully) sweet array of foods waiting for you this holiday.

But until then, there’s another packed weekend of events planned in the Wichita area.

Use this list of events to help plan your weekend in Wichita:

FREE: Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition Opening

6:30-7:30 p.m. Fri., Mark Arts, 9112 E. Central

Soon Mark Arts will leave the building it’s been in for decades and move to a shiny new facility at 13th and Rock. But first, there is one last exhibition to open. Gallery favorite, The Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition, opens Friday with a public reception at 6:30 p.m. The show’s juror, Soon Warren of Fort Worth, Texas, will talk at 7 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and host bar will be available throughout the evening. This exhibition will be on view from 1-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 17.

Free. www.markartsks.com/current-exhibition, 316-634-2787

“The Maltese Partridge in a Pear Tree” Holiday Mystery Opening Weekend

6:30-10 p.m. Fri., Sat., Prairie Pines Playhouse, 4055 N. Tyler, Maize

Prairie Pines Playhouse presents this interactive, high-energy musical comedy mystery spoof of the film The Maltese Falcon with a holiday twist. Enjoy a complete three-course dinner and full bar while you participate in the show as a member of the audience. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. for cider and browsing in the Old Barn Christmas Shop, three-course dinner served starting at 6:40 p.m. and throughout show, which concludes around 10 p.m. Visit the website for a complete list of performance dates and times. Show runs Nov. 17 through Dec. 23. For $5 off the ticket price for Friday, use the coupon code “5offFriday” at checkout when buying tickets online.

$34.95 plus tax. www.prairiepinesplayhouse.com, 316-303-2037

‘Jazz Meets Stevie Wonder’

7:30 p.m. Fri., Riney Fine Arts Center, Friends University, 2100 W. University

If you enjoyed last year’s production of “Jazz Meets The Beatles,” you’re going to really enjoy “Jazz Meets Stevie Wonder.” This show will feature both of Friends University’s jazz ensembles, as well as its vocal jazz ensemble, performing a litany of Stevie Wonder hits.

$6 adults, $3 students and seniors. www.friends.edu/finearts, 316-295-5677

Turkey Trot

7:45, 8 a.m. Sat., Century II, 225 W. Douglas

If you’re looking to get a workout in this Saturday, you can try out this classic Wichita run. The Turkey Trot, a 10- and 2-mile run, is scheduled for early Saturday, starting and ending at Century II. The first 2,000 people to register also receive a Honeysuckle white turkey. Also featuring a “kids’ trot,” for little tykes.

$50 for the 10-mile, $35 for the 2-mile, $20 for the kids’ trot. www.wichitaturkeytrot.com

FREE: Augustino Brewing Company Grand Opening

9 a.m.-midnight Sat., Augustino Brewing Company, 756 N. Tyler

Craft-beer lovers: There’s a new brewery in town. Augustino Brewing Company opens on the west side of town this weekend, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. In addition to beer, the place also has burgers and sandwiches, plus appetizers like fondue and brisket nachos. Augustino Brewing Company also has a coffee bar that serves a full line of coffee drinks.

Free. www.augustinobrew.com, 316-721-5554

Wichita Record Convention

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat., Holiday Inn, 549 S. Rock

It’s being billed as Wichita’s first record convention in 20 years, and if you’re a vinyl lover, you might want to check this out. Over a dozen vendors will be at the Holiday Inn at Kellogg and Rock selling collectible records, tapes, CDs, and other music memorabilia.

$2, free for kids 12 and under. www.kansassoundexchange.com

FREE: Holidays in Delano

noon-5 p.m. Sat., Historic Delano District, Douglas between McLean and Seneca

Delano retailers will be open and ready for holiday shopping this Saturday, and people can get coupons to various local retailers by donated a canned good for the Kansas Food Bank. Those canned goods can be dropped off at Bungalow 26, 613 W Douglas; Aero Plains Brewing, 117 N. Handley; and The Chocolate Fountain, 730 W. Douglas. Live reindeer will be at The Monarch, 579 W. Douglas. Santa will be available for appearances at Sweet Cheeks Boutique, 722 W. Douglas.

Free (but buy holiday goods from the stores).

Bradley Fair Christmas Tree Lighting

5-6 p.m. Sat., Bradley Fair, 2000 N. Rock

Get a head start on the holiday spirit with Bradley Fair’s annual tree lighting ceremony Saturday. Santa will help light the 35-foot Christmas tree in the plaza and the ceremony will double as a benefit for Ronald McDonald House Charities Wichita. A $5 donation is encouraged and will be used to help families in need enjoy the Christmas season. Santa and his reindeer also will be available for photos. Following the lighting ceremony, take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride through Bradley Fair.

$5 suggested donation. Family friendly. Event schedule and map is available online at www.bradleyfair.com/events.php

Haydn’s ‘Creation’

8 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., Century II, 225 W. Douglas

Alongside a 150-voice chorus, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra presents Haydn’s epic choral work, “Creation,” this weekend. It features three soloists: soprano Cristina Castaldi, a voice instructor at Wichita State; tenor Steven Tharp, a voice instructor at University of Missouri; and bass Tim LeFebvre, a faculty member at Oberlin College in Ohio, who was soloist in WSO’s “Messiah” in 2015.

$20-$65. www.wichitasymphony.org, 316-267-7658

Hawthorne Heights at Barleycorn’s

3-6 p.m. Sun., Barleycorn’s, 608 E. Douglas

Hawthorne Heights, a punk/emo band that rose to popularity in the early 2000s, is playing at Wichita’s Barleycorn’s on Sunday afternoon. The band is perhaps best known for its first two albums: 2004’s “The Silence in Black and White” and 2006’s “If Only You Were Lonely.” 21+. The show may be sold out, but you can perhaps hear it by standing around Barleycorn’s (just a suggestion).

$15.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 2:51 PM with the headline "10 fun things to do in Wichita this weekend (Nov. 17-19)."