Free and almost free outdoor summer concerts
One of the highlights of summer in Wichita is the outdoor concerts, many of them free, offered in and around the city.
Andover Concert in the Park with fireworks
This year will mark the 5th annual Andover Concert in the Park. Country artist Clint Black will perform with guest John Michael Montgomery at 7 p.m. June 17 in Andover Central Park, 1607 E. Central. Fireworks will follow the show. Tickets are $10 general admission or $150 for two VIP tickets, which include access to Lodge bathrooms, VIP beer sales, a catered dinner and guaranteed parking. Food, beer, soda and water will be available for purchase. VIP ticketholders will be allowed entrance starting at 5 p.m., and all gates open at 6 p.m. For more details, visit www.andoverks.com/2017concert.
Bartlett Arboretum Treehouse series
Bartlett Arboretum’s Treehouse Concert Series returns this year with a fresh lineup that runs now through October at the Arboretum (KS-55 and Line Street, Belle Plaine, about 25 miles south of Wichita on I-35). All shows begin at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. Tickets will be on sale at the door for $10. Bartlett reminds you to “pack a picnic, leave the pooch.”
May 6 – Cherish the Ladies, all-woman traditional Irish ensemble
May 14 – “Wine, Women and Songs” with the 3 Divas: Janet Rutland, Rachelle Coba and Robin Macy; country, blues, folk singer-songwriter, respectively
May 29 – Cherokee Maidens and Sycamore Swing, American swing music
June 11 – Brave Combo, “Immigrant Songs”
June 18 – Moreland & Arbuckle, blues
July 9 – John McCutcheon, Renaissance folk
Sept. 10 – Marley’s Ghost, Americana
Oct. 1 – Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy, brass & grass
Botanica – Tuesdays on the Terrace
Tuesdays on the Terrace is a great opportunity to listen to talented musicians while taking in the natural beauty of Botanica. Tickets are $10 for nonmembers, $5 for members. Shows run every Tuesday (except July 4) from 6-8 p.m. at Botanica, 701 Amidon. Concerts start on May 30 with Botanica’s 30th anniversary celebration and end Sept. 26. There will be a cash bar and food for purchase from Friends of Botanica and Molino’s. Here’s the lineup:
May 30 – Blue Eyed Soul, party covers
June 6 – Annie Up, high-energy covers
June 13 – King Midas and the Muflers, classic rock
June 20 – Sunshine The Bunny, alternative rock
June 27 – Infinite Layers, R&B/soul/funk
July 11 – Across the Pond, high-energy Celtic
July 18 – Soul Injection, R&B/soul/funk
July 25 – Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band, swamp funky zydeco
Aug. 1 – Bad Mother Hubbard, R&B/soul/funk
Aug. 8 – Emily Strom Trio, jazz
Aug. 15 – Haymakers, rock & roll/blues/swing
Aug. 22 – Rough and Tumble, folk
Aug. 29 – Jenny Wood and the Watchers, blues/rock/soul
Sept. 5 – Mischief Makers, folk/Americana
Sept. 12 – RKO Blues, blues
Sept. 19 – Carrie Nation and The Speakeasy, brass & grass
Sept. 26 – Mudbugs, Cajun & zydeco
Bradley Fair Thursday Summer Concerts
On Thursdays during the month of June, Bradley Fair will host a series of jazz concerts against the backdrop of Bradley Fair Lake. Concerts, co-hosted by B98-FM and iHeart Media, are free and run from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Wine, cocktails and soft drinks will be available for purchase from the Newport Grill plaza bar. On June 29, a fireworks display will illuminate the lake.
June 1 – Joseph Vincelli, smooth jazz saxophonist
June 8 – Dotsero, jazz ensemble
June 15 – Chris Standring, jazz guitarist
June 22 – The JT Project, jazz keyboard and saxophone
June 29 – Vincent Ingala, jazz saxophone
Carnegie Concert Series at Heritage Square
When September hits, it doesn’t mean that the summer is over – fall doesn’t begin until Sept. 22. The Wichita Carnegie Library will extend the summer with its concert series on Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m, in September at Heritage Square Park, 115 E. William. Concerts are sponsored by High Touch Technologies and Fidelity Bank in conjunction with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. Admission is free, and Flying Stove and Funky Monkey food trucks will be available for hungry concertgoers.
Sept. 6 – The Mudbugs Cajun and Zydeco Band, Cajun & zydeco
Sept. 13 – Cherokee Maidens and Sycamore Swing, western swing
Sept. 20 – Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy, brass & grass
Sept. 27 – Gooding, rock & roll
KEYN Summer Concert Series
This year’s KEYN Summer Concert Series title sponsor is BG Products. Concerts are free, but donations will be accepted for Main Place Youth Inc.’s Christian group home for young women and girls. The concerts will be held at WaterWalk, 515 S. Main, on the Fridays in July and August listed below. Different food and beverage trucks will be available by 7 p.m., and concerts start at 8 p.m. Plenty of parking will be available, so load up the car with your lawn chairs, but please leave pets and coolers at home.
July 7 – King Midas, classic rock
July 14 – TBD
July 21 – Annie Up, high-energy covers
July 28 – Big Fat Fun, party covers
Aug. 4 – Lucky People, pop
Aug. 11 – The Astronauts, ’80s covers
Wichita Art Museum Tunes and Tallgrass
WAM and Tallgrass Film will celebrate five years of collaboration this summer with their annual Tunes and Tallgrass concert and film event on Friday, June 23, at the Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. This year’s feature film is Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” and music will be provided by the William Flynn Quintet. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., jazz by the quintet will follow at 7 p.m., and “Rear Window” will screen at 9 p.m. Bring your picnic blankets and chairs. Food trucks will be available, and the cash bar will be open. Free admission.
This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Free and almost free outdoor summer concerts."