Wind Surge season starting, will include new food options, celeb visits
Most people who go to Wichita Wind Surge games at Equity Bank Park are there for the minor league baseball.
But the staff at the park, 275 S. McLean, understands that some of the people are there mostly for the food. That’s why, during each offseason, employees spend a good chunk of time reimagining the ballpark’s food and drink options.
“We’re in a good baseball market. We also want to make sure that we are a venue where people can come be entertained,” said Matt Hamilton, the team’s general manager. “. . . Baseball doesn’t have to be the reason that people come to our park. And food, a lot of the time, is the driving force behind that.”
Opening day for the Wind Surge’s 2026 season is Thursday, and fans will be greeted by many culinary additions and changes. Among them:
Hot dog craziness
This season, the Wind Surge will be offering unique hot dog creations for each game — and the toppings will coordinate with whichever team the Wind Surge is playing. It will start on Thursday with the new signature Wichita hot dog, whose flavors are a play on a Midwestern comfort food tradition. The “Cinna-Dog,” inspired by one of the team’s alternative identities, The Wichita Chili Buns, is a hot dog wrapped in a cinnamon roll and served atop a bed of homemade chili.
The Cinna-Dog will be offered every week along with a second hot dog representing the competing team. When the team plays the Springfield Cardinals starting on April 14, the hot dog will have grilled onions and banana peppers, bacon bits, Provolone cheese and chipotle mustard. The Sonoran Dog, which will be wrapped in bacon and topped with pinto beans, cheese and a special sauce, will be offered when the Wind Surge plays the San Antonio Missions starting May 15.
Also, every Thursday, the Wind Surge will adopt one of its other alternate identities — the Turbo Tubs — and those nights, it will offer a specialty hot dog that features a bacon-wrapped hot dog that uses a pickle in place of a hot dog bun.
“We rotate the different food items in for different teams so people that are coming back for multiple games can try something new, and it doesn’t get stagnant through the season,” said Ryan Slane, the Wind Surge’s general manager for food and beverage.
The specialty hot dogs will be served throughout the season at the Third Base Concession Stand.
Philly Cheesesteak Cart
The ballpark this season will introduce a stationary cart where people can custom order Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and watch them be prepared in front of them. The cart will be stationed outside of the Pumphouse bar behind the score board. It won’t be open for the first three games of the season but will be ready after that.
New low-price menu
The staff has also come up with a menu of items that cost $4 or less and was designed for families on a budget. The menu includes a small popcorn for $3.50; a $4 hot dog; a $4 order of six pretzel bites with cheese; a $4 16-ounce soda; and a $5 12-oz. beer. The items will be available at all 69 home games this season.
”We want to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to come to the ballpark and enjoy themselves and not feel like they have to pick and choose what they get to do or what they can afford,” Hamilton said. “We want to make sure that people can come and comfortably be able to afford being here in the ballpark.”
The Diamond Lounge
The Wind Surge staff has turned a satellite team store that was located just off of the first baseline into The Diamond Lounge, which is a bar and lounge featuring seven TVs, a new custom bar, new furniture and a menu of liquor drinks, beer and easy-to-grab snacks.
For the first two hours of each game, the lounge will be open to season-ticket holders only. After that, it will be open to the public.
“It’ll be nice on hot days before the sun goes down to go in there and cool off and catch some games on TVs and be able to enjoy an ice-cold beverage,” Hamilton said. “It’s just a new way to engage our season-ticket holders but also engage our general fans.”
Kid-friendly concession
The staff is also transforming a shipping-container bar near the Home Run Deck, which last year sold frozen adult beverages, into a concession stand that serves kid-friendly slushies in flavors like blue raspberry, wild cherry and sour apple. (The stand will also still offer snacks as well as beer for parents.)
The move made sense, staff members said, because the shipping container bar is in view of the ballpark’s Kids Zone, which includes bounce houses, a playground and basketball courts.
Theme night specialty burgers
The ballpark this year also will offer different specialty burgers to coincide with its theme nights, which happen once or twice a week. An example: on May 23, which is “Margaritaville” night, the specialty burger will have Hawaiian toppings.
Joey Chestnut visit
Those who follow the world of competitive eating will recognize Chestnut’s name: He holds more than 55 world records in competitive eating and specializes in downing hot dogs, ribs and chicken wings.
He’ll be at Equity Bank Park on April 17 and, as part of Chili Buns weekend, he’ll challenge Hamilton, a few sponsors and some fans to a contest whose winner will be the contestant who eats 10 cinnamon rolls and 10 sides of chili the fastest. Chestnut also will participate in a pregame meet-and-greet with fans.
Mister Softee ice cream
It’s not new this year: Equity Bank Park added soft-serve ice cream made by Philadelphia-based Mister Softee to its offerings last season. But Hamilton said he’s not sure people are aware of just how good Mister Softee is.
“It is literally to die for,” he said. “It’s really good. It’s incredible.”
Hamilton said he loved seeing people walking around the ballpark last year with their towering cones, which fans can top with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and sprinkles.
“It’s amazing to see the little kids’ faces wrapped in chocolate rings,” he said with a laugh.
Other Wind Surge fun this year
Celebrity visits: In addition to Chestnut, two other celebrities will visit Equity Bank Park during the season. One is Rupert Boneham, who will appear on June 5 — “Survivor Night.” The bearded Boneham, who first appeared on the CBS reality show “Survivor” in 2007 then went on to play three additional seasons, will do a meet-and-greet and autograph session with fans who have Zone B tickets.
Then, on Aug. 29, actor Christopher McDonald — who famously plays Shooter McGavin in the “Happy Gilmore” franchise — will appear as part of “Happy Par-tee night.” He’ll sign autographs and meet with fans who have Zone B tickets.
Fireworks: The Wind Surge will shoot off fireworks after Friday-night home games. This year’s schedule includes 17 fireworks shows.
New start time: Responding to fan feedback, the Wind Surge has moved game time up for most of the season. With the exception of July, weekday home games will start at 6:35 p.m. instead of the previous start time of 7:05 p.m. People indicated that they’d rather head straight to the game from work rather than drive home then back downtown, Hamilton said.
July will still have 7:05 start times because of the summer heat.
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The Wind Surge will play five Saturday games at 4:05 p.m. in April, May and June and then switch to 6:05 p.m. start times for the rest of the season (except July 4, when the game will start at 6:35 p.m.)
The season also will include several day games: The team’s April 15 and April 29 games will start at 11:05 a.m, and its June 17 game will start at 12:05 p.m. The team will also play its first-ever Sunday-night home game starting at 6:05 p.m. on July 5, part of a celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 2:43 PM.
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