Your guide to what's new at Riverfest this year
Part of the fun of Riverfest is experiencing the wacky new events that seemingly crop up every year.
Yes, the classics can’t be beat, but is variety not the spice of life?
Here’s a quick guide to the best of the new events at Riverfest this year:
Phlox fire-spinners
9-9:45 p.m. nightly, Ackerman’s Backyard
One of Wichita’s most popular Final Friday attraction, Phlox Kansas will be performing at the Riverfest nightly in its Ackerman’s Backyard area. Phlox is a group of fire-spinners that perform every Final Friday in Old Town Square.
Cox Virtual Reality Experience
5-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m. Friday (June 1), 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday (June 8), Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun., RedGuard Stage
This 30-foot-by-30-foot trailer, which was a popular attraction during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March, is coming to Riverfest this year. The trailer lets guests experience 360-degree virtual reality environments and games.
Fest Quest
All festival long, throughout the grounds
This year, festival organizers are promoting their new mobile app by hosting Fest Quest, a scavenger hunt-esque event at the festival. Starting Friday, guests have to capture QR codes at 18 specific locations scattered across the festival grounds. Everyone who scans all 18 codes is entered in a drawing to win $1,000.
Dinosaur Days
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday (June 8), Cox Kids Corner
Field Station: Dinosaurs, the new animatronic dinosaur park in Derby, is sponsoring a full day of dinosaur-themed fun on the second Friday of the festival. Kids can follow giant footprints to a fossil dig site where they can search for actual dinosaur fossils.
The Last Carnival
7-8 p.m. nightly, starting Sat, Ackerman’s Backyard
The Last Carnival is a circus troupe from Lawrence that performs acrobatic stunts of strength, agility and skill. The troupe will put on a show every night. Nearby, members of the troupe will be available at the Circus Ruckus Prop Wagon to teach attendees some basic circus tricks like juggling and spinning plates.
The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show
5:30 and 7 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 2, 5:30 and 7 p.m. Friday (June 8), 2, 5:30 and 7 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Ackerman’s Backyard
This new show, sponsored by Star Lumber, features world-champion lumberjacks performing a variety of wood-related stunts, including log rolling, wood chopping, sawing, ax-throwing and climbing.
Squonk Opera
11:30 a.m., 1 and 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun., RedGuard Stage
The Squonk Opera, a Pittsburgh-based performance group, brings its “Cycle Sonic” show to the RIverfest on its first weekend. The show celebrates bicycles – complete with “bulb-horns, whirligigs, whistles and bells,” the elaborate bicycles dance to the group’s original chamber rock music.
XPogo Stunt Team
5 and 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 and 6 p.m. Friday (June 8), 11:30 a.m., 2:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday (June 9), RedGuard Stage
XPogo is a group of extreme pogo jumpers that currently hold 13 Guinness World Records. The group does pogo-stick stunts 10 feet in the air. It’s been featured by the Golden State Warriors, Monster Jam and Calgary Stampede.
For a full schedule of events, visit www.wichitariverfest.com.
This story was originally published June 1, 2018 at 5:50 AM with the headline "Your guide to what's new at Riverfest this year."