What’s new at the Wichita Riverfest? A new block party, music on one stage, Clydesdales
The Wichita Riverfest returns on Friday under new leadership — and with several changes and additions.
If you’re curious what will be different this year from the last time the festival was able to stage its full nine-day event in 2019, this list will get you up to date:
The headliners will be concentrated on one stage: For years, the festival has spread its musical headliners among two big stages. The main stage has always been at Kennedy Plaza just outside Century II, but through 2019, a second stage was set up at the Wichita WaterWalk. Last year, some of the big name acts performed on the stage at Wave, the musical venue at 650 E. Second St.
For 2022, though, the festival has decided to go with just the main stage on Kennedy Plaza, and that’s where people will see acts like Willie Nelson & family on Saturday, War on Sunday, Gov’t Mule on Wednesday and The Family Stone on closing night, June 11. See a full list of concerts at wichitariverfest.com/music
The food court stage will still be active, too, and fans will be able to hear local and regional acts perform there throughout the festival.
The festival will have just one main food court: Pre-COVID, the festival always spread out onto the Wichita Waterwalk on the south side of the Hyatt, and when it did, it would always have two big food courts. But this year, the food vendors will mostly be concentrated at the main food court on the east side of Century II. (Though there will be some satellite vendors at the Kid’s Corner in A. Price Woodard Park.)
The food court during last fall’s event was smaller, but this year’s will be back to full power with all the favorite vendors from the past, including Tad’s Bodacious Burritos, Original Corn Roast, Chan’s Concessions and D&J Pronto Pup — plus a few new vendors. The food court will be officially opened at 11:45 a.m. on Friday with a ceremony that will feature daytime fireworks. Food will still need to be purchased with tickets, which can be purchased at the food court.
Downtown Get Down is this year’s marquee event: This event, intended to hearken back to the Riverfest Block Party that festivalgoers once loved, will happen from 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday on Main Street between Douglas and English. It will be one of this year’s biggest attractions and will include several of the festival’s favorite activities, including the Celebrity Egg Toss, the Funnel Cake Eating Contest, the Wing Eating Contest and Portraits with the Admiral. It’ll also include a corn hole contest, trike races, a tug of war, yard games, a button swap, a kids book giveaway and a martial arts demonstration. Also, members of the Wichita State University men’s basketball team will be there signing autographs and playing HORSE.
Fiesta Del Rio will grow into an all-day party: In the past, Fiesta Del Rio was a one-night Riverfest concert that drew hundreds of people to see popular Norteno bands. This year, the festival is turning it into an all-day party scheduled for 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, June 10. The event will feature packaged Mexican food being sold all day, a Mexican “mercado” with Hispanic vendors, mariachi bands and dancing lessons on the food court stage, and pinatas shaped like the Windwagon and the Admiral. Starting at 5 p.m., popular bands Bryndis X Siempre and Grupo Pesado will perform on the Kennedy Plaza Stage.
Fiesta Del Rio used to happen on the secondary stage, but it drew such big crowds in 2019 that organizers decided it needed to be promoted and expanded, Duling said.
The Budweiser Clydesdales will be in attendance: People love the majestic Budweiser Clydesdale horses, and they’ll be at this year’s festival through Tuesday. Not only will the horses march in the Sundown Parade on Friday, but they’ll also be on display in a special stable area the festival is setting up for them at 223 S. Main.
Riverfest Artfest Pop Up Art Market will be an opening weekend event: The festival has partnered with Haute Handmade for a big outdoor market featuring more than 65 vendors. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Century II Exhibition Hall.
Need information about the festival’s longtime favorite events like the Sundown Parade, pops concert and more? Visit this link.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 8:13 AM.
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