Head to the river for Riverfest’s final weekend
It’s the closing weekend of Riverfest. That doesn’t mean things are winding down; some of the most anticipated events of the nine-day festival are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, along with a steady stream of ongoing daily activities in the downtown area.
Because this is Riverfest, it makes sense that closing weekend includes plenty of ways to get on the Arkansas River or watch events taking place on the water, from paddle board and boat tours to raft races and a parade of lighted boats.
While some activities like paddle boats and paddle boards are dependent on the weather and river conditions each day (check wichitariverfest.com for updates), the Wagonmasters River Tours will run daily, 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Even for those familiar with the area, it’s a fun ride and a rare chance to get photographs of the “Keeper of the Plains” statue and Exploration Place from the water.
A decked-out pontoon boat takes passengers up to the “Keeper of the Plains” and back as a Wagonmaster spins a tale about Water Wagon Willie and Admiral Windwagon Smith. The story is “a mix of fact and fable – you decide which is which” and highlights activities for visitors in the river area, including the Historic Delano District, Veterans Memorial Park, the river troll and the museums on the river. The 20-minute tour starts underneath the Douglas Avenue Bridge and is free with a button.
A button is required for admission to the festival, including the food courts, and costs $3 for ages 6-12 and $10 for ages 13 and up. Buttons are available at the festival gates as well as local Dillons stores, Quik Trip locations and the Intrust Bank Arena box office. Pets, weapons, coolers or outside food and drink are not allowed inside the festival gates.
Following are highlights of this weekend’s Riverfest schedule. Visit wichitariverfest.com for a full schedule and the latest updates.
Blacktop Nationals car show
The Blacktop Nationals – the popular summer car show – has joined Riverfest for the first time this year. It started Thursday and continues from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with a special display of rare vehicles inside Century II Expo Hall and hundreds of vehicles in the area just outside.
Music
All concerts are free with a button, and the final weekend showcases a variety of genres.
Rising pop star Elle King takes the Kennedy Plaza stage north of Century II at 9:15 p.m. on Friday, and The Roots, Jimmy Fallon’s house band, performs there at 9 p.m. on Saturday. In addition to the headliners, the Kennedy Plaza stage has a full line-up of musicians starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
A second main venue, RedGuard Stage, is set up southeast across Lewis Street from the Hyatt Regency Wichita. Friday is Red Dirt Country Night with performances scheduled from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., and Saturday is Fiesta Del Rio from 4 to 10:30 p.m.
Ackerman’s Backyard is a new feature this year in A. Price Woodard Park between Century II and the Arkansas River. The area is family-friendly with oversized games, giant photo cutouts created by local artists and concessions. In the evenings, there is a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. with games and $1 discounts on craft beer, including local brews. From 5 to 10:30 p.m. daily, local DJs play themed music: reggae/dub on Friday and 1980s dance party on Saturday.
Paddle boards
Flatwater Fitness is leading a sunset tour on stand-up paddle boards from Gander Mountain to the “Keeper of the Plains” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. The cost for button-wearers is $15 per person. Space is limited; visit flatwaterfitness.com to reserve a spot. Flatwater Fitness also is coordinating a stand-up paddle board Race on the River at 11 a.m. Saturday. Register to compete at flatwaterfitness.com or come out and watch the 1-mile competition.
Home dedication ceremony
The local family purchasing a Wichita Habitat for Humanity house built entirely during Riverfest will receive the keys at a home dedication ceremony starting at 5 p.m. Saturday at the RedGuard Stage area. Get an inside look at a Habitat house and see the winner among five teams that transformed an everyday piece of used furniture in the ReStore Upcycle Challenge.
Recyclable raft race
The popular raft race will return this year. Fifteen teams have built river-worthy rafts made of at least 80 percent recyclable materials, including paddles. The vessels will be on display on the river starting at 2 p.m. Saturday and will compete in a race at 5 p.m. starting at the Douglas Avenue Bridge. They’ll compete for fastest time, most original design and most unorthodox and exaggerated form of propulsion.
Kayak races
Watch or compete in the Paddle Battle Kayak Races, a 1,000-foot downstream competition from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday for cash and prizes in six categories. Racers 16 or older can register and pay a $5 entry free on the festival’s website or on-site under the Douglas Avenue Bridge on Saturday.
Finale: music, boats, fireworks
The closing hours of the 45th annual festival on Saturday are organized so guests can enjoy music, see a parade of lighted boats on the water and end the evening with a fireworks show over the Arkansas River.
The Roots are scheduled to play from 9 to 10:15 p.m. at the Kennedy Plaza Stage, and the Starlight Flotilla, a parade of lighted boats, heads north from the Kellogg bridge area immediately following the concert. A fireworks show sponsored by Capitol Federal will start at about 10:30 p.m.
The flotilla is hosted by Wichita Clean Streams, a local nonprofit organization working to improve water quality in the Arkansas River. This year’s boat theme is “Totally Awesome ’80s.” The parade will travel north from Kellogg to the “Keeper of the Plains,” then return to the boat dock south of the Lewis Street Bridge. Parade spectators will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite boat during the event via text message.
This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 7:25 AM with the headline "Head to the river for Riverfest’s final weekend."