Small-Town Fall Festivals Near Wichita 2017

 

It’s the season for small-town fall festivals in the Wichita area. Some happen as early as August, and by September they’re in full swing!

Community festivals like these always promise good old-fashioned (and cheap) family fun. Most include parades, games for kids, live music, and food vendors.

Some require a button purchase for a nominal fee, but some are free. Carnival rides, if they have them, almost always cost extra.

Looking for events during other parts of the year? Check out Wichita-area Parades, Festivals, and Fairs

2017 Fall Festivals in the Wichita area

August

• August 18-20 Mulvane Old Settlers Days includes a rodeo, carnival, arts and crafts, parade, talent show, turtle races and more. $2 buttons are sold at many Mulvane-area businesses.
• August 18-19 Mount Hope PRIDE Prairie Festival Lots of  family friendly activities. August 18 includes fishing derby, washer tournament, free swim & hot dogs. August 19 includes 5k event, auto show, parade at 10 a.m. and ping pong ball drop, BBQ event, pedal pulls for kids and adults, kids’ activities, horseshoe tournament, ATV barrel race, Bull Mania, dance and fireworks. 500 W. Main Street, Mount Hope.  Many activities are free; some involve a fee. Information online.

September

• September 2 Zenda, Kansas 130th anniversary celebration will be a big to-do in this town with a population of 90. See this article at the K-State University website, which gives a great overview of the town’s history and its current residents, plus details about the fun, homespun celebration on Saturday. Thanks, Karla!
• September 2-4 Atlanta, Kansas Labor Day Celebration features lots of activparities and events in downtown Atlanta.  September 2 includes a volleyball tournament, ice cream social, BBQ and live entertainment. September 3 is co-ed softball tournament. September 4 features a parade, car show, bean feed, horsehoes & craft show. Downtown Atlanta. Free entry. Information on Facebook.
• September 8-9 Derby BBQ Festival in High Park.  September 8 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. includes Kids-Q Competition, Police vs. Firefighters hot dog eating contest, live music, beer garden and food vendors. September 9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $5 if you want to taste championship BBQ. Activities and entertainment include live music, beer garden, food vendors, car show and photo booth. Kids enjoy playing on inflatables, face painting and a petting zoo. Other features include a Anything on A Stick contest. Information online. Free entry
• September 9 Burden Dayz at Burden City Park, 503 W. Fourth Street. Food, live entertainment, parade, car show, PRCA rodeo, beer garden, pageant for girls pre-K to sixth grade, 5K obstacle event and lots of kids activities. Free entry, fee for rodeo. Information online.
• September 13 – 17 Walnut Valley Festival This is the big music festival in Winfield with live bluegrass and other acoustic style performances all weekend. Ticket prices vary, $15 to $95, and information is on the festival website.
• September 14-17 Clearwater Fall Festival Kicking off with Clearwater’s citywide garage sales, the festival fun includes a parade, face painting, Western-theme kids’ activities, food vendors, rides, laser tag, petting zoo, ducky dash, street dance & lots of other fun
• September 15-17 Sedgwick Fall Festival Includes parade, craft show BBQ and games at the park at Fourth & Franklin.
• September 22-23 Valley Center Fall Festival Includes parade, rides, fair foods, live entertainment, craft vendors & other festivities. Information online
• September 22-24 Conway Springs Fall Festival theme this year is Spirit of the USA. They’ll have a carnival, car show, parade, and more. Thanks, Karla!
• September 23 Kechi Kite Festival and Vintage Market will be a great fun time in the heart of the artsy community. Stop by Kechi shops like Karg Art Glass which will be hosting open houses, shop the vintage market, and fly your kites in the south end of town! Free admission.
• September 23 Park City Eats and Beats is a streetfest featuring dancing, music from a DJ, and food trucks from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at East Parkview and 61st Street access road. Free to the public.
• September 30 Colwich Heritage Festival in Veterans Park, Fifth Street and Chicago Avenue. Includes food trucks, parade, food, live entertainment, disc golf tournament, auto show, games, vendor booths, and fireworks. Free entry.
• September 28 – October 1 Greater Andover Days Food, fun, and fireworks.   September 29 is a tailgate party with live entertainment.  Events September 30 include a parade at 10 a.m., business expo and craft fair, KidFest, ice cream social, pet show, and fireworks. Entry is a $3 festival button sold at local businesses. Kids ages 5 and younger enter for free. Festivities include a carnival, with separate fees.  Event is based at a park, 1607 E. Central Avenue.

October

• October 6-7 Maize Fall Festival  A parade rolls along at 10 a.m. October 7 and at 2 p.m. is Amazing Voice, an event in which singers vie for prizes. Other features include car show noon to 4 p.m., craft vendors and food vendors. WSU West, 37th and Maize Road.  Information  is on the website
• October 6-8 Delano Fall Fair  “a family event where you can step back in time and stroll down the streets of Delano among cowboys and saloon girls, eat a chuckwagon meal and watch the Race of the Amazons. There will be a wide variety of things to interest young and old alike: a Horse Parade, Old-fashion games, Horseless Carriages, 1880’s baseball game, a Civil War encampment, staged entertainment and a variety of foods.”
• October 6-8 Wamego OZtoberFest in Wamego, KS. Celebrate all things Wizard of OZ with vendors, children’s activities, special guests, beer/wine garden, two entertainment stages, street dance and more!
• October 7  Goddard Fall Festival on Main Street. Includes games, food, vendor booths & other fun. Information online.
• October 7 Hesston Fall Festival and Outdoor Market  Includes food trucks, live entertainment, kids’ zone, antiques & other features. Free entry.
• October 7 Winfield Art in the Park Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Island Park on North Main Street in Winfield 67156. Includes about 60 art and craft booths, live entertainment, children’s activities, food vendors and family fun. Entry is $2 for teens and adults, and free for younger kids. Information online
• October 7-8 Whitewater Fall Festival (renamed Frederic Remington Festival)  Saturday events include a parade, 5k run-walk, art show, library book sale, street dance and fireworks. Other festivities are a car show, cake walk and archery clinic. For kids, the festival features a tractor pull, inflatables, money scramble, petting zoo & turtle races. Sunday afternoon, enjoy community potluck, antique tractor pull and pick-up truck pull. Free entry. Whitewater website.
• October 7 Buhler Frolic features a parade, live entertainmnt, kids’ activities, food and vendor booths, raffles and other festivities on Main Street in downtown Buhler. Entry is free. Purchase a wristband for kids’ activities.
• October 12 Taste of Newton. Event features food booths in downtown Newton. Free entry, fee for food purchases. Information online or 316-283-2560
• October 14 Bethel College Fall Festival, 300 E. 27th St., North Newton. Food booths, live entertainment, artist booths & local vendors. Information online. Free entry.
• October 13-15 Rose Hill Fall Festival Chili cook-off, chili feed, backyard BBQ cook-off, carnival, car show, craft show & lots more. Other features include a parade, pedal tractor pull, sand volleyball, Rocketstock, pony rides, library book sale and petting zoo. Information is online. 316-776-9880
• October 14 Haven Fall Festival  Includes parade, food vendors & other festivities. Information online.
• October 20-22 Haysville Fall Festival Festivities include a parade, bingo, booths, live entertainment, beer garden, car show, kids activities and inflatables  & carnival. Festival buttons are $3 per person. Fee for some activities. Information online.
• October 21 Bel Aire Fall Festival, includes auto show, bouncing fun, balloon artist, vendor fair & other activities. The free event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bel Aire Rec Center, 5251 E. 48th St. North. For information, browse the website or phone 316-744-2451
• October 21 50th Annual Brick Street Arts & Crafts Festival is host to traditional fall festival activities like live music, food, and kids activities in addition to a large fine arts and crafts fair. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street in Halstead, KS 67056. Admission is free!

Related: Festivals in the Wichita Area Year-Round, Fall Farm Fun: Wichita-area Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and More, Fall & Holiday Craft Fairs in the Wichita area

Have I missed any community fall festivals? Please let me know in the Comments section below!