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Wichita’s Favorite Annual Events and Festivals

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From live music and fireworks to fine art and indy films, festivals in Wichita and the surrounding areas offer a rich assortment of activities and entertainment. If you’re eager to take part in the fun, browse our list of popular annual events in Wichita. Just scroll down – they’re listed by month to make it easy for you to plan ahead. Enjoy!

Wichita Annual Festivals & Events

Annual Wichita Festivals & Events:

Some of the links will take you to last year’s events. We will update each festival throughout the year and as each festival releases new information. This is an excellent guide to see what Wichita has to offer and gives you an idea of when each festival is held.

January Recurring Festivals: 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Third Monday in January

Wichita usually celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy with an event by the Kansas African American Museum.

Cars for Charities Car Show

Cars for Charites (formerly Starbird-Devlin car show) is a two-day event held inside Century II in January each year. Kids 11 and younger get in free, and coupons for adult admission are often available at QuikTrip.

More info: Cars for Charities

March Recurring Festivals

Screening of Academy Award Short Films

Usually, the beginning of March

Our Wichita library was one of the first places in the United States to offer screenings of Academy Award-nominated Short Films. This has been an annual event in Wichita for more than 30 years! Best of all – it’s free.

More info: Oscar Shorts

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

St. Patrick’s Day is always March 17, but the parade is usually the weekend before.

2023 Date: March 16

You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy historic Delano’s annual parade. Stake out your spot along Douglas Avenue next March, and be sure to wear your green!

More info: St. Patrick’s Day Parade

April Recurring Festivals

Belle Plaine Downton Tulip Festival

Early April

The  Belle Plaine Downtown Tulip  Festival in April isn’t just about seeing the beautiful blooming tulips. You can spend the weekend soaking up the spring sunshine at the parade, carnival, and food court or stroll through the serene Bartlett Arboretum gardens.

More info: Belle Plaine Tulip Time Festival 

Great Plains Renaissance Festival

Beginning of April

Wichita’s  Renaissance Festival is held twice a year – in the spring and fall. You’ll find medieval delights like jousting, folk singing, jesters, falconry, and fried turkey legs bigger than your forearm. These days, the RenFest also now includes the Wichita Highland Games and Celtic Festival, so you’ll get bagpipes and kilts too!

More info: Great Plains RenFest

Engineering Expo

Usually, the first weekend in April

The Society of Women Engineers put on this STEM festival every year for kids. The Kids Engineering Expo offers high-quality, fun, and educational activities to help kids get interested in science, technology, engineering, and math! Admission is FREE.

More Info: kids’ Engineering Expo 

Wichita Jazz Festival

Usually, in Late April

The Wichita Jazz Festival happens all around Wichita in late April and shows off some of the best jazz artists from around the country.

More info: Wichita Jazz Festival

May Recurring Festivals: 

St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival

Usually, in the middle of May

St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival in May is one not to miss. Their annual Festival at St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church offers homemade Mediterranean food, traditional dancing, and the most delicious baked goods you will ever eat (p.s. get the rice pudding).

More info: St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival 

Art & Book Fair

Mother’s Day – The second Sunday of May

The Wichita Art Museum is a Mother’s Day weekend tradition, with FREE admission to see selected art, books, and performances.

More info: Wichita Art Museum’s Art & Book Fair

June Recurring Festivals:

Wichita Riverfest

Typically the first week/weekend in June

You don’t want to miss the biggest event of the summer, with live concerts, fireworks, competitions, food vendors, and fun events happening all along the Arkansas River—the Wichita River Festival kicks of in June in downtown Wichita.

More info: Wichita River Festival

Smoke on the Plains BBQ and Music Festival

Beginning of June

The annual Derby BBQ Festival in Derby’s High Park is always lots of fun! This is an annual festival that is a family-friendly event with live music, food, and kid’s activities. And admission is FREE. They average about 50 professional BBQ teams from the Midwest.

More info: Derby’s Annual BBQ Festival

 Lavender Festival and Craft Show

Beginning of June

Take a trip to beautiful Burrton in mid-June for Gertie’s Lavender Festival. Listen to the live music, and grab a snack while you shop craft vendors.

More info: Gertie’s Lavender Festival

Wichita Taco Fest 

Usually, the middle of June

You can sample tons of tacos, sip on some tequila, try different margaritas, and enjoy live entertainment. They also have corn hole, bean bag toss, and oversized games.

July Recurring Festivals: 

Air Capital Bacon, Bourbon, and Brew Festival

Usually, the Middle of July

Visit local restaurants and breweries for this unique foodie event. You can sample premium bourbons, taste more than 75 beers, and tons of bacon samples from local restaurants.

Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney 

Usually, the Middle of July

The Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney is a classic, All-American event that happens mid-summer each year. You can expect a parade, demolition derby, carnival rides, live music, bbq cook-off and more.

More info: Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney

Dam Jam Music Festival

Usually, the 3rd weekend in July

This event offers two days of live music at Lake Afton. You can also enjoy camping at the festival, a cornhole tournament, a car show, and more.

More info: Dam Jam Music Festival 

August Recurring Events:

Automobilia

Beginning of August

Wichita’s FREE Automobilia happens every summer. There will be live music, vendors, food, a swap meet, and a model car contest.

More info: Automobilia Car Show and Street Party

Wichita Air Show: Frontiers in Flight 

Typically, later in August

McConnell Air Force Base is opening its gates to the public during the Frontiers in Flight Open House and Airshow in September! The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform alongside many other professional airshow performers! Admission is free.

More info: Air show and open house

ICT Comic Con

Usually, the end of August

For true believers, the ICT Comic Con has become a don’t-miss event in August. This affordable event is for fans of comics, gaming, sci-fi, fantasy, horror movies, and more.

More info: ICT Comic Con

September Recurring Festivals:

Kansas State Fair

At the beginning of September

The Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson is the largest in the state, with carnival rides, concerts, and the best fair food around. Although the fair happens in September, the fair concert discounts and ride packages begin being offered as early as July!

More info: Kansas State Fair 

ICT Fest

Early September

ICT Fest is an annual outdoor music festival featuring dozens of local and regional bands in many genres, including noise rock, punk, and electronic. The festival is usually held in early September in one of Wichita’s downtown-area districts.

More info: ICT Fest

Walnut Valley Festival

Usually, the middle of September

The Walnut Vally Festival in Winfield happens every September. This event showcases bluegrass-style music with live performances, as well as an art fair and contests like the “National Flat Pick Guitar Championship” to see who has the best pickin’ skills. Camp out at the Winfield Fairgrounds for all 5 days of the festival, or buy tickets for as many days as you’d like to attend.

More info: Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield 

Kansas RailFest

Usually, Mid-September

Wichita’s interest in trains is growing (and we’re hoping to get an Amtrack stop here soon)! This event is hosted by the Great Plains Transportation Museum at Union Station, in September.

More info: Kansas Railfest

Autumn and Art at Bradley Fair

Usually Mid-September

Enjoy a stroll down Bradley Fair for Wichita Festivals’ Autumn and Art event in mid-September each year. Admire the art displays and shop from a variety of local and national artists while listening to live music and sipping on drinks available for sale. Kids can participate in arts and crafts activities.

More info: Autumn and Art

October Recurring Festivals:

Tallgrass Film Festival

Typically the beginning of October

The Tallgrass Film Festival happens at theaters around Wichita each October. The festival features around 200 short and feature films from around the world, hand-selected by a Wichita volunteer group who seeks out the best films. This film festival is a big deal; filmmakers come from around the world to participate.

More info: Tallgrass Film Festival

Fall Renaissance Festival

Usually, at the beginning of October

The Great Plains Renaissance Festival has all your medieval fun in one place in both spring and fall. The Fall RenFest is usually held in September each year when cooler temperatures make it bearable to wear a full suit of armor.

More info: Great Plains Renaissance Festival

ICT Bloktoberfest 

Usually Mid-October

Bier and brats and being outdoors – that’s what Oktoberfest is all about, whether you’re in Munich or Kansas. Wichita’s Naftzger Park will be transformed into a Biergarten featuring live music, food, games, and of course – BIER! It’s a party for everyone! There is tons to see and do for free! Local vendors will have food and drinks for sale. Our tap trucks will be loaded with a fantastic selection of local, regional, and German beers.

More info: Blocktoberfest

Wichita Asian Festival

Typically the end of October

The Wichita Asian Festival in October is a FREE event celebrating Asian culture with live performances, traditional Asian clothing, a pageant, and food from around the world. It all happens downtown at Century II Convention and Exhibition Halls.

More info: Wichita Asian Festival 

Air Capital ComicCon

Usually, around the end of October

Drawing inspiration from the larger national comic conventions, the Air Capital ComicCon provides a welcoming and fun atmosphere and almost 10,000 square feet of vendors, artists and panels for fans of “comic book culture and all things geek.” The annual Air Capital Comic Con is held in October.

More info: Air Capital Comic Con

November Recurring Festivals:

Veterans Day Parade

Veterans Day is November 11th but sometimes the parade is on a different day

Not to be missed, the Veterans Day Parade is held in November each year in downtown Wichita. Celebrate with some of our nation’s finest at this fun-filled, FREE parade.

Related: Veterans Day freebies and deals in Wichita KS

Fall Parades, Fairs and Annual Events near Wichita

For a full (really full!) list of small-town family fun, check out our complete list of Fall Festivals in the Wichita area. You’ll find more cotton candy, carnivals, and turtle races than you can shake a stick at.We typically update this article in September. 

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