Memorial Day Weekend Wichita: Food, Fun, and Deals

Memorial Weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and we’re ready to ring in the summer with you! This Memorial Day, let’s remember those who have served our country and the reason we celebrate in the first place. Let’s remember those who have given their lives in service to our country as we celebrate the long weekend.

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Memorial Day Recognition Service Wichita 2023:

Monday, May 30th, 2023:

Veterans Memorial Park The traditional public Memorial Day program will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on Monday at 11am. Flags will line the entry sidewalk leading to the park’s flag pavilion, they’ll have a speaker, and then the Marine Corps League Rifle Detail will fire a 3-volley rifle salute followed by the playing of Taps. Because seating is very limited, you should bring your own chair if you do not want to stand for the 45-minute service.

Delano Wind Ensemble Memorial Day Concert at Botanica. Included with regular admission to Botanica, enjoy the Delano Wind Ensemble’s special Memorial Day concert on the Grand Lawn at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day Monday. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. McConnel Airforce Base Color guard will also present the United States flag ahead of the concert. All activities and access to the Dinosaurs Around the Wold Exhibit are included with general admission.

National Memorial Day concert. The evening before Memorial Day, PBS will air its award-winning National Memorial Day concert at 8 p.m. on local stations and streaming live here.

Taps Across America In addition to the local service, you can participate in a national moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. This effort is organized by Taps Across America.

Memorial Day Weekend Events:

Pool’s open! Most city pools, water playgrounds, and water parks in the Wichita metro area open on Memorial Day weekend.

Splash Parks also open Although some opened early, most Wichita-area splash parks open on or around Memorial Day weekend and nearly all of them are FREEEEEE. (We love this.)

Enjoy the Drive-In. Summer entertainment Kick off the unofficial start to summer by watching movies outdoors. The Starlite Drive-In will be open with new movies on the big screens. Starlight Drive-In INFO

Summer Checklist Are you looking for things to do in Wichita? Our city is filled with many things to do during the summer months. From fan-favorite events to little gem locations, there is so much to explore. Bust the boredom in your household and knock out these list items all summer long! Wichita on the Cheap Summer Checklist

The Sunflower Summer provides various ways for families to get out, explore something new, and enjoy time together. Kansas families can visit museums, zoos, historic landmarks, and more for FREE! This is the BEST DEAL!! You can visit 114 attractions around KANSAS for FREE!!! Sunflower Summer

Memorial Day Weekend Deals:

Amazon – Discounts across the board.

Lowes – Shop all things home improvement. Lows is known to have great appliances, lawn care, grills and more deals. Deals Here

REI – Anniversary sale with up to 30% off on gear, apparel, and more. Use code: ANNIV23 at checkout.

Target – 30% off patio furniture, vacumes, kids’ toy,s and more.

Home Depot – Is having a massive Memorial Day Sale with deep discounts on various items.

Bust Buy – Is offering up to $30 off select major appliances.

Walmart – Has updated its online grill selection with hundreds of options—even top brands like Blackstone and Treager with some less than $100.

Wayfair – If you need outdoor furniture, check out this sale! They have up to 50% off during its BIG Outdoor Sale.

Mattress Firm – Up to %50 off their best-sellers and select mattresses along with 20% off box springs, bed bases, pillows, and sheets.

What else is going on around Wichita this Memorial Day weekend?

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Military Discounts Year Round:

Best Buy doesn’t have a corporate military discount, but many individual stores offer 10% off with ID. Call ahead to your store to find out if they’re offering it.
Buckle offers a 10% military discount to active duty and veterans (+ spouses/dependents).
Champs Sports offers a 15% discount on most purchases.
Costco offers a $20 Costco Shop Card when active-duty military, veterans, and their families sign up for a Costco membership.
Finish Line offers an in-store 10% military discount to all military personnel, including immediate family members.
Foot Locker offers a 15% discount.
Gap offers a 10% in-store military discount. Before you check out at your local Gap store, verify with an associate or manager that they offer the discount.
Home Depot gives veterans 10% off on select items with ID in-store or online once you’re verified with SheerID. You’re limited to $400 in savings in a calendar year.
Kohl’s gives veterans, active duty members, and retirees a 15% in-store discount on Mondays every week. The discount cannot be used with other percent-off discounts or age-specific discounts.
Lowe’s offers a 10% discount for current military personnel, veterans, and spouses in-store (with ID) or online (once you verify your eligibility with ID.me). They exclude major appliances, lumber, and a few other items.
Lululemon has an in-store 25% discount exclusively for active duty service members, reservists, military spouses, and first responders. Oh, and this discount can be applied to markdown prices, too!
Nike offers a 10% discount on Nike.com and in Nike retail stores. Call (800) 806-6453 for online orders.
Oakley Standard Issue provides military personnel and first responders exclusive access to products unavailable to “civilians.” They offer 30-70% off their products and a 10% discount once your status is approved
Sam’s Club offers a free $10 eGift card for active and retired military. This offer is only valid at the time you purchase or renew a membership for Sam’s Savings, Business, or Sam’s Plus.
Yeti offers all verified veterans, military members, and first responders special pricing for select gear via the ID.me program.
Academy Sports+Outdoors offers a 10% online and in-store discount from time to time (in 2021 it’s May 2-July 5). Keep an eye on them in the future to see their discounts!
In the past, Amazon has held a Veterans Day special offering $40 off of Prime memberships (down from $119/year to $79/year) for all military veterans.
Target is offering a 10% discount on two purchases the week of Veterans Day in 2021 and the week after. This is the first year that the coupon is eligible for two purchases. The 10% coupon applies to all in-basket items, online and in-store.
Apple offers 10% off for military personnel and their families on select items.
AT&T offers military members and veterans 25% off select cell phone plans through the AT&T government discount program.
Dell.com has a 10% military discount for all PCs and electronics.
T-Mobile provides military personnel a special Magenta Military plan at $25/line for four lines (about $10/mo cheaper).
Verizon offers a 15% discount on monthly wireless service for active service members or veterans.

Restaurant Deals for Military Year Round:

Arby’s gives 10% off at select locations for military personnel with ID.
Bonefish Grill gives military personnel and first responders 10% off their bill with ID.
Buffalo Wild Wings gives past/current members of the military 10-15% off, depending on your location.
Chuck E Cheese provides military personnel two exclusive menu options that combine food, beverages, and play points at a discounted price.
Dave & Buster’s takes 10% off the food bill with valid military ID.
Denny’s offers 10% off and is known to give military members a free Build Your Own Grand Slam (check your location to make sure yours offers this).
IHOP offers customers with valid military ID 10-15% off their bill, depending on location.
Jersey Mike’s takes 10% off the bill for service members.
Logan’s Roadhouse gives veterans and active-duty service members 10% off everyday, and free meal offers throughout the year.
Long John Silver’s hosts Military Mondays where customers get 20% off with military ID. The rest of the time, they offer 10% off
Outback Steakhouse offers all servicemen and women, police officers, and firefighters 10% off their entire check.
Red Lobster hosts Military Mondays, which gives all active-duty military personnel 10% off their meal.

These restaurants have been known to honor veterans, active duty service members, and their families on Veterans Day:

Applebees serves free meals to veterans and active-duty service members every year on Veterans Day.
Chili’s serves a free select menu for veterans and active-duty service members on Veterans Day.
Cici’s Pizza gives veterans and active-duty military personnel a free adult buffet on Veterans Day.
Cracker Barrel has given away a piece of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.
Dunkin gives away a free donut per military service member.
Famous Dave’s gives all former and current military a free Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich and a side all day for dine-in and carry-out orders. If ordering online at FamousDaves.com/togo use the code VETERAN.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers gave away free combo meal comp cards to veterans and current military that could be used through the rest of November.
Krispy Kreme gives veterans and active-duty military a free doughnut with small coffee.
Little Caesars offers a free Lunch Combo to military and veterans at participating locations on Veterans Day.
Old Chicago has offered a free individual pizza to military service members on Veteran’s Day.
Olive Garden gives veterans an entrée from a special menu, unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks.
On the Border has offered all active and retired military a free Pick 2 combo meal.
Starbucks gives away free tall (12-ounce) brewed coffees.
Village Inn restaurants have offered veterans and active military a complimentary V.I.B. breakfast plus a 20% coupon for their next visit.

Sports & Outdoors

Nothing says Memorial Day weekend more than chilling, grilling, and fishing at the lake or splashing in the pool. Here are some ideas for spending Memorial Day weekend outdoors.

(Some of these are recommendations from past years when we couldn’t do events, but you know what? They’re still good ideas.)

Jump in the lake

Kansas state parks, fishing lakes and wildlife areas are open. Find more information at Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.

Want to make more than a day of it? Check out our guide to camping in the Wichita area. I will warn you though – Memorial weekend is one of the busiest camping weekends of the year. If that doesn’t deter you, then find a walkup spot and have fun!

Take a hike

Go for a walk at any one of Wichita’s parks. We have a list of where to walk in Wichita. I highly recommend this awesome Nature Trail at Cheney lake!

Take a drive

Oh my gosh, this is one of my favorites. Pack a lunch, fill up the tank with the cheapest gas you can find, and head out for an adventure on a Kansas Scenic Drive. You will want to bring your camera because you WILL find something beautiful, interesting, or breathtaking. Um, also bring a roll of t.p. just in case and all your other essential road trip supplies because a lot of our state is rural, rugged, and natural. This isn’t NYC.

Play yard games

Remember those? They require no equipment whatsoever, and almost any number of kids can play. Hide-n-Seek or Simon Says could actually be played inside, but Red Light, Green Light and Mother May I need a little more space.

Ride a bike

Friday, May 22, Boats and Bikes opens! Boats and Bikes rents out a variety of outdoor equipment including kayaks and stand up paddle boards. Find more info here.

Ride a pony

…or ride a train, pedal a boat, paddle a kayak, or play some mini golf. O.J. Watson Park rides are open all day Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Wichita Memorial Day closures and special hours:

In observance of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, City of Wichita facilities will be closed and/or have special hours:

Closed Saturday, May 27: CityArts and Mid-American All-Indian Museum.

Closed Sunday, May 28: Wichita Public Library locations, CityArts and Mid-American All-Indian Museum.

Closed Monday, May 39: City Hall, neighborhood resource centers, Transit administrative offices, Wichita Public Library locations, Park & Recreation centers, CityArts, Wichita Art Museum, Great Plains Nature Center, Environmental Health office, WATER Center, Brooks Landfill and the Animal Shelter.

There will be no Wichita Transit or Paratransit service on Monday, May 29.

Special Hours:

O.J. Watson Park will be open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Shelters and rides close at 5 p.m., no fireworks are allowed at the park;
Wichita Public Golf Courses will be open regular hours;
Ralph Wulz Riverside Tennis Center will be open regular hours;
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, all branch libraries will be closed on Sundays. The Advanced Learning Library will remain open on Sundays 1-5 p.m.

Indoor Activities & Ideas

What if the weather is bad and we’re all stuck inside with nothing to do? After last year, we’re all experts at this, but here are a few fun ideas anyway:

Make your own fun

Make an easy and fun craft like a rubber-band powered boat!
Spread some positivity and kindness by painting your very own kindness rocks.
Make your own play-dough on the cheap!
Homemade chocolate sauce on top of an ice cream sundae makes memorial weekend even sweeter.
For more home ideas check out Activities for kids & families at home (fun, free, and cheap)

This Memorial Day, let’s remember those who sacrificed everything and let’s go out of our way to thank those who serve with that willingness.

Related: Military discounts in Wichita Also check out our Weekend on the Cheap events guide.

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