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🌾 Neon Towers Return
We are almost to the end of Riverfest

Together With
Good morning, Wichita!
Two more days of Riverfest! See you all tonight??
Let’s get to it!
- Landon

Final Days of Riverfest

Wichita Riverfest 2026 has come and nearly gone already, but the party isn’t over yet!
In fact, we still have a LOT of events and activities going on, here are a few to look forward to:
Friday 6/5
No button required for the Food Court from 11am - 2pm
DJ Showcase | Riverfest: Kennedy Plaza | 5:15pm
Battle of the Bands Winner: Nuclear Football | Riverfest: Kennedy Plaza | 6:30pm
Sage the Gemini followed by Gym Class Heroes | Riverfest: Kennedy Plaza | 8pm
Saturday 6/6
Pickleball Tournament: Dinks on the River | Riverfest: 551 Nims | 10am
Riverfest Classic Car Show | Century II | 11am
Urban Disc Golf Putting Competition | Riverfest | 2pm
Riverfest Native Expo: A Powwow Experience | Riverfest: Kennedy Plaza | 4pm
Rudy Love and The Encore Band | Riverfest | 7:30pm
Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band: A Springsteen Celebration | Riverfest | 9pm
Capitol Federal Fireworks Finale | Riverfest | 10:45pm

Together with the Wichita Wind Surge

Home stand for our home team. Giveaways all week.

LOCAL BUSINESS
Opening
Banh Mi Bites - 2755 N Maize Rd (former Sesame Mediterranean Kitchen) - Now Open (opened yesterday)
The Big Biscuit (Wichita’s second) - 106 S Hydraulic - Now Open
Circadia - Expanding into the Icehouse Downtown at 165 S Rock Island - Opening TBD
Wingstop - NewMarket Square - Opening TBD
Black Bird Burger (from the people who brought you Red Bird) - 5510 E central (former Wendy’s and Chick n Max) - Opening in July
Anniversary
The Belmont - Congrats on 6 years!
Moving
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant - Moving to 550 N Rock Rd (formerly Quinton’s Bar & Grill) - Moving in August / September
The Grinder Man
Paul Doyon was the founder of The Grinderman and sadly passed away at the age of 89 in late April and the manager is trying to keep it going.
Trail Town
When you think of Andover, what do you think of?
Jaguars? Trojans? Snow cones? Tornado?
What about certified trail town? That is the direction they’re trying to head as the Andover, Augusta, and the Andover Augusta Rail Trail Initiative were just awarded a $25k grant to continue improving the Redbud Trail.
My Pink Closet
My Pink Closet began when Dulce, a Wichita mom, saw how hard it was for families to afford quality clothing while managing rising everyday costs. Today, through three local locations and a partnership with Diana Cabrera, My Pink Closet and My Pink Closet Plus continue that mission by helping Wichita and Derby families stretch their budgets with clean, quality clothing priced as low as $1–$5.
The Upper Deck
Tribal Roots and The Upper Deck invites you to the first ever Beat Bus Edition- an immersive fusion of music, art, technology, and community that brings a taste of something rarely seen in Kansas.

CIVIL
Neon Towers Return (for now)
The neon light towers at Central, McLean, and Meridian have been out for a while, but some of them are back on in red and blue thanks to temporary repairs in time to celebrate America’s 250th celebration.
LOCAL
Exploration Place Update
Exploration Place is busy this time of year, here are a few things coming up or happening now:
Upcoming Duck Race (see more details above - join team Wichita Life Quack Pack for a chance to win $10k)
New Titanic Exhibit (did you know the guy who found the Titanic was from Wichita?)
New KPop Demon Hunter event that will sell out so get your tickets now!
Interns
Wichita has a lot of interns come through every summer and today is the InternICT Kickoff & Downtown Crawl if you see some people downtown you don’t recognize.
New Exhibit at Cowtown ⚾
Old Cowtown Museum is celebrating America’s 250th with a new exhibit beginning Sunday, June 7 from noon to 5 p.m.
The 155th Celebration of Base Ball in Wichita exhibit will showcase early Wichita baseball, or “base ball” as it was originally called, including a feature on the first organized Wichita team, which debuted in 1871.
Wichita Grand Opera
Opera Kansas is putting a fun twist on Patience, Gilbert & Sullivan’s 1881 comic opera, by setting it in a 1990s Beverly Hills high school. Think Clueless meets live opera with a cast of local singers, live orchestra, and a story that’s surprisingly current: figuring out who you are instead of chasing popularity.
How much rain?
When it rains, it pours. It poured last week.
We received 3.36” of rain in May and 1.91 all fell on one day - May 28th.
✈️ Flight Deal(s) of the Week
Wichita (ICT) → Phoenix for $88 (normally $278) - saving you 68%! - July 4 - 11
Wichita (ICT) → San Luis Obispo for $329 (normally $536) - saving you 39%! - June 27 - July 4
Price is subject to change and may no longer be available at the time you check this link.

The Bulletin

WICHITA CITYSCAPE PUZZLES: Have some fun!
WICHITA LIFE DINNER CLUB returns on Wednesday, June 17th at 6:30pm. Come as strangers, leave as friends (this is NOT explicitly for dating purposes, just a place to meet nice people).
WICHITA JOB BOARD: Looking for your next gig or post for to get your next employee! Dozens of jobs posted weekly like the Director of Campus Operations at Second Light.

Join the Wichita Life Insiders
When you join Wichita Life Insiders, you will directly support these emails and the way we cover Wichita news and events. Thank you to all of the current insiders!

Weekend
Dear Evan Hansen | Roxy’s Downtown | 5/8 - 6/13
Butch Cassidy and the Can’t Dance Kid | Mosley Street Melodrama | 5/29 - 7/11
Wichita Community Theatre Presents Lost Girl | Wichita Community Theatre | 8am through 6/7
39th Annual Midwest Chevelle Regionals | WSU | 8am through 6/6
Garden Tour | Sedgwick County Extension Building | 6/5 - 6/7
Friday 6/5
First Friday Market | Hopping Gnome | 5pm
W Downtown Crawl | Union Station Plaza | 5pm
Here’s To You LIve: Interactive Dinner | Odd Fellow Hall | 5:30pm
Riverflix: GOAT | Exploration Place | 6pm
Saturday 6/6
Kansas Grown Farmers Market | 21st & Ridge | 7am
Old Town Farm & Art Market | Old Town | 8am
Kansas Grown Indoor Farmers Market | Andover | 8am
8th Annual ICT Picklefest | Blood Orchard | 10am
Lavender Daze | Prairie Pines | 10am
2026 Gladiator Dash | Sedgwick Co Park | 11am
Save the Kitties Bitchy Bingo Fundraiser | Elisabeth’s Lounge | 1pm
Discovery Day at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House | Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House | 1pm
Midwest R & B Fest | Capitol Federal Amphitheater | 5pm
Discovery Day | Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House | 6pm
Sunday 6/7
Playing in the Past: A Summer Program | Wichita Sedgwick Co Historical Museum | 1pm
Cigar Sunday | Hopping Gnome | 4pm

LIVE MUSIC



SPORTS

That's it for today! Send this to a friend who still won’t give Riverfest a try.
Thanks!
- Landon



