Together with Parade of Homes

The 2026 Spring Parade of Homes is your chance to see where dreams are built and where inspiration comes home.

This isn’t just an event to tour homes (although they are amazing to look at), it is an opportunity to interact with the top builders in the Wichita area, ask questions, and get inspired about your possible future home. 

The FINAL WEEKEND is almost here - April 25-26!

(SATURDAY & SUNDAY 1PM TO 5PM)

Wichita Riverfest

One of the best times of the year in Wichita is right around the corner. That’s right, Wichita Riverfest is just 37 days away. As we approach our annual celebration down by the river, I wanted to dive into the history a little bit to understand where it came from and why.

Get your buttons at QuikTrips in Wichita and some QTs in participating suburbs. AND GET THEM TODAY TO save $5 as part of Early Bird Buttons!

Wichita Centennial

To talk of Riverfest is to talk of the founding of Wichita which was incorporated as a city back in 1870.

Fast forward 100 years and it was time for Wichita to celebrate its Centennial.

The goal was to bring the whole community together to build pride and focus around the b-e-a-u-tiful natural resource we have right here in Wichita.

No, we don’t have oceans. No, we don’t have lakes. No, we do not have mountains…but we do have a river and that is worth celebrating!

The Origins

In 1971, Wichita Festivals, Inc was created and the board members chose May 27, 1972 to hold the first ever Wichitennial River Festival and Traders Day. That doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as well as Wichita Riverfest, but it does have some charm to it. (We should bring back “Big Stupendous Colossal” as an ad slogan.)

The OG fest was 1 day and had many of your favorite things and a few others including:

• bathtub race, maypole winding, canoe races, carnival, art show, antique auto parade and race, waterski show, bike races, an Indian Pow-Wow and the Moonlight River Parade

The Origin of the Button

The Festival has always been for everyone and to make it affordable for everyone, the organized created a button to sell to the general public. The buttons as well as partnerships with local corporations make the festival sustainable. That first year, 2000 buttons were sold at $1 each ($7.90 in today’s monies).

In 1973, the plan was confirmed to make it an annual traditions that takes place in the month of May.

The Origin of the Wichita Wagonmasters

In 1974, a group of young business leaders came together to create a support organization for the festival. These individuals become known as the “Wichita Wagonmasters”. Many other festivals around the country had a central theme and symbolic leader and it felt like the right time for Wichita. (The Wagonmasters now do much more than just Riverfest, but that is still a core piece.) There is also a “little-known Disney cartoon film of a legendary Admiral sailing his windwagon across the prairie led to the creation of Admiral Windwagon Smith”.

The Origin of the Prairie Schooner Mates

1976 brought about the first round of Prairie Schooner Mates which are high school students selected to accompany the Admiral on PR visits. Originally it was one young woman from each Wichita high school, now it is men and women.

The Evolution

In 1974, the same year as the Wagonmasters the festival went from 1 day → 10 days and then featured:

• Sundown Parade, the Twilight pops Concert (with the Wichita Symphony playing), and fireworks

• This was also the first year of the Wichita Eagle-Beacon Windwagon Medallion Hunt where clues were published daily in the newspaper

Wichita River Festival

The event officially became the Wichita River Festival in 1979.

It show some of the trajectory of the event for button sales:

• 1972: 2000

• 1982: 55,000

• 1988: 208,000

• 2007: 126,000

• 2008: 126,000

• 2014: 111,000

• 2015: 97,000 (prices increased from $5 to $10)

and for attendance:

• 2007: 385,000

• 2008: 310,000

• 2014: 380,000

• 2015: 410,000

Obviously a lot of this depends on the weather.

The Wichita River Festival was popping in the 80s and people all over the city, county, state, region, and even nation took notice.

There were live broadcasts for the Twilight Pops Concert, Sundown Parade and river Run.

Research even stated that half of all the people in Sedgwick County attended at least one day of the festival.

This brought an estimated $14 million into the local economy.

I Love the 90’s

The button price DOUBLED 😲 in price in 1990 to $2 ($4.89 in today’s monies)…but no one batted an eye.

The Poster Artwork Competition was still a hit (see all the historic posters here).

As sponsors grew, the number of events also grew with a record 94 events in 1996.

The late 1990’s moved the concerts to south Riverside Park.

The 2000s

2002 was a tough year, so events moved back to the heart of downtown with the west bank stage and Kennedy Plaza being main hubs for concerts.

Button were priced at $3 from 2000-2005.

In 2004, the Ar-Kansas River quality even became a problem back then so much that the City had to more closely watch the bacteria levels and Stinky the Fish become a poster icon. Record crowds came out, partly thanks to the good weather.

Riverfest buttons went from $3 → $5 for 2006-2014 and then raised to $10 in 2015.

The Death of the Bathtub

People started to grow tired of the antique bathtub races as people didn’t show up to participate or watch, so it ended in 2008. RIP.

For a full dive into the history, check out the Wichita Riverfest site. You can also see 40 years of Riverfest moments here.

Classic Buttons

Did you know that the Wichita Festivals office sells a limited supply of past buttons?

Don’t forget to get your buttons today! (and your early bird buttons until April 30th!)

If you hadn’t heard, yes, we are a Riverfest media partner this year through the Kansas Media Collective. If you or your organization want to learn more about working with KMC, just let me know!

Have another topic you want us to cover in a deep dive?

Let us know!

Together with Wichita Riverfest

Riverfest Sign-Ups are now open!

This year the party takes place from May 29 through June 6, but you can sign up for many of the events today!

• 5/30 - Fidelity Bank River Run

• 5/30 - 6/5 - Photography Contest

• 6/6 - Pickleball Tournament “Dinks on the River”

• 5/30 - 6/2 - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

• 6/6 - Classic Car Show

• 5/31 - Cardboard Regatta

• 5/30 - Cowboy Bathtub Races

There are so many ways to get involved and participate, make this the year you try something new (or continue a tradition)!