Confirm requirements for visiting and details of in-person events you plan to attend in case of last-minute changes. Masks are mandatory in Sedgwick County.
Free: First Friday gallery crawl
various times Friday, in-person and online
For the first time since March, the list of participating sites for the First Friday gallery crawl is in double digits. From one-of-a-kind succulent arrangements on display and for sale from 2 to 8 p.m. at retailer Uniquities Home to the day-long opening of “Solid Ground: The Art of Mark Flickinger and Denise M. Irwin” at Mark Arts.
Other galleries and retailers planning events or exhibition openings (at the time of print): Riney Fine Arts Center at Friends University, Vertigo 232 Gallery, The Fiber Studio & Gallery, The Enchanted Mermaid, WSU ShiftSpace, Hopping Gnome Brewing Company, Architect Counseling Center and Open Studios Garvey Center.
Some events are virtual, others are in-person with capacity restrictions. Check with each venue on visitor requirements. Find an interactive map and a preview of events at downtownwichita.org.
Opera at the Sedgwick County Zoo
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sedgwick County Zoo
Friends University is staging the opera, Alcina, outdoors at the zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. The hero, Ruggiero, arrives on an island enchanted by the sorceress, Alcina, who seduces every knight that lands on her island, but soon tires of her lovers and changes them into wild animals, stones or plants. Doors open at 6 p.m. and masks are required. Purchase tickets ($15 for adults; $10 for seniors, students and zoo members) in advance at friends.edu/fineartstickets. The opera continues Oct. 9 and 11.
Free: Show N Shine car show
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Starlite Drive-In, 3900 S. Hydraulic
Kansas Right Lane Society, a car club comprised mainly of cars that like slow cruisin’, is organizing this show. Parking and entrance is free to the public. Registrations and any extra donations received support the Starlite Drive-In, Ronald McDonald House and Kansas Humane Society.
Winfield’s 46th annual Art in the Park
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Island Park, 200 Main St. in Winfield
Among the nearly fine art and fine crafts exhibitors selected to show by the Winfield Arts & Humanities Council, Art in the Park will feature a full day of live music and a children’s craft section. Benches have been removed from the performance venue area to encourage distancing, so bring a lawn chair. There’s a $2 suggested donation that benefits children’s art classes.
Free: Come Fly a Kite
Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Chapin Park, 2400 E. MacArthur
Bring your own kite or buy one on-site (starting at $5 and up) for this free, all-ages event coordinated by the city of Wichita Park & Recreation. Wings of the Wind Kites & Toys will provide flying instruction and professional flying demonstrations.
Virtual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
7 p.m. Saturday, virtual
The third annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, organized by Kansas Alliance of Wetlands & Streams (KAWS), is virtual this year. The live lobby opens online at 7 p.m., followed at 7:30 by a lineup of films to immerse you in the ebbs and flows of the natural world. Tickets range from $10-$30 per household with proceeds from the festival and a silent auction supporting KAWS’ work on the Arkansas River. Buy tickets and see a list of films at kaws.org.
Cynthia Rausch Band at Union Stockyards
8 p.m. Saturday at Wichita Union Stockyards, 6251 W. MacArthur
Cynthia Rausch, from nearby Sharon, is bringing her mix of red dirt and old school country rock to the Stockyards stage. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Bring $10 cash cover.
Free: Space legends at virtual Cosmosphere event
2 p.m. Sunday, virtual
Kansan astronaut Steven Hawley along with Apollo-era astronauts Michael Collins, Charlie Duke, Fred Haise, Jim Lovell and Harrison Schmitt will make guest appearances during Onward & Upward, the Cosmosphere’s first virtual telethon and auction.
The event is accessible through the Cosmosphere’s Facebook page. It starts with a fundraising telethon including virtual tours of artifacts such as the Apollo 13 Command Module Odyssey and the Liberty Bell 7 and the appearances by individuals involved in space exploration from the Apollo and Shuttle era to today. An auction with hundreds of items, experiences and autographed space memorabilia will kick off following the telethon and run through Oct. 18. Proceeds help the Hutchinson nonprofit museum overcome challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Free: Art on a Monday lecture
12:45 to 2 p.m. Monday, virtual
Wichita printmaker Doug Billings, founder of Tallgrass Prairie Press Printmakers and instructor of printmaking at Mark Arts, is leading this online, illustrated virtual talk. The Friends of the Wichita Art Museum event is free; register at wichitaartmuseum.org to receive Zoom details.
National Christian artists perform in-person at Starlite
6:30-9:30 Wednesday at Starlite Drive-In, 3900 S. Hydraulic
Zach Williams and Big Daddy Weave are performing a live double-header at Starlite as part of a traveling national tour of drive-ins. Williams, a Grammy winner from Jonesboro, Ark., is known for his blend of southern rock, country and faith-filled songwriting. Big Daddy Weave is a five-piece Christian band from Mobile, Ala.
Tickets are $100 plus fees for general admission parking or $175 for parking closest to the stage and screen. Tickets are sold per car (up to six people) and you’ll be parked in order of arrival in the tier purchased.
Botanica Storytime – Tots, Tales & Tunes
10:30 a.m. Thursdays at Botanica, 701 Amidon
Botanica is offering a musical storytime with rhythmic stories, fingerplays, songs and sunshine. Classes will be held outdoors, weather permitting, and you’re encouraged to bring a blanket and a snack to complete the morning. Once the weather turns colder, they’ll move indoors.
Distancing limits each session to 30 participants. Tickets, which includes access to the gardens for the entire day, must be purchased in advance: $12 adults, $9 ages 3-12 years, free for ages younger than 3 and $3 for members.
