Win Backstage Passes and Meet Your Favorite Performers!

Want to be a Riverfest VIP? Win backstage passes to meet your favorite artists just by following Riverfest on Twitter and Facebook!

If you aren’t currently following Riverfest on Twitter.com, find us at Twitter.com/Riverfest. Search for ‘Wichita River Festival’ on Facebook and ‘Like’ us today!

We will be giving away quite the concert package beginning next week! Our giveaway includes two pairs of backstage passes, two Riverfest buttons and two gate admission tickets to a Twitter follower and a Facebook fan to be given away every day of the week, beginning Friday, April 30 and ending Friday, May 7.

Schedule of Backstage Pass Giveaways
Cheap Trick: Friday, April 30
Jake Owen: Monday, May 3
The Funk Brothers: Tuesday, May 4
The Fabulous Thunderbirds: Wednesday, May 5
Joe Nichols: Thursday, May 6
Grand Funk Railroad: Friday, May 7

Each winner will receive a pair of backstage passes, plus two buttons and gate admission for that respective day’s entertainer. To enter your name in our drawing for a chance to win via Twitter, retweet our contest tweet by 5:00 pm each day. For a chance to win via Facebook, leave a comment under the post by 5:00 pm each day. Please only retweet once or leave one comment on Facebook. Commenting repeatedly will not guarantee you the winner.

Wichita Festivals, Inc. will randomly draw a winner from Twitter and Facebook shortly after 5:00 pm each day and notify winners by direct message on Twitter and message on Facebook.

Winners can claim their passes, buttons and gate admission tickets at Wichita Festivals, located at 1820 E. Douglas, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 pm, Monday, May 3 – Friday, May 7.

See you at Riverfest!

Great Events for the Kiddos at Riverfest!

Even though I'm sure all of you have already raced to pick up your Riverfest button and have browsed the Festival guide numerous times to pick out the events you'll be attending, I wanted to remind you of a few new events that you might want to bring the young ones to.

On Sunday, May 9, there will be a Hot Air Balloon Glow taking place on Hyatt Lawn, beginning at 6:00 pm. You won't want to miss this sight as the beautiful balloons light up the night sky! But there is also a Children's Balloon Release at 7:00 pm that night. The first 500 kids to arrive will get a balloon to release precisely at 7:00 pm. What a great photo that will be!

We will also be bringing back a family favorite on Thursday, May 13. Come Walk with Dorothy will take place on the Kennedy Plaza Stage that evening at 6:30 pm. Bring your entire family down dressed as your favorite character from the Wizard of Oz! Prizes will be awarded to those ages 2-7 with the best costumes! The Prairie Schooner Mates are working on this event and it will for sure be a great time!

The Festival is less three weeks and one day away... We can't wait to see you in Downtown Wichita on May 7!

Top 10 'Captain Who?' Names Revealed ... Vote Now!

Wichita Festivals, Inc. received more than 180 names for the 'Captain Who? Name the Raccoon' contest that ended yesterday, April 5, at 5:00 pm. A volunteer panel was able to narrow that large list down to the top 10 names...

And now, it is up to you!

We have listed the final 10 names in a poll located on the left side of the blog. You can vote for your favorite from now until Wednesday, May 5 at 5:00 pm.

Remember, the winning name will win a $1,000 at the Kansas Gas Service Grand Opening Celebration to be held on Friday, May 7 at 12:30 pm on the Midwest Ford Dealers Food Court Stage.

Let the voting begin!

See You at the Mall!

Admiral Windwagon Smith, the Prairie Schooner Mates and Wichita Festivals, Inc. staff members want to see you at the mall!

On Saturday, April 3 at Towne East Mall and Saturday, April 17, at Towne West Mall, this crew will be out and about the mall from 2:00 - 4:00 pm selling Riverfest buttons, passing out information on all of the participatory events during the Festival, recruiting volunteers to help at Riverfest and passing out balloons to the kiddos as a promotion for the Hot Air Balloon Glow and Children's Balloon Release that will be held on Sunday, May 9 at Riverfest!

At Towne East Mall, you will find the staff near the Kidgits Kids play area, in front of Sears and at Towne West Mall on April 17, the staff will be near the entrance to the women's side of Dillard's.

We'll see you at the mall!

Check it Out!

Thanks to Intake Studios, you can watch the latest Riverfest commercial to hit the airwaves.

Enjoy!

Hey Festival Goers

Sorry for the long pause between blogs. I promise it won't happen again. At the urging of my good friend Dan Engle I am back at the computer letting you know what I am up to. Last night I went to the Bel Aire Senior Center and did a presentation with Celia Cayless from WFI about volunteering at the Festival and all the history of Windwagon Smith. Later this week I will be at several other community meetings representing the Festival and letting people know how to volunteer and get involved.

Don't forget the deadline for naming the raccoon character deadline is April 5th! You could win $1000 talk about easy money!!! April 5th is also the day buttons go on sale to the public so buy a button or two so you have a spare.

If you missed the St Patrick's Day Parade you missed a really good time. All the Schooner Mates were dressed in green and were doing a fantastic job of greeting the crowd along the parade route. I just know they are going to be a blast to be around during the Festival.

If you belong to a community or civic group and would like for me to come speak please call Kim Wickliff at the Festival office to set up the appointment. Her number is 267-2817.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more updates!

Participate and WIN at Riverfest!

Riverfest participatory event entry forms went on line Monday, March 15 and I can bet that there is just about something for everyone to participate in this year:

Riverfest Dodge Ball
Dodge, duck, dip and dive to stay alive in the most exciting game at Riverfest! Six-member teams participate in double-elimination games set up by age group. The $90 registration fee includes Riverfest buttons. Click here for to register! Deadline to sign up is April 30. Cash prizes awarded to the winners of each division!

Riverfest Poker Run
Grab your gear, a few ridin' buddies and start the day with a poker run that ends at Riverfest. Park your bike and make your way to West Bank Stage for the Saturday night concert! Fee to participate is $30 which includes a T-shirt, button and a poker hand. Deadline to sign up is May 3. Registration forms are available here. For complete details, including checkpoints, prizes and more, visit wichitariverfestival.com.

Riverfest Cruise In
Draggin' Douglas just like the old days only this time when you cross Douglas Street Bridge, you can park your car right on Douglas across from Century II. All types of makes and models are welcome to participate. Download your registration form at here and sign up before May 3! The entry fee is only $10 and includes a Riverfest button. First 50 participants to register receive a dash plaque.

5th Annual Bob Struble Memorial Golf Tournament
Get a foursome together and enjoy a round of golf at Willowbend Golf Course. The entry fee is $125 per player, which includes green fees, a golf cart, beverages, lunch, dinner and a Riverfest button. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity in Bob Struble’s memory. Entry forms are available here!

Riverfest Marketplace
Bring your treasures and make some bucks at Riverfest Marketplace, formerly known as the Riverfest Flea Market. Marketplace will be held inside Century II Expo Hall the final weekend of the Festival! To reserve your 10’x10’ booth space,print out your form here and send it back with your $75 booth fee to Wichita Festivals at 1820 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67214. The fee reserves your booth space and includes two Riverfest buttons! Don’t miss out on this amped up version of the former Riverfest Flea Market! Deadline to register is April 21.

Plunge
Are you tough enough to compete in Plunge? Don't miss out on the Wichita version of Survivor! Teams battle through tests of power and strength on water and on land while competing against each other and against the clock. More than $4,000 in cash prizes awarded through fifth place. First place team wins $2,000! Registration forms available here. For an in-depth look at Plunge, check out this video!

We hope that you'll join us for this year's Riverfest - May 7-15, 2010 in Downtown Wichita!