Swing into summer with the perfect family vacation to sunny Wichita, KS. With activities for every age, every interest and everyone, Wichita is the place to be for summer fun.
One thing is for sure: you won’t be able to check everything off your list in one visit, so plan on coming back more than once! Here is your ultimate summer checklist as you navigate things to do in Wichita:
QUICK LIST
Family-Friendly Activities
Live Entertainment/Music
Outdoor Fun
Adult-Only Fun
Upcoming Summer Festivals/Events
Family-Friendly Activities
- Cool off at Rock River Rapids water park or one of the many Greater Wichita YMCA locations
- Beat the summer heat at Wichita Ice Center and learn to figure skate, free skate or play hockey
- Catch the original water fireworks show at WaterWalk Fountains
- Explore Field Station: Dinosaurs and become an honorary scientist as you trek through the largest animatronic dinosaur theme park in North America
- Learn how to protect the bee population and how honey is extracted at Botanica Wichita’s new Alexander Bee House or explore the more than 30 themed gardens
- Enjoy live music and delicious food at Food Trucks at the Fountain, Wichita’s most popular food truck rally
- Visit Bar2Bar MX Park, the No. 1 motocross track in Kansas, to experience dirt-flying excitement during one of the public events
- Hit the racetrack yourself for go-karts at All Star Sports or enjoy kiddie rides at All Star Adventures
- Watch the planes land 60-feet from your table at Stearman Field Bar & Grill
- Stop for lunch at the ICT Pop-Up Urban Park to experience Wichita’s local food truck scene
Photo: Mickey Shannon
Live Entertainment/Music
- Check out a 2019 Music Theatre Wichita production with performances including, “The Sound of Music,” “An American in Paris,” “A Chorus Line,” “Chicago” and “In the Heights”
- Enjoy the relaxing sound of outdoor concerts series like the Bradley Fair Summer Concert Series, the KEYN Summer Concert Series at WaterWalk Plaza and Tuesdays on the Terrace at Botanica Wichita
- Check out who’s playing nearly every night of the week at Mort’s Martini & Cigar Bar, Public at the Brickyard, Barleycorn’s, WAVE, Club Rodeo, XY Bar and Rock Island Live
- Head to Roxy’s Downtown, Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper or Mosley Street Melodrama for dinner and a show
Outdoor Fun
- Interact with exotic animals at Tanganyika Wildlife Park
- See the largest elephant pool in the world at the seventh-largest zoo in the United States at the Sedgwick County Zoo
- See some of Wichita’s hidden gems in some of the 144 parks throughout the city
- Rent a kayak or stand-up paddle board and get active on the Arkansas River through the City of Parks & Recreation sunrise and sunset tours June-September
- Take part in Wichita’s Boats & Bikes program, another boat rental option along the Arkansas
- Head to the Keeper of the Plains at night for the traditional firepots lighting ceremony
- Rent a bike from Bike Share ICT and take a trek through downtown or around the Arkansas River Trail
- Go on a mural tour and find as many urban art pieces as you can
- Count the Keepers around Wichita with the Keepers on Parade checklist
- Challenge your family to a game of disc golf or FootGolf
Adult-Only Fun
- Take a Brew Wagon Tour and visit at least three breweries to try different local flavors
- Try at least eight of our local breweries and coffee shops with Visit Wichita’s Wicked Brew Tour
- Laugh until you cry at Wichita’s only comedy club, The Loony Bin
- Explore the historic brick-lined streets and nightlife scene of Old Town District
- Press your luck at Kansas Star Casino
Upcoming Summer Festivals/Events
- Kenny Chesney: Songs for the Saints Tour at INTRUST Bank Arena – May 3
- Open Streets ICT – NoMar 2019 – May 5
- Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Sedgwick Co. Zoo – May 5
- Steve Martin & Martin Short: Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t Tour at Hartman Arena – May 8
- RiverFlix at Exploration Place – May 10, May 17, May 24
- Keeper of the Plains 45th Birthday at Mid-America All-Indian Center – May 18
- Air Capital Bacon, Beer & Bourbon Festival at Hartman Arena – May 18
- Great Plains Nature Center: Walk With Wildlife 2019 – May 18
- Wichita Grand Opera’s Opera on the Lake: Rock Opera! at Bradley Fair – May 30
- 2019 Wichita Riverfest – May 31-June 8
- 2019 Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Festival – June 6-8
- Brit Floyd at Orpheum Theatre – June 7
- Ron White at Hartman Arena – June 14
- Twilight Tour at Tanganyika Wildlife Park – June 15
- Father’s Day Car Show at Sedgwick County Zoo – June 16
- Tom Segura: Take it Down Tour at Orpheum Theatre – June 28
- Red Dirt Roundup ft. Pat Green, Wade Bowen, Jack Ingram, Mountain Deer Revival & Morrison County at Capitol Federal Amphitheater – June 29
- Red, White & Boom at the Hyatt Lawn – July 4
- Celebrate America at Bradley Fair – July 4
- Automobilia’s 25th Moonlight Car Show & Street Party – July 13
- Andover Blues & Brews Festival at Capitol Federal Amphitheater – July 20
- Cardi B presented by Flyover with special guests Kevin Gates and Saweetie at INTRUST Bank Arena – July 24
- The Basketball Tournament at Wichita State University – July 25-28
- 85th NBC World Series at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium – July 27-Aug. 10
- Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Chambers 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour at WAVE – July 31
For a complete list of events happening in Wichita this summer, check our calendar of events page, which is updated daily with new activities and things to do.
