Zoobilee, Sept. 6

Food and beverage stations featuring restaurants from throughout the area plus a great cause make the annual Sedgwick County Zoo fundraiser Zoobilee one of the biggest charitable parties of the year. This year’s event is Saturday, Sept. 6. Get your tickets early as it typically sells out.

Latin Fest ICT, Sept. 6

The annual Latin Fest ICT is Saturday, Sept. 6 at Evergreen Park in Wichita. Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the culture and traditions from Central/South America, Mexico and the Latin Caribbean. There will be live dance and music performances, presentations and exhibitions, games and a variety of authentic cuisine and merchandise. Bring your lawn chair for this free outdoor event.

Orie's Garlic Fest, Sept. 7

The only festival of its kind in the region, Orie’s Garlic Fest brings herb lovers together for a unique celebration of all things garlic. The annual food and art festival includes samples, tastings and workshops, as well as family-friendly fun, food and shopping opportunities. It will happen on Sunday, Sept. 7 at Old Town Plaza and Brickyard.

Autumn & Art, Sept. 12-14

Celebrate the creative spirit at Kansas’ premier boutique alfresco fine art show. Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair is purposely limited to no more than 100 invited artists from around the country, who show and sell their works in a variety of media—painting, photography, jewelry, sculpture and more. This is the 16th year for the free, alfresco fine art show. There’s also live art demonstrations and art-themed activities for children throughout the event, Sept. 12-14.

Crave Culinary Festival, Sept. 16-20

This five-day festival features an artistic fusion of food and friends benefiting Mark Arts. A variety of culinary and libation evening workshops featuring local and national culinary experts happen from Tuesday, Sept. 16 through Friday, Sept. 19.

The festival then culminates on Saturday, Sept. 20 with a Foodie Fair where guests can sample food from local chefs and restaurants, plus vote for their favorite. Each event during the Crave Culinary Festival has a separate ticket and tickets are on sale now.

ICT Fest, Sept. 18-20

Expect local, regional and national artists at this three-day, no genre restriction, no age restriction celebration of music at Nortons Brewing Co. and Kirby's Beer Store. Mark your calendars for Sept. 18-20 for ICT Fest and plan to see a variety of talented acts.

ICT Yoga Fest, Sept. 19-20

This two-day indoor/outdoor festival is packed with classes, workshops and activities representing different styles of yoga and movement taught by teachers from throughout the region. ICT Yoga Fest is Sept. 19-20 inside and around the Wichita Boathouse.

Kansas Railfest, Sept. 27

The Kansas Railfest, organized by the Great Plains Transportation Museum, gives attendees the chance to learn about the history of trains and the railroad in Wichita. The festival, held at the museum, features food, local musicians and activities such as a scavenger hunt. Train rides will be available for an additional $7 per person.

^{Photo: Tyler Cooper}

Wagonmaster’s Downtown Chili Cookoff, Sept. 27

Get your tasting kit and sample the best chili in the Midwest at the Wagonmaster's Downtown Chili Cookoff on Sept. 27. The event takes up several downtown blocks with nearly 80 teams of chili makers, live music and silly contests.

Wichita Asian Festival, Sept. 27

The 44th annual Wichita Asian Festival brings authentic food from as many as 15 Asian countries under one roof. The event also offers multiple cultural stage performances, art vendors and the Miss Wichita Asian Festival Scholarship Pageant. The annual event is Sept. 27 at Century II and is organized by the Wichita Asian Association.

ICT Bee Fest, Sept. 27

Celebrate fall by buzzing over to the third annual ICT Bee Fest, a free, family-friendly event honoring Kansas’s native pollinators. Hosted by the Mid-America All-Indian Museum and Grassland Groupies. This year’s festivities—expected to build on last year’s crowd of over 750—include monarch butterfly tagging, wildflower seed giveaways, a native plant marketplace, bug hunts and expert tips on starting your own pollinator-friendly garden.

Great Plains Renaissance & Scottish Festival, Sept. 27-28

Held biannually, the fall Great Plains Renaissance & Scottish Festival happens Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27-28 at Sedgwick County Park with a full royal court. There will be jousts and jests, knights and knaves, bagpipes and blacksmiths, fire breathers, fairies, the Scottish Highland games and more.

Open Streets ICT, Sept. 28

Open Streets ICT started in 2017 as an annual fall event along Douglas Avenue. It has grown into a biannual occasion with the addition of a spring event at the Nomar Market. The fall 2025 event is Sunday, Sept. 28 and participants are encouraged to bike, walk or run while experiencing live music and dancing, entertainment, art, food, yoga and more through local businesses and activity hubs set up along Douglas Avenue. For this event, the street is closed to vehicle traffic on a 4-mile stretch from College Hill to the Historic Delano District.

Prost’s Oktoberfest, Oct. 2-4

Wichita’s German restaurant Prost is throwing its authentic, family-friendly Oktoberfest from Thursday, Oct. 1 through Saturday, Oct. 3 at its urban biergarten at the Revolutsia development. Expect imported German beers on tap, polka music, a special festival food menu, fun contests like a stein hoisting contest, kids activities and more from Prost’s owners, who have attended Oktoberfest in Germany several times.

Drone Light Festival, Oct. 3-5

This is one of Wichita’s coolest festivals, with 300 synchronized drones, floating Chinese water lanterns, projections on the buildings, a concert lit by more than 2,000 candles plus plenty to do before the sun goes down. Start by enjoying the exhibits inside Exploration Place, food trucks and activity booths before the drone show. Then at dark, you’ll be gazing into the beautiful Kansas sky in downtown Wichita watching hundreds of choreographed drones creating formations. The Drone Light Festival happens Friday through Sunday, Oct. 3-5. 

ICT Bloktoberfest, Oct. 10-11

The family-friendly, free ICT Bloktoberfest is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11 at Naftzger Park. This Wichita block party with a traditional Oktoberfest flair features music, food, beer, games and entertaining contests from the Wiener Dog Olympics to the stein hoist.

Prairie Fire Fall Marathon, Oct. 12

The Prairie Fire Race Series offers spring and fall races on flat, fast courses through the heart of Wichita. The Fall 2025 Prairie Fire Event is Sunday, Oct. 12 and offers a marathon (Boston Marathon qualifier), half marathon, 5K and Family 5K.

^{Photo: Tallgrass Film Festival}

Tallgrass Film Festival, Oct. 16-19

Wichita’s annual film festival has long been considered among the best for filmmakers. In 2023, it made the list of the top 25 coolest film festivals in the world to attend, according to MovieMaker Magazine. In 2024, the publication named it one of 50 film festivals worth the entry fee in 2024. The 23rd annual Tallgrass Film Festival runs from Oct. 16-19 at various locations, mostly in downtown Wichita. Expect short and feature films from around the world, filmmaker labs, roundtables, VIP receptions, gala parties and more.

^{Open Streets ICT}

But, wait, there are more fall festivals... 

• RiverFlix at Exploration Place – Friday nights through Oct. 17
• Kansas Maze Sunflower Festival at Gaeddert Farms – Aug. 21 – Sept. 8 (estimated dates)
• Twilight Tunes on the Terrace at Botanica Wichita Sept. – 2-30
• Heritage Square Concert Series at Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum – Sept. 3-24
• Shop & Grub at Exploration Place – Aug. 16, Sept. 28, Oct. 18, Oct. 19
• Nomar Fiesta at Nomar International Market – Oct. 4
• Goddard Fall Festival on Main Street in Goddard – Oct. 10-12