Being bored in Wichita this weekend will take lots of extra effort. So many of fall’s biggest annual events are returning all at once — including the Sedgwick County Zoo’s Wild Lights exhibit, St. George’s annual Lebanese dinner, the Open Streets ICT block party and Blocktoberfest. Not only that, but mega-star Jelly Roll will also be in town on Tuesday for a concert, and Exploration Place is opening an exhibit full of giant toys.
Here’s a rundown of the big events happening in Wichita this weekend and into next week.
Open Streets on Douglas
Noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Douglas from Glenn to Bluff
Open Streets, the big annual street party that shuts down 4.1 miles of Douglas to traffic and fills it with bikers, walkers, skateboarders, live music, dancing, street vendors and food, returns for its fall installment on Sunday. The event will happen from noon to 5 p.m. on Douglas from Bluff Street in College Hill to Glenn Street in Delano. Several stops along the way will be hubs for activity, including Kennedy Plaza in front of Century II, Naftzger Park, East High School and more. Admission is free, and pets are welcome.
Bloktoberfest 2024
4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Bloktoberfest at Naftzger Park: Xclusive Event’s annual Oktoberfest event is scheduled for 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Naftzger Park, 102 S. St. Francis in downtown Wichita. Friday’s attractions will include food and beer trucks, a DJ, and beer fest that will last from 6 to 9 p.m. and requires a ticket that’s $60 in advance and $70 at the door. Saturday’s lineup includes food and beer trucks plus a vendor market from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., wiener dog races at 1 p.m., a dad bod contest at 5 p.m. and more. Admission is free except for the Friday beer fest. For tickets and a full even schedule, visit ictbloktoberfest.com
St. George Lebanese Dinner
4 to 8 p.m. Saturday (dine-in closes at 7 p.m.); noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, St. George Orthodox Christian Church, 7515 E. 13th St.
The 89th annual Lebanese dinner put on by St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral returns this weekend and will offer full Lebanese dinners to both drive-up and dine-in patrons. The meals include salad, pita bread, cabbage rolls, kibba, ruz and yuknee — which is a Lebanese green bean, rice and tomato stew — and baklawa. Meals are $22 for adults, $15 for children 10 and under. The dinner, which is the church’s biggest fundraiser, also includes a popular Country Kitchen offering extra portions of things like kibba, grape leaves and baklawa as well as salad dressing and pita bread. People who attend also can take tours of the church. The dinner is open for dine-in from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Drive-through carry-out hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be pre-purchased at stgeorgecathedral.net or at the door the days of the event.
Giant toys, vintage toys
Friday-Jan. 12, Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean
Toytopia, an exhibit that was last in Wichita in 2018, returns Friday and will be set up at the museum through Jan. 12. It will feature the world’s largest Etch A Sketch, a life-sized Monopoly Car, vintage arcade games, a large Lego wall, a life-sized doll house and more. The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays., and it’s included with regular Exploration Place admission, which is $20 for adults ages 12-64 and $15 for ages 3-11 and 65+.
Jelly Roll in concert
7 p.m. Tuesday, Intrust Bank Arena, 500 E. Waterman
Multi-genre performer Jelly Roll will arrive in Wichita on Tuesday with his “The Beautifully Broken Tour.” A former rapper, Jelly Roll, named Best New Artist by the Country Music Association Awards in 2023, has had several No. 1 hits in his short career, including “Dead Man Walking,” “Halfway to Hell” and “Lonely Road.” The show starts at 7 p.m., and doors open at 6 p.m. Opening acts will be Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay. Remaining tickets are $109-$195 at selectaseat.com, by phone at 316-755-7328 or in person at the Select-A-Seat box office at Intrust Bank Arena.
The return of Wild Lights
6-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, Wednesday-Dec. 22, Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd.
The big Asian lantern display at the Sedgwick County Zoo — called Wild Lights — is returning for its fourth consecutive year and opens on Wednesday. This year’s display of larger-than-life, glowing lanterns set up throughout the zoo will feature all-new displays of “familiar and mythical plants, animals and other creatures.” The after-hours event will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays starting on Wednesday and ending on Dec. 22. Tickets for non-members ages 12-61 are $18 in advance and $20 at the gate. They’re less expensive on Wednesdays, when tickets are $15. Members get a $2 discount, and ages 2 and under are admitted free. They’re on sale at scz.org
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