Life Hacks For Riverfest 2019

May 30, 2019

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With nine days packed full concerts, events, contests and more, there are lots of things to see and do at Riverfest. To make the most of your experience, check out these Riverfest life hacks.

1. Park for Free

Free parking will be available at Gander Mountain and in the WaterWalk parking garage. Additional free parking will be available after 6 p.m. on weekdays in the parking lot just east of the Wichita Public Library, the lots east of the Garvey Center (across Water), at the northwest corner of First and Water, at the southwest corner of Main and Third and at the northeast corner of Third and Waco.

If you're going to a concert or the food court, skip the garages, there's tons of street parking just north of the concert area. It's free and there's less traffic than on the south side of Century II.

For a full list of downtown parking visit DowntownWichita.org

2. Avoid Parking Altogether With New Options For Transportation

Catch the Q-Line trolley and ride to and from the festival for free. With two Riverfest stops, one at each of the Douglas gates, and a stop at the ICT Pop-Up Park, you'll be just steps away from your chauffeur.
Look for one of five Uber/Lyft stops conveniently located at the festival gates.
Renta Bike - Bike Share ICT has Zagster stalls all over with rentals costing as little as $3 per hour.
Ride your bike to the festival and enjoy free secured bicycle parking at the bike valet.

3. Map a Plan

Take a look at the Riverfest map to figure out the best ways to get where you're going, and where exactly that place is. Mark locations and where you parked on your phone's map app.

4. Know Your New Amenities

Wichita Festivals puts a lot of effort into improving Riverfest year after year. Here are all the latest improvements coming this year:

Wichita Bike Valet
- Cruise down to the festival on your bike and enjoy free secured bicycle parking at the bike valet located in Ackerman’s Backyard.
Charging Station
- Power up your mobile devices at the Westar Energy charging station, located near the Century II food court.
Giant Screen
- Get event updates, festival news and weather, plus social media fun and close-ups of your favorite concert acts. These are just some of the ways the giant screen will amp up your festival fun!
Check-N-Safe Lockers
- Secure your belongings in a monitored and locked storage locker for a daily fee. Lockers are located at all festival main gates.
Keep Cool
- Take the edge off the summer heat with a stroll through one of two misting tents: the Meritrust misting tent on Kennedy Plaza and the CNH Industrial misting tent in the RedGuard Stage area. Misting stations are located throughout the festival, too.
Mobile App
- Download the Riverfest Mobile App to your iPhone or Android and check out schedules and maps, receive push notifications about event changes and other breaking news and play the ICTreasure game!
Recycling
- Each year more than 50,000 beverages are sold at Riverfest. Please recycle your cups, bottles and cans. Look for recycling containers throughout the festival.
Sedgwick County Care Stations
- Minor first aid needs and lost children can be found at stations in Cox Kids Corner, on Kennedy Plaza and at the Kansas Army National Guard area, which features an air-conditioned cool-down tent. The stations also offer diaper-changing and breast-feeding areas.
Weather Information
- Get up-to-the minute weather information at KSN.com. For a custom Riverfest forecast on your mobile device, download the free KSN Weather app.
Q-Line Trolley
- Catch the trolley and ride free to and from the festival. With two convenient stops at each of the Douglas entrances and one at the ICT Pop-Up Park, you'll be just steps away from your chauffeur. For routes and schedules visit wichitatransit.org.

5. Hydrate and Save

Via fun-o-cakes.com.

Riverfest has a great food court that you can smell for miles. If you want your money to travel as far as the smell of fried foods, save your food court tickets for Pronto Pups and funnel cakes by bringing a bottle of water or two. You'll save money and you'll have a drink no matter where you are. Note, that the bottles cannot be opened. Thanks to the Wichita Wagonmasters, you can bring your refillable water bottle to Riverfest this year and fill it with cold water for FREE! Watch for the Water Stations on Kennedy Plaza and in the RedGuard Stage Area!

6. Porta-Potty Preparedness

If you're planning to enjoy to enjoy the festivities all day long, the time will come when you will have to use a porta-potty. If you have kids in your group or if you just don't trust porta-potties, carrying a bag with a small amount of toilet paper, baby wipes and hand sanitizer isn't a bad idea.

7. Button Bonuses

Several Local attractions offer discounted admission with a Riverfest during the festival, so get even more of your money's worth by visiting the following locations offering discounted admission:

Botanica, admission discount
Cowtown Museum, admission discount
Exploration Place, admission discount and a discount on Boeing Dome Theatre tickets
Sedgwick County Zoo, admission discount
Wichita Art Museum, admission discount
Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum, admission discount
Mid-American All Indian Center, oadmission discount

You can also get $5 off your regular menu price purchase of $20 or more at Knolla's Pizza when you show your Riverfest button June 1-9, 2018

8. Free Admission to Local Attractions

In addition to several free concerts at Riverfest, your button will also grant you free admission to these local area attractions:

Great Plains Nature Center
The Kansas African American Museum
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
Keeper of the Plains Plaza
Ulrich Museum of Art
Wichita Toy Train Museum

9. Submit Your Snapshots

We're excited to be this year's sponsor of the Wichita Riverfest Photo contest! Take some pics and enter them for a chance at some cash prizes!

This year's submission categories are:

That’s SO Riverfest
Riverfest Live!
What’s New?
River Antics
Safelite AutoGlass® Sundown Parade
Faces & Fireworks
The Thrill of Victory
People’s Choice
Best of Show

All Categories, with the exception of Best of Show, will have Four prizes awarded: 1st ($100),2nd ($75), 3rd ($50), and Honorable Mention ($25). Best of Show will have one prize of $250.