March 5, 2021—WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita Festivals, Inc., in conjunction with contest sponsor Emprise Bank, today announced that Meghan and Juanta Wolfe, who were the winners of the Riverfest 2020 Poster & Artwork Contest, will continue to serve as Official Artists of Riverfest for 2021. The dates for Riverfest were also announced and are a departure from the usual nine-day summer event.
The Wolfes’ poster and button designs, featuring a robot DJ and his disco ball buddy, were revealed in January 2020. But shortly thereafter, the pandemic prevented WFI from hosting a traditional Riverfest and the winning artwork barely saw the light of day. The Riverfest team and Emprise Bank asked the artists if they would update the artwork in subtle ways, to keep their vision but make it distinctly 2021.
“One year ago we were honored to have our poster selected for Riverfest,” said Juanta. “So many of you hadn’t seen it yet, and we are so happy to have the chance to update it. We’ve been inspired by the events of the last year when deciding on changes, and we feel like the poster has been tailored for 2021.”
The updated poster features eleven changes to the original, including a new theme: “The River Rocks Again.” The 2020 and 2021 posters can be seen side-by-side at WichitaRiverfest.com where festival fans can try to spot the differences. A list of the answers is posted as well.
“We are honored to continue our longstanding partnership with Riverfest to sponsor the Poster and Button Artwork Contest,” said Matt Michaelis, Chairman and CEO of Emprise Bank. “It’s wonderful to be able to support Wichita’s thriving art community and Wichita’s 49-year tradition of Riverfest. It’s also exciting that Meghan and Juanta have another opportunity for their amazing artwork to shine.”
The poster, sponsored by Docuplex, serves as an invitation to the largest community celebration in Kansas: Riverfest. This year, in an effort to both accommodate festival fans who are eager to get out in the sunshine and keep attendees safe, the festival will be presented in two extended weekends.
June 4-6 will feature mostly participatory events, including the Fidelity Bank River Run on Saturday, a Riverfest triathlon on Sunday, Paddle Board 5K and other river races, USA Softball tournaments, and a plein air painting festival throughout the weekend.
“We are scheduling those events in June that are easier to present with social distancing,” said Ann Keefer, interim president/CEO of WFI. “Those who wish to participate can register for the events they choose. We will not offer a food court or other events in a downtown gated area during the June event. In the fall, however, Riverfest will look a whole lot more like the giant party you remember.”
The second half of Riverfest, scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 3, will include a festival food court, headliner concerts, fireworks, iconic kids’ events such as KAKE TouchATruck, the Sundown Parade and more.
Riverfest admission buttons for the fall event will be available starting in late August at area QuikTrip locations: $10 for adults and $5 for children. Kids five years old and younger get in free. Most participatory event registrations for the early summer event include a button. Buttons are also available at WichitaFestivalsShop.com. Those who bought Riverfest 2020 buttons can use them for admission to the fall portion of the festival, which will be gated.
Registration has begun for Fidelity Bank River Run at RiverRunWichita.com. Those interested in participating in the USA Softball tournaments can find more info at WichitaRiverfest.com, where all event details will be posted as they become available.
Wichita Festivals, Inc. is a non-profit organization with the purpose of creating diverse celebrations for the Wichita community. The primary events produced by Wichita Festivals, Inc. are Riverfest (June 4-6 and Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021), Wichita Festivals Golf Tournament in Memory of Bob Struble (September 10, 2021) and Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair (September 17-19, 2021). For more information about Wichita Festivals or its events, contact Teri Mott at (316) 267-2817 or teri@wichitafestivals.com.