Get all the bacon you can stomach this weekend —then wash it down with bourbon and beer
An ideal summer day for some includes gorging on bacon and bourbon inside an air conditioned arena. Those people will get their annual chance to attend the Bacon, Bourbon & Brews event this weekend. The VIP tickets are sold out, but general admission tickets still are available.
Also happening this weekend: The Wichita Art Museum is offering a free look at its latest exhibit, and an annual “Big Float” will happen on the Arkansas River.
Here’s a look at some of the fun events happening in and around Wichita this weekend and into next week.
Bacon, bourbon, beer
4 p.m. Saturday, Park City Arena, 8151 N. Hartman Arena Drive, Park City
Park City Arena, formerly Hartman Arena, will be home this weekend to its annual Air Capital Bacon, Bourbon & Brews festival. The event, which starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, is open only to ages 21 and over and will feature more than 75 different beers to try plus bacon samples prepared by a lineup of local restaurants. As always, the festival will include a bacon eating contest and live entertainment. General admission tickets are $35 in advance, and for a $10 upgrade, attendees can add on a ticket to a bourbon tasting. Get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com
Leibovitz for free
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd.
People who have been wanting to check out the Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the Wichita Art Museum can see it for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, when the museum will waive the $12 admission fee. The show, titled “Work,” features portraits Leibovitz has taken of celebrities, politicians, business people and sports icons. The museum also is putting on its monthly ArtVenture event on Saturday, meaning that it will be full of family-friendly activities. Among them: dance sessions with artist Mina Estrada at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and a wearable art-making and dance party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit wam.org/event/leibovitz-work-exhibition-freeday/
Lego party - no kids allowed
6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean
Grownups can have the Legos at Exploration Place all to themselves on Tuesday when the museum puts on an adults-only Sip & Build Party in the DC Super Heroes exhibit. Tickets are $55, and attendees can decide whether to build a vintage Lego Ferrari, a retro camera or a set of roses, which they get to take home. The event also will include a light dinner of individual charcuterie boxes, a free drink and sweet treats. To get tickets, visit exploration.org/event/sip-build/
The Wallflowers at TempleLive
8 p.m. Saturday, TempleLive, 332 E. First St.
The Wallflowers, a band headed up by Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob, and known for the 1996 hit “One Headlight,” will perform on Saturday at Wichita’s TempleLive, the music venue inside the Scottish Rite Center. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m. with opening act William Matheny. Tickets are $45-$65 at ticketmaster.com
Float the Arkansas
1-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd.
Wichita Clean Streams’ Saturday event The Big Float will give Wichitans the opportunity to float down the Arkansas River. Participants will check in at the Wichita Clean Streams tent east of Old Cowtown, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., and can either rent a tube and life jacket or bring their own. They’ll then float down the river through downtown Wichita. The take-out point will be at the WSU River Vista Boathouse Dock, where participants can enjoy music, kid’s activities and more. Floaters can start between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. People are encouraged to park at the parking garage at 150 N. McLean, where they can catch a free shuttle to the launch site from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Online registration is available through Friday at wichitacleanstreams.com or onsite on Saturday. Registration and rentals are $25, and registration only is $15. Participants must be 18 or older, though ages 16 and up can float with a legal guardian.
Sammy Kershaw in concert
8 p.m. Friday, Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas
Country legend Sammy Kershaw will perform on Friday at the Crown Uptown Theatre along with opening act Pug Johnson & The Hounds. Kershaw is known for popular 1990s hits like “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” and “Love of My Life.” Tickets to the show, which starts at 8 p.m, are $24-$71 and available at ticketmaster.com. The doors for the show open at 7 p.m.
