by Maggie O'Leary

Created on: February 06, 2010

The City of Wichita, Kansas was founded in 1870. To celebrate the city's 100th birthday, in 1970 city leaders hosted a Centennial Celebration, which lasted the entire year. The celebration was a display of all the things that made Wichita the city that we've come to love. The Celebration culminated in a final event - the Wichita Water Festival, which celebrated the importance of the Arkansas River to the City. This Centennial Celebration was so popular that city leaders decided to host a celebration each May, and deemed it "The Wichita Riverfestival." The first Riverfestival was held during a week in May in 1972, and was as much a success as the Centennial Celebration in 1970. Each year, the festival was more successful, so it was expanded to a ten-day event in 1974, and this tradition has continued to this day. The River Festival attracts around 300,000 people each year, from the City of Wichita, and all of Kansas.

The River Festival is funded both by admission button sales, and by donations from corporations. Some of the past and present sponsors of the River Festival are Cessna, Boeing, Spirit Aerosystems, Bombardier Learjet, Cox Communications, ClearChannel Radio, AT&T, Toyota, QuikTrip, Wal-Mart, as well as many others. The River Festival is held during the middle of May each year.

If you like the outdoors, the Sedgwick County Zoo is a great place to visit. The Zoo is located on the city's near northwest side, at 5555 West Zoo Boulevard, just west of I-135. The Zoo offers many species of exotic animals, tram and riverboat rides, and indoor and outdoor animal exhibits. Admission is very affordable, with group, military and senior discounts.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park, on the city's far northwest side, is a great place to see exotic animals and interact on a personal level with the animals. You can enjoy a camel ride, feed ring-tailed lemurs and other animals, and even pet the giraffes! Tanganyika is located in Goddard, just north of Kellogg, at 1037 South 183rd Street West.

If you prefer the indoors and the arts, check out City Arts in Wichita's Old Town historical district. City Arts is a center for hand-on creativity and learning. You can participate in glass-making, clay sculptures, painting and sketching, and many other forms of art. If you aren't into the hands-on aspect, you can enjoy the gallery at City Arts. City Arts also has many after-school art programs for children and teens. City Arts is located at 334 North Mead in downtown Wichita.

Exploration Place is also a great place to visit if you enjoy spending your time indoors. Exploration Place is located at 300 North McLean Boulevard on Wichita's northwest side. Exploration Place offers hands-on science experiments and displays, and has something for the whole family.  Admission is low, with discounts for groups, seniors and military.

There are many other things to see and do in Wichita in the spring - one only has to get out and enjoy them!

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