Exploration Place hosts free riverfront concerts
Wichita digs electric guitars, and it’s paying off big-time with a three-year series of free concerts along the Arkansas River.
Last year, Exploration Place applied to the national Levitt Family Foundation for a grant to bring concerts featuring national touring acts to EP’s new riverfront amphitheater. The selection process involved online public voting, and Wichita finished in the top 10 among 108 communities applying.
The grant proposal was built around a fascinating piece of history: In 1932, Wichita hosted the first public performance of a modern electric guitar.
“In world history terms, the first public performance of the electric guitar is one of the most important things that ever happened in Wichita,” said Adam Smith, president and CEO of Exploration Place.
Here’s this year’s line-up:
Sept. 3 — Zach Person, blues rock
Sept. 10 — Indigenous, Native American roots rock
Sept. 17 — Carolyn Wonderland, Texas blues
Oct. 1 — Sunny War, folk-punk acoustic soul
Oct. 8 — Danielia Cotton, Gospel-fueled rock and soul
Oct. 15 — The Hooten Haller, swampy Missouri stomp
Oct. 22 — Bonnie Whitmore, roots rock
Oct. 29 — Steel Skarecrow, ’90s country and red dirt
Gates open at 6 p.m., opening acts start at 7 p.m. followed by the headliner at 8 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or cushions for seating. Some chairs will be available on a first-come basis. Food trucks will be on site.
For a $200 donation, you can get two reserved seats for all eight concerts, two complimentary drink tickets to use on the night of your choosing and a tote bag. Visit exploration.org and click on “special events” for more infomation.
During the series, Exploration Place is also partnering with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum to present Amplified, an exhibit of historic instruments, artifacts and photographs celebrating Wichita’s guitar heritage.
Bluestem U courses scheduled
NORTH NEWTON – Registration is open for a new semester of Bluestem U courses, the lifelong learning program of Bluestem Communities.
Three six-week courses are offered:
• “Chemistry 101: The Everyday Chemistry In and Around Us” taught by Jim Yoder, professor emeritus of Hesston College.
• “Suing for Peace: A Guide to Resolving Life’s Conflicts,” team-taught by experts in conflict resolution.
• “Buggies, Bonnets and Boundaries: A study of Amish faith, life and culture,” taught by John Sharp, who taught history and Bible at Hesston College.
The courses cost $50 each. For more information about classes, schedules and locations, visit bluestemu.org or call (316) 836-4846.
Heritage Square concerts set
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum will host free daytime concerts each Wednesday and one Saturday in September in Heritage Square, located behind the museum.
The schedule is:
Sept. 2: The Wonderers (vintage rock ’n roll)
Sept. 9: Mariachi Jalisco (mariachi)
Sept. 16: Intrepid Brass Band (showtunes)
Sept. 19: Grandpa Snazzy (old-timey string sand)
Sept. 23: The House Band (rhythm & blues)
Sept. 30: Dear Friends (bluegrass, country, rock and folk)
The hour-long shows start at noon except for the Sept. 19 concert, which begins at 2 p.m.
Maple Grove tours offered
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House is hosting fall tours of historic Maple Grove Cemetery, highlighting stories of Wichita pioneers and others buried there.
The tours start at 1 p.m., last about 1 1/2 hours and cost $22 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at flwrightwichita.org or by calling (316) 687-1027.
Tours will be held Sunday, Oct. 11; Saturday, Oct. 17; Sunday, Oct. 18; Sunday, Oct. 25; Saturday, Oct. 31; and Sunday, Nov 1, which is a special tribute to veterans buried at Maple Grove.
The cemetery is located at 1000 N. Hillside St. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Allen House in College Hill, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Kansas.
Learn to square dance
The Village Steppers club is offering square dance lessons for the next several months in addition to holding its regular dances.
Starting Sept. 22 and continuing into early December, the lessons will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Oaklawn Elementary School, 5000 S. Clifton. The lessons cost a total of $25 per person, which also gets participants entry to the club’s regular dances.
Those dances are held at 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, starting Sept. 12 and ending in May at the Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton.
Mike Huddleson, an instructor and the club’s “caller,” said the Village Steppers are one of many clubs in the area and that many start lessons in September.
For a complete list of the clubs and their contact information, visit kansassquaredance.com. For more information about the Village Steppers, contact Huddleson at (316) 524-0997.
Music Club shows announced
The Thursday Afternoon Music Club has released its 2026 schedule of free concerts, including:
Sept. 10: Courtney Long, WSU saxophone professor
Oct. 8: Rob Tierney, Friends University trombone professor
Nov. 12: Sylvia Coats and Judith Fear, TAMG member pianists
All performances are held at Central Community Chapel, 6100 W. Maple, and start at 1:30 p.m.
