This weekend is full of various events to attend and enjoy, including a multi-genre comic convention, multiple festivals and a 5K Halloween costume race. There’s plenty of seasonal fun for the whole family this weekend.
Read on for more information on Toto’s top 5 weekend picks. Make sure to also check out other Kansas events on FetchToto’s Events Calendar: http://events.fetchtoto.com/
1) 10th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival
Time: Time Varies
Date: Thursday, October 18 – Sunday, October 21
Where: Downtown Wichita
Cost: Price Varies: http://www.tallgrassfilmfest.com/box_office/compare_options
Info: http://www.tallgrassfilmfest.com/
Why you should go: Movies, filmmakers, parties and panels will all be part of the 10th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival this weekend. The 4-day festival will take place in more than 15 venues in and around downtown Wichita, October 18 – 21, 2012.
With over 120 screenings of feature and short films from around the world, special events and gala parties; this event will keep you entertained all weekend long. The 10th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival will also include several new venues, spotlights, film programs and other exciting additions.
2) 28th Annual Haysville Fall Festival
Date & Time:
Friday, October 19 – 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Saturday, October 20 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sunday, October 21 – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where: Riggs Park, 700 Sarah Lane, Haysville
Cost: $2.00 Buttons
Info: http://haysvillefallfestival.com
Why you should go:
Full Schedule: http://haysvillefallfestival.com/Schedule%20of%20Events.html
The 3-day festival includes a list of activities and entertainment for the whole family, including live music performances, a classic car show, tractor pulls, bingo in the park, arts & crafts booths, and helicopter rides.
The Ottaway amusement carnival rides will be open all three days. Each ride cost one ticket. Single tickets are $3.25 each, 10 tickets are $25.00, and 30 tickets are $65.00.
The Festival Parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October. The parade line-up includes dance performances, clowns, antique cars, middle school and high school orchestras and bands, boy scouts, girl scouts, fire trucks, sponsors, and local dignitaries. The parade route starts at Haysville United Methodist Church and will end at the Haysville Middle School.
3) Encounters Convention
Time: Varies
Date: Friday, October 19 – Sunday, October 21
Where: Holiday Inn East, 549 S. Rock Rd., Wichita
Cost: Weekend Pass $30, Friday & Sunday $15, Saturday $20
Info: http://www.encounterscon.com
Why you should go: If you’ve ever attended a ‘Geek Convention’ or anything along those lines, then you’re going to have a blast at the 2012 Encounters Convention. Encounters is a three-day multi-genre convention that caters to fans of Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Steampunk, Comic Books, Games and Anime.
The convention is fun for all ages and features a variety of events and festivities, including a 24-hour gaming room, multi-genre panels, an artist’s alley, fashion show, Friday night mixer, and Mad Hatter tea party.
Don’t forget to come watch the convention’s Costume Contest which will include characters of all genres (anime, Sci-Fi movies, manga, comics, video games, steampunk, horror, etc.). Costumes must be made by the contest participants and should not go beyond a PG-13 rating. For a complete list of contest guidelines and regulations, CLICK HERE: http://www.encounterscon.com/cosplay.html
4) 32nd Annual Asian Festival
Time: 5:00 – 10:30 PM
Date: Saturday, October 20
Where: Century II Convention Hall, 225 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita
Cost: FREE
Info: http://www.indoasian.org/waa/asianfestival/2012/
Why you should go: Spend Saturday night celebrating Wichita’s Asian culture at the 32nd Annual Asian Festival. One reason why this event is a must see is that it’s the only event where festival goers can view a large variety of artistic and cultural events of 15 Asian countries.
The FREE event will feature 18 to 20 cultural songs, dances and martial arts performances throughout the night, along with a Miss Asian Festival Scholarship Pageant. You can also do some shopping by visiting the various jewelry, garment and art booths setup throughout the event.
Another big draw for the festival is the food. Around 40 food booths will be selling authentic and exotic dishes from approximately 12 different Asian countries – China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, India, Philippines and more.
5) Pumpkin Run 5K
Time: 9:00 AM
Date: Saturday, October 20
Where: The Heskett Center Lobby (Registration)
Cost: $25 through Oct. 21, $35 day of the race
Info: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=HESKETTCENTER&p=/events/prun/
Why you should go: Lace up your tennis shoes and come dressed in your Halloween costume for the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Run. The 5K race will take place on the Wichita State University campus, along Perimeter Road.
Following the race, healthy snacks and back massages will be provided for FREE to race participants. Awards will be given to male and female winners in separate age categories. Following the awards ceremony, prizes will be given to race participants with the best costume.
The Pumpkin Run will also be accepting your worn out shoes, which will be donated to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe drive. No dress shoes, flip flops, sandals or shoes containing cleats or metal will be accepted.
