Dad’s Day Out

Put a Twinkle in Your Father’s Eye With These Local Events

Written by Paige Feikert

Put a Twinkle in Your Father’s Eye With These Local Events

Written by Paige Feikert

I’m the self-proclaimed party planner of my family (middle siblings you understand me), but Father’s Day is always a tough one for me to plan. Do I mow my parents’ lawn and risk ruining my dad’s cliché perfect lines in the grass? Can I take him golfing and lose his spare golf balls? Or, I can try my hand at grilling and ultimately resign myself to ordering pizza. Let’s face it, these are some of the things that dads do best, so what can I do to celebrate Father’s Day on June 15 and avoid a a barbeque fire and a call from the HOA? If you’re anything like me, we’ve got you covered with some of the top events in Wichita to plan the perfect day for Dad. 

 

For the Car Guy

It’s a Wichita tradition for dads to check out the Sedgwick County Zoo’s Father’s Day Car Show. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dads get in free with an additional paid admission. The event has something for everyone — modern and antique cars for dad and the zoo’s animal exhibits for the kids. 

 

For the Baseball Fan

The Wichita Wind Surge is celebrating Father’s Day with a jersey apron giveaway to the first five hundred dads in the ballpark on June 15 for their 1:05 p.m. game against Corpus Christi. Sundays are also family fun days at Equity Bank Park, so kids can take their dads (or anyone) out onto the field before the game and play catch, and kids aged 13 and under can run the bases after the game. 

 

For the Foodie Dad

Take a short drive to Derby for the 14th annual Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ and Music Festival at High Park June 13–14. Competitions include the Kansas City Barbeque Society Cook-Off, the Backyard BBQ Cook-Off, Kids Que and People’s Choice Tasting, along with live music from country to 80s rock. Plus, kid-friendly activities such as inflatables, face painting and foam parties. 

 

For the Music Lover

The Somewhere Fest and Conference will be back in Wichita over Father’s Day weekend on June 13 and 14. This event is focused on sharing knowledge from the music industry, and sharing music in a not-for-profit festival, including dozens of artists headlined by Suki Waterhouse, performing Saturday. 

 

For the Airplane Enthusiast

The Father’s Day Brunch at Stearman Field in Benton is on June 15 starting at 8 a.m. Celebrate your dad with the sights at Stearman and their popular brunch buffet. 

 

For the Low-Key Dad

Maybe your dad isn’t into attending events — or maybe getting the entire family to show up somewhere on time is not in the cards — that’s okay, Wichita has a lot of great spots to celebrate Father’s Day. Book a tee time at any of the Wichita public golf courses or reserve a pickleball court at Riverside Tennis Center (of course, Topgolf and Chicken N Pickle are also good alternatives). The Arcade in downtown Wichita provides a nostalgic connection with dad, and Blade & Timber is a chance to try your hand at axe throwing. 

 

Wichita also has a bunch of incredible museums, including some you may have never heard of, like the Wichita Toy Train Museum & Club and the Great Plains Transportation Museum, as well as some better-known museums like the B-29 Doc Hangar, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Kansas African American Museum and more (and check out the Wichita Baseball Museum if you attend the Wichita Wind Surge game — it's at the ballpark). And of course, if your dad is anything like mine, check out one of Wichita’s incredible coffee shops or breweries. Some of my favorites include Reverie and Central Standard Brewing.