Exploration Place announces lineup of free fall concerts
Levitt VIBE Music Series brings 8 national touring artists to the Wichita Foundation Amphitheater beginning September 3
WICHITA — Last fall, Exploration Place applied for a grant from the national Levitt Family Foundation to bring free concerts to the Wichita riverfront. The selection process included online public voting, and Wichita finished in the top 10 among 108 communities nationwide, earning Exploration Place a three-year grant from the foundation.
Eight national touring artists will play at the Wichita Foundation Amphitheater on Thursday evenings from September 3 through October 29, spanning folk, blues, rock, country, soul and Indigenous roots music. Every concert is free and open to all.
Concert lineup:
- September 3: Zach Person, high-voltage blues rock
- September 10: Indigenous, Native American roots rock
- September 17: Carolyn Wonderland, scorched-earth Texas blues
- October 1: Sunny War, folk-punk acoustic soul
- October 8: Danielia Cotton, gospel-fueled rock and soul
- October 15: The Hooten Hallers, swampy Missouri stomp
- October 22: Bonnie Whitmore, roots rock with teeth
- October 29: Steel Skarecrow, ’90s country and red dirt
At the heart of Exploration Place's proposal to the Levitt Family Foundation was a singular piece of music history: in 1932, Wichita hosted the first public performance of an electric guitar. That heritage shapes the series, with a single instrument connecting every act in the lineup. For the duration of 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.
“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. “This series celebrates it.”
Each concert night, gates will open at 6 p.m. with food trucks and seating available. The opening act will perform at 7 p.m., followed by the headliner at 8 p.m.
Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or cushions for seating on the amphitheater's turf bowl. Chairs will be provided in the paved seating area on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited space is available for lawn chairs around the bowl.
Full details, including the complete lineup and opening act announcements, are available at www.exploration.org/levitt. Admission is free to all.
For those who want to support the series, the Friends of Levitt Wichita program offers two reserved seats at every concert plus additional member benefits.
Announcements are submissions from arts and cultural organizations and community members. They are published at the discretion of SHOUT editors and may be lightly edited. Send press releases and other announcements to emily@shoutwichita.com.
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