Riverfest 2023: Where to park and how to get a ride
Despite its food, fireworks and festivities, there is one aspect of Riverfest that can give Wichita residents and visitors a headache every year: parking.
This year, the outdoor festival overlaps with Wind Surge home games and Century II’s hosting of “Hamilton,” both of which could make parking congestion even worse.
Still, there are several options and alternatives when it comes to finding a good place to park in downtown Wichita.
Riverfest’s website links an interactive parking map from Visit Wichita with location markers for parking places around the festival. The map details both the address and price of each lot, with added pictures for additional navigational assistance.
The map’s marked parking spots are both lots and parking garages. Listed garages nearby include Market and William Garage (215 S. Market), Bank of America Garage (123 N. Broadway) and WaterWalk Garage (515 S. Main). Market and William costs $1 every half hour (up to a maximum of $6); Bank of America is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends; and WaterWalk is free for two hours.
For people looking for a ride from farther away, Uber and Lyft are working with Riverfest this year to have a designated pick-up/drop-off location. Drivers have been instructed that festival-goers can request a ride to or from William & Main to get right outside festival grounds.
Riverfest attendees can also use one of Wichita’s portable ride rental programs. Electric scooters are available through Bird and VeoRide to help get closer to the festival, while Bike Share ICT has several drop-off points in the area that can be found using the Movatic app.
Another option to avoid a long walk is hopping aboard the Q-Line. The Q is a free public trolley that travels across Douglas from Delano to Clifton Square.
Though the Q-Line will also be blocked off by Riverfest street closures, it still allows riders to park farther away from the festival without having to walk the length of Douglas.
Like last year, Bike Walk Wichita will be offering a bike valet for Riverfest visitors. Rather than parking their cars, festival-goers can simply ride their bikes up to the valet and have their bike parked for free (though Bike Walk Wichita does recommend a donation of $5).
The valet, which is located at the Riverfest entrance at Douglas and Waco, runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the festival. More information such as how to volunteer can be found at Bike Walk Wichita’s website.
