Together with Sedgwick County Zoo

The end is nigh.

The Stingray Cove at Sedgwick County Zoo is coming to a close with the final day on November 1st.

To commemorate a great run and to let you come say good bye to our little swimming friends, Sedgwick County Zoo is offering half-price Zoo admission from Friday 10/30 → Sunday 11/1.

Entry for Stingray Cove is free with Zoo admission and Stingray Feedings can be purchased with an Attraction Ticket.

Tallgrass Film Festival

Wichita isn't new to the film industry:

• Wichita native Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award (Gone with the Wind - 1939)

• Cult-classic King Kung Fu was filmed here. (now for sale on DVD)

  

• And last, but certainly not least, the Tallgrass Film Festival is celebrating its 24th year!

Oh, and it starts TOMORROW!

What is the Tallgrass Film Festival?

In 2003,​ Timothy Gruver (Wichita-raised) started the Tallgrass Film Festival in what has become the indisputable, largest, independent film festival in Kansas and an annual tradition in Wichita.

It is a multi-day platform for world-class filmmakers and programming to show off their hard work. The Tallgrass Film Festival is operated by the Tallgrass Film Association, a non-profit organization in Wichita.

There will be a variety of films from Narratives to Shorts to Documentaries at locations across Wichita from the Tallgrass Film Center to Boulevard to Brickyard & more. There will likely be up to 16,000 patrons who attend at least one screening.

Filmmakers can be awarded juried awards and non-juried awards such as:

• Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking

• Stubbornly Independent Feature

• Best Feature

• Best Short

• Audience Award

The festival runs from tomorrow (10/15) through Sunday (10/18).

What to Expect

If you want full details and the full schedule, click here.

I would try to explain how much there is to this festival, but I'll just give you a little taste.

The Opening Reception kicks off tomorrow and this weekend you can stop by at 11am until late each day for a variety of different movies.

You will need a pass or ticket to check out the movies. Your options are:

Passes: 

• VIP TallPass: Gets you in all the films, parties and a special lounge for snacks and drinks in-between. $259

• FilmPass: Includes all in-person films, including the Spotlight Films, just not the parties.

• FlexPacks: Order 5 ($40) or 10 ($80) general admission tickets at a discount

• General Admission: $15-$20 depending on film

• Volunteer - It’s not too late to get involved either! Want to volunteer? ​There are plenty of perks!

Details and Box Office Info can be found here: https://tallgrassfilm.org/film-festival/film-fest-box-office/

Check out additional details about Spotlight Film tickets, parties, matinees, and more!

Tallgrass Film Festival Locations

Tallgrass Film Festival is primarily downtown now which is a bit of a change from years past.

Theatre and Education venues:

• The Orpheum | 200 N Broadway St

• Boulevard Theatres at Old Town | 353 N Mead St

Parties

• Thursday: Opening Night at Shocker Studios. Food, refreshments and a chance to check out the work from the School of Digital Arts before the opening night film. After party hangout at the Hawk's Nest.

• Friday: The Empire (Theatre) Strikes Back at the Cargill Community Tent. Part haunted house, part vaudeville revival, part love letter to the movie palaces we've lost.

• Saturday: Hollywood Gods After Dark at the Cargill Community Tent. Togas, Hollywood glamour, and 1920s filmmaker attire encouraged. Mortal behavior optional. Music by Craig Owens.

• Sunday: Closing Night Wrap Party at the (soon to be) newest bar in town, The Velvet Tiger

Recommendations?

Not sure where to begin for the festival? We did a little digging to find a few you might want to look into:

2026 Spotlight Films:

• Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird) on Thursday

• Loves Company (featuring Rachel Dratch of SNL on Friday)

• Copeland (Stuart Copeland of the Police will be in attendance on Saturday)

• Crystal Cross on Sunday

The Tallgrass Film Festival has been Stubbornly Independent for 24 years and will be for at least another 24!

What do you want to see us go deep on in a future deep dive?

Let us know!

Wichita Life Dinner Club

If you missed our Dinner Club last night, don’t worry, we have another coming up in just a few weeks.

This is a great way to meet new people (no matter if you’re introverted or extroverted).

It’s easy.

You take a short quiz. We match you up with people who are more likely to be your friends.

You meet 5 strangers for dinner followed by an afterparty with all of our friends.