- What is Winfield?
- Winfield is an experience. Usually when we talk about Winfield we refer to the Walnut Valley Festival held in Winfield Kansas the third weekend of every September since 1972. The Festival features acoustic music of all kinds: folk, country, and of course bluegrass.
The performers appear on Thursday through Sunday on four stages, so that there's always something for every taste. But the experience is a lot more fun than the stage shows...
The Winfield Experience has been described by participants of all ages:
- What kind of music can I hear at Winfield?
- The Walnut Valley Festival features acoustic music of all kinds. The mix changes with time, but the
featured performers over the years include folk, country, Irish, and of course bluegrass.
Beginning a few months before the next festival, check the
Schedules page on the
Official Festival site.
In the campgrounds you can find blues and jazz and, well... some things that can't be
fit into a category other than "acoustic."
Besides the "paid" stage entertainment and the campground pickin', the Walnut Valley Festival
features a number of contests and
workshops.
- When is the festival?
-
The stages open on the Thursday of the third weekend in September, but the festival really begins in the campgrounds a week or so before the official dates. The Wednesday before the second weekend in September is when the
"land rush" occurs. People who arrive earlier are given a number, and on Land Rush Day they line up in numerical order to ensure that they get their "traditional" campsite before some carpetbagger-newbie takes their favorite spot.
To help keep track of when the next festival is, use
The Winfield Calendar.
- Where is the festival?
-
Winfield is in south-central Kansas near the Oklahoma border. The Festival is held in the Cowley County Fairgounds. See
Winfield, Kansas for transportation information.
- What's the weather like?
- The weather is like, well, weather. The festival will be held in a dustbowl-like dry spell or a monsoon-like sea of mud. It will be so hot you can't stand it or so cold and windy that the machines at
Cafe Espresso can't make steam.
The average temperatures are highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. There have been festivals with highs in the 100s and (different) festivals with lows in the 30s. See
typical week temperatures for a graphical representation.
For a history of the weather at Winfield during the Walnut Valley Festival, see the
Walnut Valley Festival WEATHER INFO Index Page.
- What's the food like?
- Typical "festival fare" and wholesome meals are available at reasonable prices.
For breakfast (which occurs either after midnight or before noon depending upon whether we're having or have had too much fun) the best bet
is biscuits and gravy from one of the
midway vendors. Several are open 24 hours before and during the festival.
Traditional Winfield fare doesn't come with a calorie or cholestoral count...
- How did the Winfield Wide Web index come about?
- See the history of the Winfield Wide Web for the story behind the story of Winfield Online.
- How can I get answers to more questions?
- Subscribe to the Winfield-l mailing list!
