Winfield Calendar Festival Days

The Winfield Calendar consists of a year that contains 11 Festival Days and a variable number of regular days. In the Winfield Calendar, the "year" is the number of the next festival and is measured by the number of days until the next Land Rush.

Land Rush

The Thursday before the second Saturday in September. Campers who have arrived in the previous week(s) form a line based upon the order in which they arrived, and at the signal of the Operations Director the line heads off into the West and Pecan Grove campgrounds. Individual fifth-wheelers, trailers, motor homes, and cars packed with tents split off as everyone stakes a claim to their traditional campsite.

Picnic Saturday

The Great Plains Dulcimer Alliance Winfield Warm-up Picnic is held the Saturday after Land Rush.

Homecoming Sunday

The Sunday before the Festival there are usually some "extra" performances and an official Gospel Sing for the "early" arrivals (many of whom have been pickin' for a week or more already).

Parade Wednesday

The Carp Camp leads a parade through the campgrounds to celebrate the beginning of the Festival.

The parade originated in the days when wristbands were not available until the day before the stages officially opened. When the wristbands became available, a parade wound all through the campgrounds picking up more marchers at every camp and ending at the main entrance with a "will play for wristbands!" mini-concert.

Wristbands are now handed out upon arrival, but the tradition was too much fun to give up. Now the parade continues and the mini-concert serves as a "thank you" to the hard-working Festival Staff. If you don't play, bring a funny hat and join in anyway!

Festival Thursday

The first day for which you can buy a ticket. Campers should note that camping fees are collected upon arrival for the duration of their stay.

Winfield Sunday

The last official day of the festival. With many of the visitors having used all their vacation days to arrive early, there's a steady stream through the exit gate. The festival is less crowded, and the remaining "transients" and the Festival say a special "thank you" to the town that has been such a good host for a few weeks a year for a few decades and the air is filled with shouts of "See ya' next year!"

Winfield 28 calendar

ENTER>