Wichita State University - Parnassus Yearbook (Wichita, KS)

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The Shriner motorcycle troupes shoot past Century ll. 5!1l!84 Dance hall girls bring back an era that ended with abolition. 5!ll!84 KMUW staff and members of the Wichita Blues Society promote blues and the River Blues concert at the end of the River Festival. 5!1l!84 Shriners and their silver-studded mounts line up at the parade's start. 511 1184 Two brothers watch as the parade rolls by. 5!11!84 T e l:,. lflllm 12 it Xu' QQ Qin min if stefgg - 89.1 fm M4990 19

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1 ...Q-mann--... Festival Parades Down Main Street It was part of the KMUW-FM!Wichita Blues Society float, During their stroll down Main Street, the sound system, tuned to KMUW-FM radio for a special musical in- terlude, blared the full sound of gutsy blues. The float was advertising their part of the festival - 'The Last Event' - which was a blues concert along the banks of the Big Arkansas River on the evening of the last day. The next morning was the opening weekend and the River Run. Thousands ran, officially and unofficially, in the two- mile or 10-kilometer run, which wound its way along the banks of the river and the streets of downtown. 'A physical spring cleaning,' one runner called it. This was also the weekend for balloon launches which drew hundreds of early risers each day it was held. Outdoor sports dominated the week's events. There was a tennis tournament, bicycle races as well as barefoot water skiing on the Little Arkansas River, which is maybe four foot deep at high tide. Concerts downtown at Heritage Square, where brown-baggers had lunchtime enter- tainment, were presented by high school musicians throughout the week. But it was the evening open-air performances along the Big Arkansas River which attracted the most attention. One of the larger audience draws was the midweek country music concert. The pro- gram also promised some bluegrass music but the cowboy hats that were flying proudly that night were evidence most people there had CSKW in their hearts and minds. On Thursday evening the fiery hot to icy cool strains of jazz were in the air along the Big Arkansas. The Wichita State University jazz Ensemble played mostly big band ar- rangements for full ensembles. The group was followed by the more esoteric sounds of Hands Down, a percus- sion group from WSU which works in the fu- sion vein. The good fortune with the weather ex-

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vafiifpxxfa' 51. .m,p.?4.i1aQ-.rL6fz:a4fQqsS.Q . f . ' X-', iii.: ., NJ'-A-view, Y. 44 '- 3, l Riverfest Ends Un A Blues Note perienced throughout the week ended Satur- day when the bathtub races and block party were scheduled. A veritable torrent broke that afternoon, breaking up the crowd estimated at 35,000 at one point. 'It only rained that one day,' Broadfoot said, 'but that is what people will remember. We really had beautiful weather. But, even so, some people will come up to me next year and say, 'Gee, it's too bad it rained so much last year.' And l'll remind them that it didn't.' The bathtub races continued with only slight delay. Being already in the water, a lit- tle rain didn't seem to matter to the con- testants. But during one particularly heavy deluge, most of the crowd lining the banks of the Big Arkansas headed for shelter, crowding under the Douglas Street bridge, not heeding the race announcer's plea, Don't go yet. I think it's letting up. Perseverance payed off as WSU's Pi Tau Sigma easily took first place in the race, avenging its loss the year before to the Kan- sas Air National Guard. The guard claimed second place. Rain forced the Wichita Symphony's Pops concert inside in Century lI's Exhibition Hall but, as the luck of the festival would have it, the skies cleared in time for the fireworks display just outside along the river's banks. The next day was the opposite of Satur- day's deluge and a perfect close for the festival. KMUW-FM and the Wichita Blues Society co-sponsored 'The Last Event, RiverBlues, a blues concert and the final out- door concert in A. Price Woodard park. The Livewires, and jimmy Dawkins along with j.T. Burkes gave another American style of music. An estimated 5,000 people lined the grassy knoll around the park and the walkway along the river for the first live blues outdoor concert in the festival's history. Most people sought shade because of the late afternoon sun and humidity, portents of the coming summer. Because of the turnout and enthusiasm toward the event, festival organizers said they hoped the blues concert will become a regular event. Blues Society member Roger Wycoff said that such a plan is in the works which they hope will expand the society's prominence 'Really, with some very limited funds, KMUW and the Blues Society pulled off one of the more successful new events of last year, Broadfoot said. They really lucked out with the weatherf' Story by Bob Newman .anne