Latinos Shine at Wichita Riverfest 2025. A Decade of Fiesta del Río and Strengthened Traditions
- Planeta Venus
- 9 jun
- 4 Min. de lectura
Wichita Kansas | June 9, 2025
By Claudia Amaro | Planeta Venus
What began as a small event on the most modest Riverfest stage is now a symbol of cultural pride, representation, and community.
Riverfest 2025 proved that traditions can be reimagined to include everyone—and that Wichita beats with a heart that grows more diverse each year.
Since its beginnings as part of Wichita’s centennial celebration in 1970, Riverfest has grown into the largest community festival in Kansas. Its mission: to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together along the Arkansas River and strengthen local pride.
In 1972, the newly formed organization Wichita Festivals, Inc. launched the first Wichitennial River Festival & Traders Day. With just 2,000 one-dollar buttons, the event featured relay races, stilt walkers, canoe competitions, classic car parades, and even water skiing. Just a year later, it was confirmed that the festival would become an annual tradition, with support from companies like Coleman and KG&E.
In 1974, the iconic figure of “Admiral Windwagon Smith” was born—appointed as Riverfest’s symbolic ambassador and marking the start of the youth organization “Wichita Wagonmasters.” Half a century later, that tradition lives on. At Riverfest 2025, the role was carried by Alan Howarter, a volunteer of 45 years, representing the continuation of a legacy of civic service.
Fiesta del Río: 10 Years of Latino Participation
This year also marked the tenth anniversary of Fiesta del Río, the Latino cultural showcase within Wichita Riverfest that continues to grow year after year.
“Fiesta del Río was a small event on the tiniest stage we had back then,” recalls Fabián Armendáriz, who joined the Riverfest operations team in 2015, invited by a co-worker, and was later assigned to the Fiesta del Río committee. “From the start, I told them this event had the potential and capacity to become one of the festival’s biggest nights.”
According to Armendáriz, that vision took time to develop. It wasn’t until after the COVID-19 pandemic that the idea of dedicating an entire day to Fiesta del Río on the main stage began to take shape. Since then, the event has grown not only with massive Latino community participation, but also with the booking of increasingly renowned Latino music acts—while continuing to feature local performers. This year, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón headlined and packed the venue.
While enjoying the festival, we ran into Cecilia Thibault, a member of the Riverfest board for four years and of the Fiesta del Río committee for two. She shared that, in reality, it’s Armendáriz who has pushed for this Latino space to thrive. Together, Thibault and Armendáriz have formed a perfect partnership to represent Latinos in this important citywide event that showcases Wichita’s growing diversity.
Parade Pride: Raíces de Mi Tierra
As diversity and participation grow throughout the festival, the Sundown Parade—or Desfile Puesta del Sol in Spanish—becomes more creative every year. Proud participants march with joy, showcasing their organizations, businesses, industries, and cultural communities.
One standout group is Raíces de Mi Tierra, a traditional Mexican folk dance group based in Wichita. They made their parade debut in 2022 after an unexpected last-minute invitation. Despite limited prep time, they won the “Most Popular in Parade” award that year, alongside USD259 (Wichita’s public school district). Since then, Raíces de Mi Tierra has marched every year, earning the title of “Best in Parade” for three consecutive years.
“This year, our ballet represented the Mazatlán Carnival, although we wanted to honor the entire state of Sinaloa,” said Maira Castañeda, creative director of Raíces de Mi Tierra. “The inspiration was the carnival, which is why we featured harlequins, samba dancers, and traditional Sinaloa comparsas. ”Castañeda takes pride in including all the group’s talent—and increasingly, the dancers’ parents—who actively participate in building and decorating the floats and costumes.
A Festival That Unites the City
From May 30 to June 7, 2025, Wichita Riverfest brought the city to life with music, food, art, and celebration.
Organized by Wichita Festivals, Inc., a nonprofit entity, Riverfest generates an estimated economic impact of $25–30 million annually and ranks among the top 50 outdoor events worldwide, according to Pollstar.
The Riverfest button—an all-access pass valid for the full nine days—is commonly available at gas stations and can also be purchased on-site.
The festival features a wide array of diverse and multicultural programming: live music, arts and pop-up experiences, water activities, family-friendly fun, and its iconic finale—spectacular fireworks shows at both the opening and closing nights.
Looking Ahead
Planning for the next Riverfest begins the moment the current one ends. Castañeda is already preparing a new surprise theme to present to the parents of the Raíces de Mi Tierra dancers.
“It’s a surprise!” she said excitedly. “It’s a huge responsibility. The judges recognize our growth and preparation, and we’ve built a great relationship with the band Tamborracho, who’ve been with us from the start—I want to thank them for their continued support.”
Armendáriz, who was honored this year by the Fiesta del Río committee for his leadership, remains hopeful and passionate.
“The creation of this Latino space wasn’t just me pushing—it took many people, other members of the operations committee who pushed with me, helped me, and supported my leadership in the organization,” he shared.
He ended with this heartfelt message:“Our people deserved a day like this. We made it happen. You saw it this year!”
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