Tis’ the season. Smoky Hill River Festival button sales officially began Wednesday morning.

The Festival team and First Bank Kansas joined forces for a celebration event. First Bank Kansas is one of the oldest Festival button sale locations.

Incoming Chamber President Eric Brown cut the ribbon for Festival 2019, along with First Bank Kansas’s Kent Buer and some Festival fans young and old.

2019 will be the 43rd year of the annual celebration of the arts in Salina. This year’s festival is June 13th – 16th.

The popular Festival Jam will get things started Thursday night. The Big Band Dance will be back again as well, Friday night inside the Tony’s Pizza Events Center.

Along with the mainstays there will be plenty of new things this year, including a change in the popular medallion quest. This year there will be seven total prizes to win. A half dozen hidden “Tokens” will need to be found to unveil a visual puzzle which can then be used to find the grand prize. Here are the complete details.

There will be two main acts on the Eric Stein Stage, both Friday and Saturday night. They include:

• Lost Wax, a Kansas City dance and party band with strong vocal and instrumental talent, known for its musical mash-ups that keep audiences moving to six decades of pop, rock, hip hop and R&B. Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. http://lostwaxkc.com/
• Larkin Poe, Nashville-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters who have created their own brand of roots rock ‘n’ roll: gritty, soulful and flavored by their Southern heritage. Rebecca and Megan Lovell are descendants of the artist and poet Edgar Allen Poe. Saturday, June 15, 8:30 p.m. http://larkinpoe.com

Local favorites  Joe’s Pet Project, will close out the festival on Sunday afternoon.  The hometown favorites are famous for their live shows featuring diverse originals and eclectic covers. Members Nathan Tysen, Ryan McCall, John Hobson, Jason Hammond and Lance Gilchrist are known and loved by many. The group will close the Festival, playing a special set on Sunday June 16 at 3:30 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/joespetproject

There will be some changes, but festival food this year won’t disappoint with 36 vendors. New food for festival goers to sample will include:

• Buffalo Burgers
• BBQ Pork Kabobs
• Gougeres  French Pastries
• Pancakes on a Stick
• Milk Shakes

As far as the art is concerned, one of the most notable additions will be “Snake Oil”, a giant snake made from oil drums which will be floating in the river.

Admission is by Festival button only-$10 in advance or $15 at the gate; good for all 3 1/2 days. Children 11 and under are free. Advance button sales will cease at the close of business on Tuesday, June 11th.

Festival buttons can be purchased in Salina at the Salina Arts & Humanities Office, 211 W. Iron, any Dillons Stores, at all Casey’s Stores, at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center, 800 The Midway, and about 25 other locations around town.

Buttons are also available in about 20 other cities across Kansas. Just look for the ‘Festival Buttons On Sale’ sign. To purchase buttons and/or t-shirts click here or click here for a list of button locations (PDF).

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