We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Once again, we have many new faces at our gates, our info booth, at contests and the mercantile, everywhere! AND this year the grounds themselves are getting a new look.

Like many facelifts, there are some elements under the surface that you may not even notice. The City of Winfield has installed Wi-Fi repeaters so that we can better meet the needs of our vendors and fans.

Of course, the most noticeable change will undoubtedly be the new permanent stage where our Stage III is usually located. This was a joint project of the City of Winfield, the Cowley County Fair Board, Walnut Valley Festival and … YOU. The public portion of the fundraising was completed in the early spring, and I just want to thank each of you who contributed. Winfield Mayor Ron Hutto will be on hand at our evening Champions Concert Wednesday evening to help us dedicate the new stage, and to remember long-time grounds director Rick Meyer, to whom the stage is dedicated.

You may be surprised to see that the Picker’s Pub, our beer and wine garden, is no longer on the track north of Stage I. That is because we have moved it to the area that used to be the pantry in the interior. This means that patrons of Picker’s Pub are no longer confined to a pen in front of Stage I. You are welcome to grab your brew and take it to whichever stage you like, or to sit with friends at the Pub or on the midway; the entire area within the pedestrian gates is now our beer garden.

You may remember that the area directly in front of Stage I, within the beer garden, was transformed into a standing only area. Like many other festivals, we are committed to providing an area for dancing at the front, as well as plenty of room for those who are sitting. So, you will note that we now have a roped off area designated for standers/dancers, and an area behind that for those who are sitting, as well as plenty of room up in the grandstands. We ask for your help to ensure the festival is welcoming to all, the sitters and the standers (or dancers).

What else is new?
• NewSong Showcase is this year providing a cash prize for the best song: the winner of the Master Songsmith title wins $800 plus two full festival tickets!
• Youth Songwriting Workshop will be conducted on grounds for the first time, directed by the very talented Elexa Dawson and Sally Vee.
• A new guitar crafted by Danny Ginn Guitarworks will be raffled off, with proceeds supporting group guitar instruction in Cowley County in the coming year.

And the music? Once again, we have brought some of the best musicians in the world to Winfield, KS. New acts include Scythian, Nefesh Mountain, Rebecca Frazier, Jake Leg, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, John Depew Trio, 80 Proof Alice, The Lost Keys, Karen Ashbrook & Paul Oorts, The Fretliners, MoonShroom, Kara Barnard, and Blue Flame.

Damn Tall Buildings return to Winfield, along with The Paperboys, Common Chords (Robert Jones and Matt Watroba), and Stephen Bennett.

Perennial favorites returning to Winfield include JigJam, Bing Futch, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin & Friends, Roz Brown & Jim Ratts, The Cowboy Way, 3 TRAILS WEST, Andy May, Karen Mueller & Geoff Goodhue, Pretend Friend, Barry Patton, Linda Tilton, and Weda Skirts.

Chris Jones returns to curate the festival’s songwriting exhibition, NewSong Showcase. Andy May also returns to host his Acoustic Kids Showcase, giving young musicians an opportunity to appear on stage and gain experience in front of a live, supportive audience. The youngest festival goers can enjoy a variety of kids’ activities including Kids Crafts and Feisty’s Music Camp for Kids, hosted by Erin Mae, Aaron Fowler, and Stage 6.

We welcome back to grounds River Rat Print & Skate, who will be here with official WVF shirts and apparel. You can find them in Barn 8, the big red barn next to Stage II, along with official mug producers Gallery Mostaza, and Prestige Monogram’s official hats and other embroidered items. The Mercantile also has more WVF merch, along with performer CDs.

Join us for more than 200 hours of music across 4 stages, 8 instrument championships, a juried Arts and Crafts fair, a Songwriters Showcase, Andy May’s Acoustic Kids, Kids Crafts, Feisty’s Music Camp for Kids, Wednesday Workshops, the Ozark Music Shoppe online show, and an array of fantastic food vendors. We can’t wait to welcome you back to Winfield!

Bart Redford
Executive Director