Winfield, Kansas
March 12, 2019
If you are one of those attendees at the Walnut Valley Festival who every September strives to be first in line to claim your camping spot, you might want to pay close attention. Walnut Valley Association (WVA), organizer of the festival, has announced that this year’s Land Rush will incorporate a preregistration element before the initial line-up.
Land Rush consists of a traditional “race” to claim campsites shortly before the start of the annual festival. As festivalgoers have arrived earlier and earlier each year to claim their spots in the campgrounds, organizers have had to create an organized and equitable process for lining up campers without clogging city streets and major highways in Winfield.
WVA’s plans include an online registration process for camping this year, from July 1-31. As prospective campers pre-purchase camping, they will add their names to a queue, determining which line they will ultimately be in at the start of the process. Intended to function much like lines to board flights at the airport, campers’ spots in the initial lines this year will greatly depend on how early they preregistered. While campers will have the option to preregister for camping completely online, they can also do so by mailing in a form, by phone, or visiting WVA’s office in Winfield. After July, staff will send notices to those who have preregistered, informing them which row they will need to park in when they arrive on grounds.
Grounds Director Rick Meyer: “Much of the lineup and Land Rush is going to be exactly the same process as it has been for many years. The online elements that we are adding this year are intended to make the initial lineup more orderly, less stressful, and more equitable for everyone. Whether you are sitting in Kansas or Colorado on the morning of July 1, you will have an equal shot of getting one of the coveted earlier spots in the initial lineup. At the suggestion of campers, we have also reduced the overall time period and cost of camping prior to the start of festival.”
Prospective festival attendees may find more detailed information on the entire Land Rush process by visiting wvfest.com, and then clicking on the header for Camping.
The Walnut Valley Festival, which will be held Sept. 18-22, 2019, draws a crowd of 10-15 thousand people to celebrate a blend of all kinds of acoustic music, including bluegrass, folk, Americana, a little bit of cowboy, some Celtic, blues, jazz and swing, and more.