“Everyone involved honors the Festival by wanting it to be successful and doing their part to make it happen. It’s a ‘feel good’ place to be.” – Liz and Paul Shedron, Long Lane, MO

A symphony of contrasts, the Smoky Hill River Festival is an event with an uptown sensibility presented in the most beautiful and historic of Salina’s parks. The setting bursts with the color and energy of summer, while the Festival unfolds like a flower. Art impacts but never eclipses the landscape.

Here you’ll find the vibrant sounds of musical instruments and voices, blended with colorful artwork and installations everywhere you look – even in the grass and trees! Mix these with the laughter of happy children and the aroma of outdoor cooking and you’re in for the best party of the year!

How It Happens

The Festival officially begins with the boisterous opening of the Festival Jam on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m., with gates opening at 4 p.m. Dance through every delightful offering as the Festival unfolds in special events, activities, and encounters throughout three and ½ days brimming with food, shopping, and entertainment. Festival gates open at 9 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Admission to the Festival is $7 (advance fee), with buttons purchased at the gates for $10. Children 11 and younger are admitted free. A Festival button admits you to the Festival Jam and all three days of the Festival – an affordable price for an extraordinary event! Festival admission buttons can be purchased at many Salina locations, by mail, and through the Festival Internet website, starting May 1. Note: Advance button sales cease at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 12.

The Smoky Hill River Festival is a project of the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission, a department of the City. Created by a hospitable and dedicated group of over 2,000 volunteers, the Festival is an amazing display of Salina’s civic pride. Supported by enduring community partnerships with businesses and individuals, button sales remain one of the ways that everybody can contribute to the vitality of the Festival. Buy yours early and buy some for friends and family, too!

“Being part of this festival makes you feel like a member of a great family. Salina is a jewel of a small city...”
– Paul S. Namkung, Tierra Amarilla, NM