Article by Hank Bannen
When my friend of nearly five years reached out to me on a whim to see whether or not I wanted to make the lengthy three-hour drive through the countryside of western Kansas to a town called Winfield, I was struck with apprehension. My friend, and numerous others, had planned some time ago to attend the Walnut Valley festival: a nearly week-long frenzy of bluegrass, folk, and country music performed by a wide array of local and out of state artists. I had no intention of attending due to my lack of funds as a college student and the sheer time commitment of an entire weekend of camping, but when my weekend plans fell through, my curiosity got the better of me: I needed to see what this Winfield festival was all about.
Winfield is nothing like you would expect. When we finally made it into town late in the evening, I anticipated a sizable conglomerate of stages, trailers, tents, and musicians scrambling to find the next jam. What I could not have anticipated was the event we walked into: a citadel of smells, food, music, and community. It was a mix of aromas: pot, tobacco, oil, mud, and the atmosphere of pure intoxication matched only by the talent and energy of the musicians that curate the community. We passed numerous landmarks on our way to camp: the Geezers of Anarchy, Rainbow Road, Fine Time, and stage 7; all only a fraction of what the festival had to offer. There simply was nothing you could not have at Winfield, as one passerby noted: “Everyone here is my brother.”
Beyond the atmosphere, it is the community around the festival that makes Winfield such a powerful experience. Everyone is down to jam, party, or just talk: no matter where you wander you will find a group that’s more than willing to socialize until the sun rises. It is a free spirited gathering of talent and electric personality that keeps everyone coming back to the Walnut Valley festival every year. Most of the people I spoke to had been coming to the festival for a decade or more, such as a woman in a stunning chicken costume named Josie who had been coming since 2001. Asking about her first time felt akin to the experience I was having, as she stated “it was wild and crazy fun with no limitations; stay up all night, get the most out of it.” Having such a wide array of veteran Winfield-goers made for a palpably enjoyable experience, and gave me a broader understanding of the festival as a whole.
Of course, the most prevalent appeal of Winfield is the musical aspect, of which there is no shortage. All sorts of notable musicians and bands have performed at the Walnut Valley festival in past years such as Billy Strings, Mountain Sprout, New Grass Revival, and many more. This year’s lineup did not disappoint, with names like Rebecca Frazier, Scythian, Damn Tall Buildings, and many more performing live. We stuck to the local stage near our camp aptly named ‘Fine Time’ that hosted a number of bands and performers woven into the community, and went late into the night. There was no shortage of independent jams either, with one of my defining memories being my friend playing two hours straight whilst the rest of our group searched desperately for water. By the time we got back to him, a crowd that rivaled some of the stages had gathered to listen to him play with a number of other musicians.
The fresh food served every day was better than I could have imagined. There were options for free food like enchiladas, gumbo, chowder, and carnitas from independent attendees operating from their cars or tents, or if you were daring enough you could make the trek to the grandstands, where all sorts of cuisine could be found, such as smash-burgers, noodles, kebabs, and so much more. My personal favorite was the biscuits and gravy stand open 10 PM to 10 AM; a 3 AM meal smothered in hashbrowns after wandering through the stimulating atmosphere of the festival was a feeling I’ll never be able to capture until I return to Winfield once again.
I camped two nights with my friend who kindly offered to drive and let me use his tent. When the rain came down heavy the first night, the following day it felt like everything was somehow covered in mud. I myself fell more than a few times into a mud pit or two, but frankly I found that it added to the earthy charm of the event. We witnessed countless jams, familiarized ourselves with some of the regular attendees such as a group coquillably named the ‘Gardner’s’ that was camping nearby, and participated in some of the events like the infamous rock paper scissors competition (of which I lost to ‘Stinky Pete’). The characters and events all around us were uncountable, yet all as enjoyable as the last. It was truly spectacular.
Winfield is something different entirely, an experience that keeps its talented community coming back year after year and attracting new members young and old with its charms and atmosphere. It is a wild cacophony of music, people, food, and good times unlike anywhere else in Kansas or even beyond, and the people who make up the back-bone of the tightly woven Winfield collective will make sure you enjoy every minute of your time at the Walnut Valley festival.
