Familiar bands, foods, artists and more will join fresh faces at this year’s Smoky Hill River Festival.

The 49th annual edition of the epic arts party is happening from June 12 to 15 throughout Oakdale Park in downtown Salina.

Staff from Salina Arts and Humanities joined together April 24 to announce the details of this year’s festival, including information about music acts, artists, food and more.

Music headliners include returning favorite

On the slate for music will be several new and returning bands, including the June 13 headliner, The Freedom Affair.

Sarah Keck, entertainment coordinator for the festival, said the Kansas City, Missouri-based band returns as the closing act Friday after the unpredictable Kansas weather of last year.

“Their final set in 2024, was unfortunately rained out due to the storms that happened, but we’re very fortunate to be able to have them back for one more evening,” she said.

Joining as headliners this year will be My Son the Hurricane, of Niagara, Ontario, on June 14 and Carswell and Hope, from Lawrence on June 15.

Keck said other musical acts coming to the festival include Gabe Lee, Jon Muq, Me Like Bees, The Matchsellers, Pretend Friend and Willy Vela Y Sus Aguilillos.

More information about music acts can be found at the entertainment section on the festival’s website.

For a sneak peak of some of the musical acts coming to the 49th annual Smoky Hill River Festival, a Spotify playlist has been created featuring several of the artists.

New and returning visual artists at the festival

According to Crystal Hammerschmidt, visual arts coordinator, about 50 new exhibiting artists will be at the festival this year as well as several who have been before.

“We (also) have returning award winners from our 2024 festival,” she said.

In addition to exhibiting artists, she said demonstration art will be expanded this year.

“We’re starting to move some of those through the art show proper,” she said. “It’s not just going to be the craft demo this year, we’re going to have a much larger craft demonstration area towards the west arts area and the permanent bathrooms.”

Some of these demonstrations include metal works, weaving, ceramics, wood and glassblowing.

Festival food bringing seven new vendors

More than 30 food vendors will be on site at the festival this year, including seven new vendors.

In addition to festival favorites like fried Oreos, funnel cakes, chocolate-covered frozen cheesecake and roasted corn, these new vendors will bring new foods and drinks as well, including things like Korean corndogs, pickle lemonade, pork parfait and teriyaki chicken on a stick.

Food vendors will open as soon as the festival does at 4 p.m. June 12, and will be serving throughout the weekend.

Smoky Hill River Festival wristbands on sale on May 1

Gates for the Smoky Hill River Festival will open at 4 p.m. on June 12, and 10 a.m. on June 13, 14 and 15.

Admission to the festival is by wristband only, with a four-day wristband costing $15 in advance and going on sale on May 1 at the Salina Arts and Humanities office and a number of retailers throughout Salina and across Kansas. Advance sales end on June 10.

Four-day admission prices raise to $20 at the gates and $10 one-day wristbands can also be purchased during the festival at the gates.

“We’re really happy to announce that we’ll be taking a credit, debit cards, Venmo and Apple pay at the gates (this year),” said Anna Pauscher Morawitz, operations and development manager for the festival.

Previously, payment at the gates had to be in cash.

A list of retailers selling advance wristbands will be updated soon on the festival website, www.riverfestival.com/participating-retailers/.