The Eagle Medallion Hunt is back again at Riverfest — but this time there’s a twist

The Wichita Riverfest is about to start again, and so is The Eagle Medallion Hunt — a popular annual contest that challenges Wichitans to search parks and sift through underbrush in search of a medallion worth $1,000.

But this year, there’s one big change: The clues will post at around 4:30 p.m. each day rather than early in the morning like they have in past years.

“What I’m wanting to see is if this allows more people time to go out and search for it, particularly people who work 9-to-5 jobs,” said Wichita Eagle Executive Editor Michael Roehrman.

The hunt launches Thursday, May 30 — the day before the start of the 52nd annual Wichita Riverfest. It’s a Riverfest tradition that offers up cryptic clues meant to lead players to a 2-inch plastic coin hidden on public property in Sedgwick County. The person who decodes the clues and finds the medallion first gets $1,000.

This year’s Wichita Riverfest opens on Friday, May 31, and runs through June 8. The first Medallion Hunt clue will be published on Kansas.com at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, and a new clue will follow every afternoon. The clues won’t run in the print edition of the paper.

The last clue will be posted on Wednesday, June 5, and the contest will end at midnight on Thursday, June 6, or whenever the medallion is found.

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Last year, the medallion was found by longtime hunter and first-time winner Ryan Philbrick, who found the medallion after the clue posted on Day 5. It pointed him to Hellers Park, a city park and nature preserve in north Wichita. The medallion was hidden in an old refrigerator on the western edge of the park.

Hunters are encouraged to keep in mind that no Medallion Hunt clues, nor the hiding place, require entry onto private property.

This is the 49th anniversary of the Medallion Hunt, which is nearly as old as the Riverfest itself.

Whoever finds the medallion should call 316-268-6200 during normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and leave a detailed description of where the Medallion was found as well as contact information. The Medallion must be returned to The Eagle by 3 p.m. on Friday, June 7, or no one wins the prize.

The contest is open to residents of Kansas who are at least 18 years old as of May 30, 2024. Employees of The Wichita Eagle, the McClatchy Company, Wichita Festivals Inc., board members of Wichita Festivals Inc., and immediate family members of any of those groups, are not eligible to participate.

For full contest rules, visit kansas.com/riverfest