What to do in Wichita this weekend: Gaze at jack-o’-lanterns, see a concert, go shopping

Wichitans in search of something to do this weekend will have plenty to choose from, including Halloween activities, shopping opportunities and all sorts of live music.

Here’s a look at some of the fun things going on in and around Wichita this weekend and into next week:

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Botanica, 701 Amidon

Botanica’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, an event that fills the gardens with 1,600 glowing carved pumpkins, continues through Saturday. Visitors can stroll around admiring the pumpkins, which were carved by volunteer groups in the community, and they can also catch aerial acrobats and fire dancers. The event also includes a petting zoo, fire pits set up for s’mores, and a “Haunted Woodland Walk.” DJ Carbon will be spinning tunes on the Grand Lawn stage, and food trucks will be set up. The event also will include a cash bar. It’s from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $12, $9 for members and children, free for ages 2 and under. They’re available at botanica.org/jackolantern-spectacular/

‘Paper Dreams’ opening at WAM

11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd.

Saturday is opening day for a new exhibition at the Wichita Art Museum called “Paper Dreams: Alfred Maurer and American Masterpieces.” Opening-day activities will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include live music by Jazz Play, performances by the Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Center, and a Halloween-inspired make-it, take-it art activity. Admission to the museum is free on Saturdays. The exhibition will be on display through Jan. 22.

Wichita Postcard Show

Saturday and Sunday, All Saints Catholic Elementary School, 3313 Grand

The 44th Wichita Postcard Show happens on Saturday and Sunday at All Saints Catholic Elementary school and will feature thousands of postcards depicting life as it used to be. The show, put on by the Wichita Postcard Club, will feature 30 postcard dealers from across the nation displaying their collections and selling both postcards and postcard supplies. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.

Shop for deals

Shop & Grub on Sunday, Wichita Flea Market on Saturday and Sunday

Feel like shopping? Two of Wichita’s monthly markets are back this weekend. Shop & Grub, FestiveICT’s vendor market that takes over Naftzger Park one Sunday a month, will put on its second-to-last event of the season from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event will feature lots of vendors selling vintage clothing, jewelry, food and more, and food trucks and a cash bar also will be set up. Admission is free. Meanwhile, it’s Wichita Flea Market weekend at the Farha Sport Center at the South Wichita YMCA. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. This month’s market will feature trick-or-treating at the 200 vendor booths and a costume contest for kids, adults and vendors, each with a $100 cash prize. Admission is $2 or $5 for a two-day ticket. Children 12 and under get in free.

Ensemble show

5:30 p.m. Sunday, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 Museum Blvd

The Chamber Music Society of Wichita is presenting a concert on Sunday by the Grammy-nominated and New York City-based PUBLIQuartet. The concert, which will be at the museum’s S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall, will launch the organization’s 2022-2023 season of ensemble concerts and will start at 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., and a pre-concert talk will start at 5 p.m. The event will include a cash bar, and boxed snacks also will be available. Tickets to the show are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, WAM members and active members of the military, and $5 for students. They’re available at cmswichita.org/concerts

Arboretum concert series

4 p.m. Sunday, Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, 177 W. Hickory St., Hesston

Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston will launch its 2022-2023 Prairie Window Concert series on Sunday with a show by Haymakers, a Kansas-based group known for its folk, bluegrass and country blues sound. The show will start at 4 p.m. and will happen in the Prairie Pavilion at the venue. Attendees also will be able to buy sweet and savory food items from Crust & Crumb Company at the show. Tickets are $20, $10 for children and available by reservation only at http://dyckarboretum.org/arboretum-event/haymakers/ or by calling 620-327-8127. For a complete lineup of concerts in the series, which runs through February, visit dyckarboretum.org/prairie-window/

‘Napoleon Dynamite’ live

8 p.m. Thursday, The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg

The “Napoleon Dynamite” event that was originally scheduled to take place at The Cotillion at the start of the pandemic in 2020 is finally happening on Thursday. The event will feature a screening of the movie followed by a conversation with the stars of the 2004 movie— Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro.) It starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $24 to $104 at thecotillion.com