Downtown Wichita > Discover > Things to See & Do > First Friday
A community-wide celebration
The First Friday Gallery Crawl is a unique opportunity for thousands of students, families and art lovers to engage with local art each month at unique locations in downtown and throughout the city. This grassroots event continues to thrive because of the collective vision and collaboration of galleries and artists.
As the name implies, First Friday happens the first Friday of each month. Hours vary between galleries, but most are open during the core hours of 7 to 9 p.m. Most galleries use First Friday to unveil and debut new shows or as a closing reception. All venues are free and open to the public and several galleries across the city incorporate artist demonstrations and/or live music. Not only does this event give guests the opportunity to view creative art space, it also is an excellent time to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork directly from artists.
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Upcoming: First Friday Fest, October 3
Join us in celebrating Wichita’s vibrant art community on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.
While First Friday spotlights galleries and creative spaces each month, First Friday Fest takes it to the next level — with live music, a public art unveiling, chalk art contest and more.
Date: Friday, Oct. 3
Time: Most events usually start after 5 p.m.
Location: Throughout Downtown Wichita and nearby neighborhoods
Cost: Free and open to the public
Featuring: Chalk art contest, gallery openings, live music, a public art unveiling & more!
Learn more here.
Are you an artist or gallery owner interested in being included on the First Friday list? Contact us for more information. Since there is no designated organizing body for First Friday, all participating venues are required to do their own marketing and advertising. Downtown Wichita does provide a listing on our website of all venues that are participating for the general public and visitors to use.
Submit your First Friday exhibit info no less than one week prior to the event in the following format to be listed on the Downtown Wichita website. Fill out the form below or email your submission to info@downtownwichita.org.