BreAnna Monk has a background in serving communities. She’s worked in education, for the city of Derby, and has done a lot of event planning across the country. All leading up to her new position as President and CEO of Wichita Festivals. Monk, who’s volunteered at Riverfest for more than a decade, says she’s ready to take on the task at the top. For this edition of “In The Mix,” Carla Eckels sat down with Monk to talk about what to expect under her leadership.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What interested you in becoming the President and CEO of Wichita Festivals?
Being able to express myself over the 10-plus years that I have been a volunteer, I have been able to serve the community. In this particular position, I’m able to express myself with that service, deed and work for the people.
Can you share some of the highlights of the upcoming festival?
I can share a few highlights for the festival. On March 17, we will be announcing our lineup for all of the headliners over the nine-day period. We have eight headliners that will encompass all genres of music, and I promise that you will be excited to hear it!
Are there any changes that we can expect?
As far as the changes are concerned, you will see a little bit more activities with families. We have increased the size of our children's corner. We have added a few more sponsorships, as well as some different activities that you will see at Kennedy Plaza. Also, the guide has a little bit more information this year.
You mentioned sponsorships. How challenging has it been to secure sponsorships this year?
It has been a bit of a challenge. There are lots of different organizations that are [nonprofit] like we are, and everybody is basically going after the same similar pot.
You said a positive look and growing the community. What do you mean?
What I mean by that is by allowing our community to be seen in a more positive light, as coming together as one and being able to express ourselves in a way that will show that we are all able to come together for the sake of entertainment, fun and togetherness because this is the largest outdoor festival in the state of Kansas. Over 53 years’ worth of entertainment that we have done. It started out back in the 70s and now, after 53 years, we continue the legacy even post-COVID, to show that we are not only a force, but we are also a strong unit to continue to grow the Wichita community economically.
On your website, it states as the first Black woman to serve as President and CEO of Wichita Festivals, Monk's leadership reflects the organization's commitment to embracing innovation and inclusivity. Where else is this evident in Riverfest?
One way that we have continued to grow is [by] continuing GospelFest. We [also] have a newer event that's called “Ponder This” that will show up … [during] RiverFest. We are also adding … multicultural types of events. We have the Asian lion dancers, Fiesta Del Rio and more. So, continue to look to see where we can work out different ways within the festival for our multicultural needs.
What is “Ponder This”?
Oh, that's an exciting one. It's a basic poetry slam. …It allows all types of people to come in, do their poetry [and] express themselves. They're able to win prizes. We have artists that come in and perform, and it's an exciting piece and add on to the festival.
Will there be changes in button prices?
Prices will be the same. We will do an early bird special, which will be April 11 through April 26 where you can get the button for $15. The children's buttons will still be the same price at $10. After that, starting May 2, regular button sales will be $20.
You just started in January. What's been surprising to you as you now take over at the helm of the Wichita Festivals?
Seeing how much the community is involved in the planning of Wichita Festivals. Wichita Festivals is not run by the city. We are [a nonprofit] organization that is centered in Wichita. We are the largest organization that is in Wichita dealing with festivals and events. Another thing is that Wichita Festivals is run by a variety of committees. The committees, which are volunteers, actually help plan and execute a large amount of the events and music acts that are a part of the festival. A lot of people don't know that. A lot of people don't understand that the community is involved, and it is not just staff making all of the calls. What we do as staff is to work on getting sponsors to come in that will be able to sponsor a lot of the events and things that happen around festival. And I think that's important to know, without our sponsors, we are not able to put on one of the biggest events that Kansas has to offer. And I want everyone to know that. So, with your support, we're able to make this happen.
Are there statistics in terms of how many people from out-of-town visit vs those from Wichita who’ve attended in the past?
To break it down, I'm not sure on the exact number, but I do know that the festival … [has] anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 people that do come in. As far as the exact number of who … [comes from] surrounding cities … I don't have that. But I have talked to a lot of the tourist organizations, and they say that the draw comes in for, if it's not for festivals, they actually come in for Autumn & Art. So, we have a few of those things that happen with Wichita Festivals. Autumn & Art [takes place on] September 12 through September 14.
How does that affect the economy?
Wichita Riverfest actually brings in several millions of dollars into the economy. That means that it's just not the downtown area that benefits. It is actually all of the neighborhoods and the surrounding areas with people coming in, staying at hotels, spending money at the different restaurants, coming to the malls; different things like that. So, we actually have done a rather large benefit to the city of Wichita, as far as the economy is concerned.
BreAnna, you've said, Wichita is ready for growth, and so is Wichita Festivals. What is your vision in the coming years?
I would love to bring more of a sports and technology edge into the festival more than we've seen before, and I think that we are ready for that. You know … a lot of the surrounding cities have barbecue festivals and different things like that. …So why not try to find some different things that we can do and add [it] into the festival? So, I would say for the most part, just stay tuned.
