Riverfest reaches halfway mark

(WICHITA, Kan.) — We are mid-way through Wichita's 9-day Riverfest.  But instead of running from tornadoes, attendees are running for the shade.

Organizers didn't expect record-setting temperatures to affect them when they moved the festival from May to June.  (Wednesday marked the sixth day in a row of 100+ temperatures - a new record.)

However, Janet Wright of Riverfest says so far this year, 150 thousand people have attended (that's an estimated four day total).  That's almost as many as who attended for all 8 days last year.  (Riverfest didn't even open one day in 2010 because of severe weather.)  But compare it to a few years ago, when attendance topped 300,000.

Wright says the board is considering moving the 2012 Riverfest to June as well; but that decision will be made after the 2011 festival is in the books.