Change Starts Somewhere

 Free, Family-Friendly Event Celebrates Community Action, Expression, and Empowerment

June 13–14th | Downtown Wichita | 4–8pmCST | Free & Open to All

Change Starts Somewhere Block Party is a two-day celebration of community, creativity, and social action held during festival weekend.

Taking place June 13–14th from 4–8pmCST on St. Francis Street between 1st and 2nd, and spilling into the adjacent Coleman and WAVE parking lots, the Block Party is free and open to the public—no festival ticket required.

Presented in partnership with Stand Together Foundation, dedicated to empowering individuals to reach their full potential through community-driven change, the Change Starts Somewhere Block Party invites attendees of all ages to explore the power of local change through hands-on activities, interactive installations, and calls to action across four central themes: Build Somewhere (economic mobility), Learn Somewhere (education), Heal Somewhere (mental health and addiction recovery), and Create Somewhere (freedom of expression).

Guests who take one action in each category can earn exclusive festival swag, including a Somewhere fanny pack and a Change Starts Somewhere festival tee. Thanks to the generosity of the Buford Family Foundation, kids who participate will receive a free ice cream or snow cone voucher in the adjacent Taste of Somewhere food court.

Each block of the event is anchored by hands-on experiences designed to inspire connection and action.

  • Build Somewhere

    Hear from Family Promise about their work preventing homelessness, and share their own ideas for economic mobility in video testimonials curated by the Kansas Health Foundation. Attendees can also learn how platforms like CarePortal are connecting local families with urgent needs to people who want to help.

  • Heal Somewhere

    In the Heal Somewhere area visitors can join a collaborative community mural, enjoy mindful mocktails, and pick up “wear one, share one” bracelets courtesy of The Phoenix and 1 Million Strong. The space also features wellness resources from the Wichita Recovery Hub and invites attendees to access daily support through the NewForm app.

  • Learn Somewhere

    The Learn Somewhere section welcomes children and adults alike with engaging, family-friendly activities. Kids can register for a library card via the Wichita Public Library bookmobile, create bookmarks from old record sleeves, and play yard games. Guests can also meet local changemakers from VELA, paint their own mini dinosaur hosted by Learning Lab Wichita, and explore new ideas for self-directed learning.

  • Create Somewhere

    In Create Somewhere, attendees are invited to express themselves freely through art, music, and storytelling. The area will feature public installations and participatory activations by Harvester Arts’ Gallery Place, Juniper Academy, Get Ya Color On, and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

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A live Social Change Stage will spotlight youth voices and music rooted in personal narrative and community transformation, with special appearances by Roy Moye III and Devon Glover, a.k.a. The Sonnet Man.

Additional activities include a drum circle, kandi bracelet-making, and a VR DJ simulator (Saturday only) for a fully immersive, tech-infused experience.

Guests can also explore the State of Our City Dashboard, a new tool from Lead Wichita that combines local data and storytelling to drive civic engagement. Nearby, The Neighboring Movement invites attendees to take the We Care Pledge—joining a growing network of Wichita residents committed to showing up for their neighbors and city.

The Change Starts Somewhere Block Party is a key pillar of Somewhere Festival & Conference, a two-day, not-for-profit celebration of music, creativity, and community impact co-presented by Midtopia and Movement Musick. Headliners for this year’s festival include Deadmau5, Suki Waterhouse, Flying Lotus, BigXthaPlug, and Aloe Blacc with 2ŁØT, alongside immersive art installations, genre-defying performances, and thought-provoking conversations.

“The Block Party is about turning values into action,” said Jessie Hartke, CEO of Midtopia. “We’re creating space for people to connect but through a shared purpose—building community, expressing themselves, and getting involved in ways that feel meaningful. This is what Somewhere is all about.”

The Somewhere Conference, also held June 13–14th at Groover Labs and Somewhere Works, offers a full slate of panels and workshops covering mental health, music industry sustainability, and alternative education pathways. This year’s featured speakers include Aloe Blacc, Portia Sabin, John McBride, and leaders from NPR, Billboard, The Phoenix, the Music Business Association, and more.

Somewhere Festival & Conference reimagines what a music festival can be—fusing groundbreaking performances, radical inclusion, and real-world impact in the heart of Downtown Wichita.

  • About Movement Musick

    Movement Musick is dedicated to empowering artists and music industry professionals while driving positive social change – in Wichita and beyond. Music creators and professionals from all walks of life unite with a shared vision: to discover their talents, develop and apply their skills, and advance their community. We provide a platform for emerging talent, offering resources and opportunities to unlock their full potential, while encouraging ongoing innovation in the music industry. Learn more at www.movementmusick.org.

  • About Midtopia

    Midtopia seeks to establish sustainable and equitable opportunities for independent artists and music workers via concepts for contributive partnerships and alternative business models that harness the connected, collaborative power of interdependence. This alternative to current music industry models is based on a philosophy of “do it ourselves” invoking greater cohesion to strengthen and build equity among artists and music workers, regardless of geographical location or current industry status. Like an intricate network of roots beneath a tree, this multidisciplinary collaboration will enhance these concepts giving artists and workers the ability to cultivate more sustainable growth, strengthen independence, fortify community, and propagate truly unique creative identities. Learn more at midtopia.com.

  • About Stand Together Foundation

    Stand Together Foundation is dedicated to empowering individuals to reach their full potential through community-driven change. We are building a movement of social entrepreneurs who believe in people, work with individuals closest to the problem, and unite with anyone to do right. Through innovations that inspire Americans to help each other, they are building stronger, safer communities where all people can learn, contribute, and live lives of meaning. Learn more at StandTogetherFoundation.org.