Sunflower Festival Returns to Downtown Colby for Two Days of Food, Music and Fun

Downtown Colby is about to get a whole lot busier..... and a whole lot more fun!

The Sunflower Festival returns Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22, bringing two days of food, music, shopping, games, cars, cold drinks and plenty of reasons to spend some time downtown.

NWKS Radio’s Kristina recently sat down with Lizzie Lewis, CEO of the Colby/Thomas County Chamber, to talk about this year’s festival and how an idea that started with a handful of community members has grown into a full weekend of activities.

The Sunflower Festival dates back to around 2018, when members of the Colby Diplomats (including Kristina) wanted to bring more activity back to downtown Colby.

“We need to make something for our town. Like, we need a festival,” Kristina recalled of the idea behind the event.

Several years later, the festival is still going -- and this year an old favorite is making its return.

Brewfest is BACK!

One of the original Sunflower Festival events, Brewfest, returns Friday evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $35 and include the opportunity to sample a wide variety of beverages, with organizers expecting somewhere around 30 to 40 different tastings. Even if you aren't normally much of a beer drinker, this is your chance to sample different styles without committing to an entire six-pack of something that sounded better on the label.

And Brewfest isn't just about what's in the tasting glass. It's meant to be a social event............ grab some friends, come downtown and enjoy the evening. Brewfest is for those 21 and older.

Tickets can also be purchased at the entrance Friday night or skip the line and get them online at sunflowerfestivalcolbyks.com

Or, as Kristina and Lizzie dubbed it during the interview: “The gateway to the brew.”

Come Hungry Friday Night

You may want to skip cooking Friday because the food trucks will have you covered.

Festival-goers can expect Colorado Smoking Butts, Twist Wrapped and Rolled, Billy's Fry Time, La Loteria, MKC Kitchen, Hello Lemon, Let It Snow and Sweet Cheeks Eats and Treats. That means everything from supper to drinks to dessert and probably another dessert because you're at a festival and festival calories clearly don't count.

Food trucks will be serving Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. and return Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MC Entertainment will also be spinning music Friday evening before the festival shifts into live music.

Free Concert with Dallas Pryor

Friday night wraps up with a FREE street dance featuring Kansas musician Dallas Pryor.

The stage will be set up near Franklin Avenue and 6th Street, with Pryor performing from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Bring your lawn chairs and settle in for an evening of country music, including upbeat songs, original music and plenty of songs you'll recognize. Best of all, there is no admission charge.

“It’s completely free,” Lewis said. “Come on down.”

Saturday Starts Early

Hopefully you didn't stay up too late Friday, because Saturday's schedule gets rolling bright and early.

The Color Run begins at 7:30 a.m., and afterward you can replace all those calories you just burned with pancakes. Seems fair.

The Chamber will serve pancakes, sausage and juice from 8 to 10 a.m. at the gazebo in Fike Park, with coffee donated by Scooter's Coffee. Breakfast is available for a free-will donation.

And you don't have to participate in the Color Run to eat breakfast. Running is optional. Pancakes are for everyone.

From there, Saturday gets packed.

The Colby Ambassador Car Show runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Co-Ed sand volleyball starts at 9 a.m., along with shopping at Booths on the Bricks from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be free kids activities and water activities, plus horseshoes and cornhole beginning at 10 a.m.

At noon, there's a hot dog feed and a hot dog eating contest.

Kristina and Lizzie both admitted during the interview that they'll happily leave the hot dog eating competition to somebody else.

More power to those brave contestants.

Later in the day, the car show will hold a poker run before Cruise Main Night helps close out another Sunflower Festival.

More Than Just a Festival

Behind all the food, music and activities is something important: the Sunflower Festival is powered by local volunteers, organizations and sponsors.

The different groups operating events use the festival as a fundraiser, with money going back into their organizations, the community and future Sunflower Festivals.

“Everything that we get goes right back to the community,” Lewis explained.

Organizers also thanked the festival's anchor sponsors, Western State Bank of Colby and the Colby Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with the many CCC teams, volunteers and organizations that help make the weekend possible.

So grab the lawn chairs, bring the kids, bring your appetite and make plans for downtown Colby.

The Sunflower Festival is Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22.

Whether you're coming for Brewfest, Dallas Pryor, pancakes, cars, food trucks, shopping, kids activities or just an excuse to hang out with friends downtown, there's plenty happening throughout the weekend.

And really, that's how this whole thing started in the first place --- bringing people together and giving Colby something fun to do downtown.

For the complete schedule and the latest festival information, visit sunflowerfestivalcolbyks.com or follow the Sunflower Festival Colby, KS Facebook page.

Hear the full interview here between Kristina and Lizzie

Sunflower festival interview 2026 with Lizzie and Kristina

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