The Wichita Riverfest is about to start again, and so is The Eagle Medallion Hunt – a popular annual competition that challenges Wichitans to scour parks and sift through undergrowth in search of a medallion worth $1,000.
But this year there is one big change: the clues will be posted every day around 4:30 PM instead of early in the morning as in previous years.
“What I want to see is if this gives more people the time to go out and look for it, especially people who have 9-to-5 jobs,” said Michael Roehrman, editor-in-chief of the Wichita Eagle.
The hunt begins Thursday, May 30 – the day before the start of the 52nd annual Wichita Riverfest. It’s a Riverfest tradition that offers cryptic clues meant to lead players to a 2-inch plastic coin hidden on public property in Sedgwick County. The person who decodes the clues and finds the medallion first will get $1,000.
This year’s Wichita Riverfest kicks off on Friday, May 31st and runs through June 8th. The first Medallion Hunt clue will be published on Kansas.com on Thursday, May 30 around 4:30 p.m., with a new clue to follow each afternoon. The clues do not appear in the print edition of the newspaper.
The final clue will be posted on Wednesday, June 5, and the contest will end at midnight on Thursday, June 6, or as soon as the medallion is found.
Print subscribers of the Wichita Eagle already have unlimited digital access to Kansas.com. If you have not already done so, visit Kansas.com/activate to activate your digital account.
For more information on how to subscribe, visit Subscribe.kansas.com/beinformed.
Last year, the medallion was found by longtime hunter and first-time winner Ryan Philbrick, who found the medallion after the clue on Day 5. It pointed him to Hellers Park, a city park and nature preserve in north Wichita. The medallion was hidden in an old refrigerator on the western edge of the park.
Hunters are encouraged to keep in mind that no Medallion Hunt designation, nor the refuge, requires access to private property.
This is the 49th anniversary of the Medallion Hunt, which is almost as old as Riverfest itself.
Whoever finds the locket should call 316-268-6200 during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and leave a detailed description of where the locket was found as well as contact information. The medallion must be returned to The Eagle by Friday, June 7 at 3 p.m., otherwise no one will win the prize.
The contest is open to residents of Kansas who are at least 18 years of age as of May 30, 2024. Employees of The Wichita Eagle, the McClatchy Company, Wichita Festivals Inc., board members of Wichita Festivals Inc., and immediate family members of any of these groups are not eligible to participate.
For complete contest rules, visit kansas.com/riverfest
