By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The 31st Wild West Festival was hosted at Municipal Park last week to celebrate Independence Day in Hays. The event drew people from all over Kansas to enjoy live music, food and drinks from local vendors, the return of the carnival, and coinciding events like the Fireworks Spectacular, Wild West 5K and Main Street Parade.
Attending the festival marks a tradition for the community to come together and celebrate the July 4th weekend in their way, while family and friends connect over the patriotic festivities Hays puts on. For attendees Saige Herl and Trista Fiock, it means a fun time to share.
“I’ve been going here since I was three [years old],” Herl said. “It’s still one of those events that, either way, I love coming to. I drove all the way from Wichita to be here.”
The Castellows are a neotraditional country music trio consisting of sisters Eleanor, Lily, and Powell Balkcom from Georgetown, Georgia. 
A local vendor selling various cuisines. 
Selling snow cones. 
Amanda Rupp promotes Oktoberfest. 
Walker Montgomery walks on stage to an excited crowd. 
Montgomery performs at the 31st Wild West Festival. 
Walker’s father, Joh Michael Montgomery, performed at the festival in 2010. 
“Tombstone” plays guitars and provides backing vocals. 
Attempting pull-ups at the Marines’ tent. 
A happy fan rocks out to the concert. 
Lakin Eckroat and Olivia Hueneke enjoy Montgomery’s performance. 
Montgomery interacts with the crowd. 
Fans line up for autographs from Montgomery. 
Shooting T-shirts into the crowd. 
A couple of festival-goers jump up for shirts. 
Auctioning off a guitar signed by Montgomery. 
The Castellows open up their concert. 
Powell reaches out to fans. 
The sisterly trio perform their original music and covers alongside each other. 
Josh Leiker dances with Raylynn Lumpkin.
They both appreciate Hays’ way of celebrating the holiday for its community value.
“It’s a good way to kick off the Fourth of July and get everyone hyped,” Fiock said. “It brings the community together to celebrate in a unique way I’ve never seen like other towns do.”
The festival also marks an occasion for veterans to be recognized for their service and enjoy the rights they defended. One of those veterans, Kenny Russell, is thankful for that recognition.
“The holiday’s important because I was [in the] Military,” he said. “It’s a way for everybody to celebrate their independence.”
Russell served two tours in Iraq, from 2003 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2009.
“We’re all here and gathered around watching great bands, and I love it,” he said. “I’m sure there are others around here who have done the same thing: fought for this, fought for that. We’re all important, but the important ones here tonight are the police, ambulance and fire.”
Drew Baldridge closes out the festival’s second day with his band. 
Brock Wagoner opens the second day of the Wild West Festival. 
A game of Cornhole inside the VIP access area. 
Going down the slide at the carnival. 
Kids riding a mechanical swing. 
Riding the Sizzler cars. 
Attendees filling out tickets to win a UTV. 
Austin Williams performs. 
At 21 years old, Williams gained a sizable following after social media exposure as a young star. 
Fans recording Williams. 
Williams playing for a large crowd. 
Engaging with his guitar and bass players. 
Energetically playing a guitar solo. 
The carnival from Garry Moore Amusements lights up the festival grounds. 
Concerts illuminate each night at the festival. 
A trio of Baldridge’s bandmates performing beside each other. 
Baldrige performed songs about unity, family and forgiveness to remind his audience about the July 4th holiday.
The festival began last Wednesday with concerts featuring Walker Montgomery and the Castellows, followed by Brock Wagoner, Austin Williams and Drew Baldridge on Thursday. July 4 was reserved for the Fireworks Spectacular across town. Saturday was WWF’s last day topped off by the 5K, parade, and concerts featuring Reprise, Paramount, and the Spin Doctors.
“It’s been an incredible festival,” WWF Committee President Julie Edgeman said. “The weather’s been hot, but everything’s been able to go off without a hitch, and we had some amazing reports about the fireworks.”
Victory Pyrotechnics provided the fireworks out of Wichita for the Spectacular, while Hays residents detonated their own across town.
“The Castellows were amazing,” Edgeman said. “Their voices and harmonies were amazing. Austin Williams put on an incredible show, and Walker Montgomery’s got a great sense of humor with the crowd. All of them were great.”
The Spin Doctors close out the 31st Wild West Festival. 
The Wild West 5K begins at the Aquatic Park parking lot. 
Running through the street. 
Returning to the start/finish line. 
Winning runners were given individual awards in multiple categories. 
Receiving a trophy. 
The Main Street Parade being escorted by police. 
Carrying the American flag. 
Veterans receive greetings from the crowd as they travel on their float. 
Cyclists waving to the crowd. 
Standing for the Star Spangled Banner. 
The Hays Buffaloes lead the way as the Parade’s Grand Marshal 
A flag-sporting UTV continues the route. 
The Daughters of the American Revolution drive with a Betsy Ross impersonator. 
Heartland Gymnastics display their skills while celebrating the holiday. 
The Hays Fire Department driving down Main Street. 
A firefighter passing out candy. 
The FHSU Rodeo parading by horseback. 
Reprise opens the last day of concerts. 
Lead singing duo. 
Paramount puts on rocking performance with covers of 80s rock. 
Eddie Light lets the crowd sing along to “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns N’ Roses. 
Enjoying the 80s Rock tribute band.
Edgeman implemented the return of the carnival through her connection to Garry Moore Amusements.
“We went about three years without a carnival,” she said. “People are enjoying it. It’s done fairly well, and it’s seemed busy. Hopefully, we’ll see the same crowds over there again.”
In its 31 years of being hosted, the Wild West Festival has become more than a tradition; it has also become what feels like home to many.
“It’s become a tradition from that first one,” Edgeman said. “A lot of people who went to it moved away, went to college, and now they’re back, and they’ve either joined the committee or go back to it. It’s become a staple of the Fourth of July week in Hays.”
