Big-city amenities at Midwestern prices – plus year-round events for every age, whim and passion.Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, is a destination where you can expect the unexpected!

The iconic 44-foot-tall “Keeper of the Plains” statue pays tribute to the Native Americans who lived here long before settlers arrived. Just blocks away,Old Cowtown Museum relives the 1870s complete with reenactors, a chuckwagon supper, and cowboy songs from the Diamond W Wranglers. Also in the neighborhood, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is home to the Wichita Wingnuts baseball team and the National Baseball Congress World Series.

Wichita evolved from a cow town to “Air Capital of the World” where 37 percent of the world’s general aviation aircraft are built. The Kansas Aviation Museum chronicles Wichita’s rise to aviation prominence. The city’s 35 museums include The Kansas African American Museum telling the story of the local African-American experience and the people who helped shape it. Enjoy world-class traveling exhibits at Exploration Place, our science discovery center.

For the ultimate nightlife destination, visit the Old Town red-brick warehouse district in the heart of downtown. This is the city’s entertainment centerpiece, with nightclubs offering a variety of music – rock, jazz, country, blues and reggae – all within easy walking distance. The area also serves as the focal point for Wichita’s First Friday music crawl and Final Friday art gallery crawl. The American Planning Association calls Old Town one of the Top 10 Great Neighborhoods in the U.S.

Kansas’ largest city knows how to celebrate its history and cultural arts. The nine-day Wichita River Festival combines food and fun. The Wichita Flight Festival honors the city’s aviation heritage. The Asian Festival, Black Arts Festival and Cinco de Mayo Celebration recognize the city’s cultural diversity. The Tallgrass Film Festival brings independent filmmakers to Wichita each October.

Food aficionados will feast their eyes on the menus from more than 1,000 restaurants spread across the city! Satisfy your cravings – from delectable Mediterranean cuisine to lip-smacking barbecue ribs – and every palate in-between. Livability.com callsWichitaone of its Top 10 Surprising Food Cities. Wichita offers shopping choices for all budgets and tastes.Towne East Square,Towne West Square, Bradley Fair and New Market Square are the city’s major shopping destinations housing national and local retailers. For a unique-yet-eclectic shopping experience, visit Clifton Square, Lincoln Heights Village, the Waterfront, and the Delano district.

The thriving arts and culture community includes Music Theatre of Wichita, the Wichita Symphony and Wichita Grand Opera – all with productions featuring internationally acclaimed performers. From City Arts to the Commerce Street Arts District – art galleries and artists thrive in Wichita!

 If wildlife is your passion – the Sedgwick County Zoo is the seventh largest zoo in the United States. Its newest exhibit, the Slawson Family Tiger Trek features Amur and Malayan tigers in their natural habitat.

 The 15,000-seat INTRUST Bank Area opened in January 2010 with a concert by country music star Brad Paisley. It is the home of the Wichita Thunder hockey team, and it has already hosted the Harlem Globetrotters, George Strait and Reba McEntire, Bon Jovi, Elton John and Billy Joel, and Taylor Swift. In 2011, the arena will host first and second-round games of the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship.

The family budget stretches farther in Wichita! NBC’s “Today” show named Wichita the most affordable city in the United States. The city also was ranked on “Forbes Magazine Online’s” Top 10 list of “Best Bang for the Buck Cities.” To learn more about Wichita, visit gowichita.com or call 800.288.9424.