During a media event and piping-aboard ceremony at Shift Auto Society, Clay Bastian was revealed as Admiral Windwagon Smith XLVII, ambassador of Riverfest 2020.
Bastian was born in 1957 at Wesley Hospital in Wichita, the youngest of three siblings. He graduated from Wichita Collegiate School in 1975, and the University of Kansas in 1979. After graduation, he returned to Wichita to join his family's business, now called Fidelity Bank, and was the company's first marketing manager. Bastian retired from Fidelity in 2018, having worked in marketing, real estate, tax management, capital markets financing, and regulatory liaisons for 38 years.
Bastian's involvement with Riverfest covers a lot of ground. As a sponsor, he was instrumental in the organization of the Riverbank Jazz concerts presented by Fidelity Bank from 1991 to 1995. He joined the Wichita Festivals, Inc. Board of Directors in 2008, and served as board chair in 2011. Bastian became a member of the Operations Committee, known as the Red Shirts, in 2012 and continues to serve on many Riverfest committees, including Riverfest Classic Car Show, Signage, Sundown Parade, Marketplace, and STEAM City.
The tradition of Admiral Windwagon Smith was established in 1974, when John Bell first wore the red coat during the third Riverfest, then known as Wichitennial River Festival. Bastian is the 47th admiral, and he was introduced at Shift Auto Society, 406 S. Market.
A member of the Rotary Club of Wichita since 1985, Bastian served as the club's president in 2015. He serves on the board of directors of the Salvation Army of Wichita and in 2007 was the chair of their advisory board. He was presented with their William Boothe Award for service in 2013. He formerly served on the board of directors of The Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, and as its chair in 2003 and 2004.
The Admiral and his wife, Kate, celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary this year. They have a son, Peter, and a daughter, Meredith. Bastian is an enthusiast of motorcycles and all powered vehicles, and a fan of jazz and many other genres of music.
As the official ambassador of Riverfest 2020, Bastian will visit children in local hospitals, speak to Wichita civic organizations and help host dozens of events during the nine days of Riverfest, May 29-June 6.
Riverfest 2020 will feature:
- ICT88 Piano Project sponsored by Star Lumber: An array of artistically-painted pianos will be located around the Riverfest footprint. Festival-goers of all music skill levels are invited to play at whim, to show off their talents, make music, and meet new friends. Cities around the world have done similar installationscalled "play me I'm yours" installations–that invite the public to engage with, activate, and take ownership of their urban environment.
- Factory Obscura: The 2020 Riverfest artist-in-residence, Oklahoma City-based art collective Factory Obscura, will debut their first collaborative experience outside of Oklahoma by creating an interactive sculpture along the river, and an arts curriculum for teachers and students that amplifies the sculpture and connects it to the community. The sculpture will feature two ten-foot-tall creatures connected by an archway resembling a river. At night, the archway will be illuminated with an animated river of light. Riverfest attendees will be able to stand beneath the arch, flanked by these giant magical river creatures, to take iconic selfies that bring the art to life and provide joy to attendees.
