WICHITA, Kansas, May 8, 2008 – Friday night downtown Wichita will be packed with people enjoying the 2008 Riverfest, but some wonder how new changes will affect attendance.

With just hours until the opening parade, staff is busy with final touches.

"Chaos would be one word, but it's actually very planned and organized chaos,” said Janet Wright with Wichita Festivals.

That organized chaos leads up to one of the city’s largest events.

"This is obviously something more and more people are wanting to come to,” Wright said.

And the numbers prove that. Back in 2003, the festival sold 300,000 Riverfest buttons, which are essentially tickets to the events. By 2007, that number had jumped to $385,000; a little more than a 28 percent increase.

While Riverfest button sales have increased over the last five years, those in the food court say their sales have relatively stayed the same. They fear how changes to this year's River Festival will affect their bottom line.

Those changes include stricter enforcement of the mandatory Riverfest button and gates will ensure that only those with a button are inside the events. It’s something that worried food vendor Jayme Gott.

"You can't expect a family or four or five kids to spend that spend that five dollar button for each kid,” Gott said. “They can't afford it. If they do, they can't afford to eat or drink."

And for Gott, that would mean less revenue.

Despite that, Gott sees that festival as not only a Wichita tradition, but a good deal. Festival organizers say the button enforcement is needed to ensure the festival stays afloat.

"In order for us to continue the festival at the level that it is currently existing, in terms of the kinds of entertainment and the professionalism we can bring to it, we need to have everyone that wants to come and enjoys the festivities to wear a button,” Wright said.