Smallville Festival Returns to Original Founder's Leadership

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual Smallville Festival celebrating Hutchinson's connection to Superman will return to its original founder's leadership after a decade under city recreation department management.

Christopher Wietrick, who founded the festival in 2012, will resume directing the event that celebrates Hutchinson's identity as the inspiration for "Smallville, Kansas" from the Superman comic series.

The Hutchinson Recreation Commission has organized the festival since 2015, when it assumed responsibility at the request of the original founding members. The event has grown into a community celebration featuring public events tied to the city's comic book connection.

"Hutch Rec has enjoyed the past 10 years of providing public events under the Smallville Festival," Recreation Executive Director Anthony Finlay said. "We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Hutchinson in such a unique way and to bring people together through this event."

Wietrick expressed excitement about returning to lead the tradition he helped establish more than a decade ago.

The festival has become an annual attraction that draws visitors to Hutchinson by capitalizing on the city's connection to the fictional hometown of Clark Kent, also known as Superman. The comic book series has long depicted Smallville as being located in Kansas.

Details about future festival plans under Wietrick's renewed leadership were not immediately available.