By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
A first-time hunter is the winner of the annual Smoky Hill River Medallion Quest.
Courtney Witten was announced as the 2026 Medallion Quest winner.
The medallion was located in Lakewood Park, on Saturday morning.
"I was either really right or really wrong," said Witten after leading herself to the Lakewood Park from the clues.
She spent some time near a large tree at the entrance of the park, and then found clue #6 "Big Tree claims Victory" as a v-shaped tree, which lead her to the prize.
"It was dumb luck," jokingly said Witten after finding the medallion.
It was hidden in the Park near disc golf hole #8, on top a pitcher's mound just along the tree line, in the end cap of a mostly buried, rusty barrel tightly secured in the ground by tree roots.
The medallion was magnetized to the inside of the barrel cap and covered with sandpaper to help disguise and blend it with the barrel's aged metal. Once the object was removed, the laminated note opened like a folder with directions inside for the winner to claim their prize.
The Quest took a total four days and seven clues, before Witten found the medallion.
The prize included:
· $1,000 in cash
· $2,000 in Festival Gift Certificates, to be used for purchases in any of the exhibiting artists’ booths throughout the Festival grounds, including the Demonstration Area during the weekend
· Four (4) Festival admission wristbands
· One (1) on-ground Festival parking pass (weather permitting)
· Four (4) invitations to the Festival’s Art Patron Party on Thursday, June 11
· Four (4) Smoky Hill River Festival t-shirts
· Gift Certificate for two (2) tickets to attend the theatrical release of the film 4 Days In June at the Salina Art Center Cinema, running July 10 – 15, 2026
The Smoky Hill River Festival is a project of the City of Salina.
For more information and details or to see volunteer opportunities, visit www.riverfestival.com or call 785-309-5770.