Motivational Speaker and Coach Lou Holtz once said the way an organization reacts to adversity can be even more important than how the operation acted in the first place.
Mother Nature put a few road blocks for this year’s fair, with intermittent showers and rain, but General Manager Bryan Schulz and the board of directors reacted with contingency plans to make the best of unfavorable circumstances.
And, thanks to Hutchinson Community College President Dr. Tricia Paramore and city leaders for arranging use of the Sports Arena’s 11th Avenue parking lot for fairgoers to park and be picked up by State Fair shuttles for the 12-block trip to the fairgrounds. This act by the college and the city came as no surprise to the citizenry as all entities that make up Hutchinson always work together to solve common problems.
Still, when all was said and done, more than 300,000 attended this year’s fair which is nearly eight times greater than Hutchinson’s population.
Fairgoers I spoke with were lavish in their praise for improvements underway or completed on the fairgrounds, including the 1861 Club and efforts to enhance the nearly 100-year-old Bison Building. As one fairgoer said, “From all appearances, improvements to the fairgrounds is a constant.”
“From all appearances, improvements to the fairgrounds is a constant.”
A Kansas State Fairgoer
Many fairgoers offered thanks to the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation (KFF) for bringing taffy sales back to the fair for the first time in six years. Many fairgoers went home with a sugar high.
The fall and winter months will provide an opportunity for the Kansas State Fair leadership team and the KFF to savor our successes this year and draw a blueprint to make next year’s fair even better.
On multiple walks touring the fairgrounds, it was obvious the fair was a bustling center of commerce, with vendors marketing everything from zero turn lawnmowers to tractors to small buildings. During it all, it was good to take a break and purchase a dish of homemade ice cream from an outdoor vendor who even provided picnic tables for sitting to enjoy the treat. Now, that was good customer service.
I am finding that the older one gets, the quicker time passes. Let us all make plans to attend the opening of next year’s fair slated for 11 a.m., Friday, September 11, 2026. See you at next year’s fair.
-Richard Shank
Kansas State Fair Ambassador
Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation Board Member
About the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation
The Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation (KFF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Founded in 2003, KFF’s mission is to further the renovation, construction, preservation and beautification of the Kansas State Fairgrounds with a vision of inspiring excellence and understanding of Kansas agriculture, industry and culture through the Kansas State Fair, activities, educational programs and opportunities. The Foundation exists to enrich the unforgettable memories and traditions people experience only at the Kansas State Fair and at the 500+ events on the Fairgrounds year-round.
