By Joseph Gonzales
I recently attended the Kansas State Fair on September 10. It is located around the Meadowlark Building, 2000 N Poplar St, Hutchinson, KS 67502. The State Fair always attracts thousands of people who are excited to eat fair food, ride roller coasters, and just hang out with family and friends.
Although it is only around for a short amount of time, the fair brings in approximately two hundred and twenty thousand people over ten days according to General Manager Bryan Schulz. The popularity must have a direct connection with the activities. There are countless things to do such as eat food until your stomach hurts, ride on roller coasters till you cannot take it anymore, listen to concerts while having a drink or pet exotic animals such as kangaroos, zebras, ostriches and porcupines.
September 14 and 15 are the last days to attend the fair and they are giving an incentive as well. On the 14 of September, they are bringing in Riley Green who has had four songs this year on a top 20 billboard chart for country music artists. On Sunday, September 15, they will be hosting a demolition derby where professionals will be crashing cars into one another. The fair accumulates positive vibes with all the lights and different colors you can see by walking through it. The Kansas State Fair happens every year and just about every time tickets get sold out quickly.
While at the fair, I decided to ask a customer who has been there several times to elaborate on his experiences. The person I asked was named Lynn Eichelberger. He was a 55-year-old male who was with his daughter. The second I asked him a question, he immediately expressed only positive things about the fair. It was his 12 time there and he plans to make it more. I directly asked him what keeps bringing him back and he said, “The food at the fair has a different taste to it that makes me crave it even if I am not able to have it. Weeks before the fair starts I can tell that my stomach knows I am going to treat myself real soon.”
This has power to it–you can only get certain things from the fair alone. He started to go on and on about the many different foods that are delicious as well as the entertainment that goes into the fair. I asked, “What is your favorite thing to do besides eating fair food?”
Eichelberger said, “I enjoy the music being played while walking through the different buildings with the great people.”
I had followed up with a question about the workers. He explained that they are very kind and considerate, he said that, “Most of the workers look like they enjoy being here rather than it being a way to bring in money.” Eichelberger said he will absolutely be back next year.
The fair is not only around to make the community happy. but they also take some earnings and put it towards Grand Drive Scholarships. Not only are you spending money towards a good cause but you are also benefiting yourself in the process. The fair is important because it gives families the opportunity to do something you hardly get to do, it gives memories that you can hold on to and in a lot of cases you make new connections with people you have never met before.
From my research and personal experience at the fair, I noticed that there are not many people who do not enjoy the fair. There are enough tickets to go around so if you want to go check the Kansas State Fair website to get your tickets, you should do so with some haste. The fair has plenty of activities and entertainment so don’t be afraid to try something new.
