By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
After another KS state fair, General Manager Bryan Schulz gave a recap of how the 112th annual fair went.
This year, the state fair welcomed a total of 300,784 attendees from the day it opened on September 5 - 14th. Schulz mentioned this number was down from last year's total. After 2020's cancellation due to COVID-19, which ended a 107 year streak since 1913, the following year in 2021 had a total of 278,000 people in attendance. In 2022, the fair welcomed 313,000. 2023 welcomed 330,000 and last year had 328,000 people.
The state fair had to resort to closing a few parking lots due to heavy rainfall. Shuttle routes were incorporated to accommodate fairgoers by transporting them to and from the fair. Schulz stated the heavy rainfall could have affected this year's total attendance numbers.
Schulz added that he and fair staff are looking into continuing and using the shuttle routes in a more effective way next year.
"This year we had an enormous amount of rain come through." said Schulz. "The water levels out in the parking lots and our fairgrounds were so high that there was no way people could have parked out there, but everything worked out fine."
On Saturday the fair was able to open back up to full parking.
According to Schulz, a study conducted by KSU showed that in 2017, the local economic impact for the city of Hutchinson, Reno County and the State of KS was about a $117 million. Schulz said they plan on receiving results of the local economic impact for this year's fair turnout. Schulz stated they should obtain those numbers closer to the end of fall or early winter of this year.
He commented they received alot of great feedback on the entertainment and food on the fairgrounds.
"Overall we heard alot of great compliments on all of the free stage entertainment and also heard alot of great things about the food as well," he said. "For our concert series, the numbers were up drastically from what they have been in the past. There was just so many different opportunities for everybody."
Next year marks the 250th anniversary since the US became an independent nation, along with 25 years since 9/11. Schulz said they plan on recognizing this for next year's fair.