Kansas State Fair

Visit the KWCH booth at the State Fair and see your favorite on-air talent. Schedule Wednesday, Sept. 15 10 a.m.- 5 p.m - Ross Janssen, Felicia Rolfe and Rodney Price 1 p.m.- 9 p.m. - Roger Cornish and Rebecca Gannon Thursday, Sept. 16 10 a.m.- 5 p.m - Jenn Bates, Denise Hnytka and Mark Larson 1 p.m.- 9 p.m. - Roger Cornish, Bruce Haertl and Merril Teller Friday, Sept. 17 10 a.m.- 5 p.m - Kara Sewell, Kim Wilhelm and Rodney Price 1 p.m.- 9 p.m. - Roger Cornish, Megan Strader and Ross Janssen Saturday, Sept.

The Kansas State Fair announces it has added Bridgit Mendler, Theory of a Deadman and Lynyrd Skynyrd to the 2013 U.S. Cellular Grandstand lineup. In addition, JT Hodges has been added as an opening act for Toby Keith on Sunday, September 15 while Mockingbird Sun will open for Eli Young Band on Sunday, September 8. The Demolition Derby (Monday, Sept. 9) and Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull (Wednesday, Sept. 11) will also return this year. This year's fair will run September 6-15.

Below is one of several 360 pictures taken at this year's Kansas State Fair.  Look for more pictures right here throughout the week. Click and drag in the image to move around. You can also use Shift and Ctrl to zoom in and out.

It won't match last year, but Kansas State Fair officials say they're happy with the turnout this year.  Beautiful weather greeted those who came on the last day.  Final numbers won't be available for several days but fair manager Denny Stoeklein says this year's roller coaster weather no doubt kept some people away.  Still, he says it was a good one. Many fairgoers told us the fair proved to be a welcome diversion from their troubles in...

The Kansas State Fair will start this Friday, and vendors are making sure that absolutely everything is order. "We come down every Labor Day" said Spencer Duncan of the Kansas Wine and Beer Garden. "[We've got to get] tents set up, tables set up, getting all the bars set up, getting the grill set up, cleaning the kitchen. Selling local beer and wine is one thing that the State Fair offers its guests. Also on the menu is plenty of fried foods like fried cookie dough, Pronto Pups, fried Kool Aid, and an update to a favorite from last year, the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Burger with fried ice cream.

Veterans received a special treat at the Kansas State Fair Wednesday.  They were treated to a free brunch, as well as entertainment and remarks from an Iraq War vet at the annual Bring a Veteran to Brunch event. The annual brunch at  has been a part of the fair for the last three years. Many of the veterans at the event wore hats and buttons to indicate their branch of service, and what conflicts they served in. Connie Schmitt, special events director for the Kansas State Fair says it's important to honor all veterans, and many who attend the brunch served during World War II.    "We're losing probably over a thousand a day of our World War II veterans, and its our way of saying thank you," she said.  About 175 people attended the brunch, including veterans and their family members.  The brunch also included music and a speech by an Army Chaplain, speaking about his service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Crew along with Rashel from Univision Kansas uncover a mystery at the beginning of the 2010 Kansas State Fair.

With just a week until the kick-off of the Kansas State Fair, folks can get a look at what the fair has to offer this year. The fair is hosting an online "virtual fair preview". You can watch the virtual preview through "USTREAM" using the link on the left. The Kansas State Fair runs September 10 through 19.

The general manager of the Kansas State Fair says it will be a couple of weeks before he has attendance numbers for the 2012 fair. Denny Stoecklein says he has been getting a lot of positive feedback from fairgoers about this year's event. Fair officials conduct a ticket audit after the fair to determine attendance. Stoecklein says it usually takes two or three weeks to complete the audit. Stoecklein says this year the carnival had its second highest grossing year ever. He says advance sales were up for both the gate and carnival rides.

It's one of the most dangerous situations in the ag industry. Now, there's a training tool for Kansas firefighters and grain elevator workers. The Grain Engulfment Rescue Trainer is on display at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. It simulates what happens if someone gets trapped in a grain elevator. The Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute travels the state with it. The institute trains firefighters and grain elevator employees how to rescue workers who may be trapped.

Veterans received a special treat at the Kansas State Fair Wednesday.  They were treated to a free brunch, as well as entertainment and remarks from an Iraq War vet at the annual Bring a Veteran to Brunch event. The annual brunch at  has been a part of the fair for the last three years. Many of the veterans at the event wore hats and buttons to indicate their branch of service, and what conflicts they served in. Connie Schmitt, special events director for the Kansas State Fair says it's important to honor all veterans, and many who attend the brunch served during World War II.    "We're losing probably over a thousand a day of our World War II veterans, and its our way of saying thank you," she said.  About 175 people attended the brunch, including veterans and their family members.  The brunch also included music and a speech by an Army Chaplain, speaking about his service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It started off with a boom. Representatives from the Kansas Cosmosphere were on hand at the Kansas State fair to give kids a taste of Dr. Goddard's Lab. They demonstrated the power of rockets by giving an up close look at how they work. Dr. Robert Goddard is considered to be the father of modern rocketry. All week long the Cosmosphere is giving kids an up close demonstration of his work in an effort to get kids interested in science. "The more a kid can actually experience science for themselves, the more likely they are to actually become interested in it," Tom Holcomb, Kansas Cosmosphere said.

This year's fair is the 100th Kansas State Fair, but it's not the fair's 100th birthday. "It's 100 fairs, not 100 years, next year will be the fair's 100th birthday," says Denny Stoecklein, state fair General Manager. Only one group can say it has been at every fair, the "Women's Christian Temperance Group," a group of ladies against the use of alcohol and drugs.  Their message hasn't changed over the last century.  "It was a time when they couldn't vote yet, but they could agitate, educate and legislate, and they started doing that and that's kind of been their motto through the years," says Patricia Jackson.

It's the Kansas State Fair where there are livestock that have been bred to be breaded and all sorts of food that used to have a face. In the middle of it all is a lone booth, set up by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  The group is trying to get Kansans to listen to its anti-meat message. Along with pamphlets there's a video.  The video includes graphic images of animals being dismembered.  PETA says it was shot on American farms and in slaughterhouses.  The group wanted to set up a TV so everybody who walked by the booth could see the video.  But a federal judge ruled that State Fair management could require the video be hidden from general view.  So the back of the television is facing the people as they walk by. Harold and Linda Reimer of Newton agreed to watch the video, although they are already vegetarians.

The 100th annual Kansas State Fair officially starts today in Hutchinson. And for the first time in four years, admission prices have gone up. Click to See Photos of Final Preparations Tickets for adults could have been purchased in advance for $6.  That deadline is over and you'll now pay $10 to enter the fair. Click Here To Find Out Who Will Be At KWCH Booth “You buy the ticket early, you're making a commitment that you're going to come to the fair,” said Denny Stoecklein, spokesperson for the Kansas State Fair.

The graphic video stars Paul McCartney and a lot of suffering animals, including a cow still alive with its head half chopped off. The video claims to show the reality of what happens in slaughter houses. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants to show it uncensored to everyone within sight of its booth at the Kansas State Fair. We showed the video to perennial fair goers William Hickey and Lacey Schechter. "Everything in this world should be treated equally--people, animals, everything in general," Hickey says.

More than 100 cases of swine flu have been reported across the nation in the past week. With many state fairs going on some people are being warned to be careful when they are around pigs. With that, in one month the Kansas State Fair will be in full swing ushering in hundreds of thousands of people from all over Kansas. Before all the finishing touches are made...organizers are having to deal with the growing concern over swine flu. It's on the rise nationally and you can get very sick from it. "Go visit the animals but wash your hands after you have done so”, says organizer Denny Stoecklein.