The 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds will host “Hats and Horses” Kentucky Derby party on May 3 and the 20th annual “Boots and Bling” fundraiser on Aug. 9 CREDIT RICHARD SHANK
By Richard Shank
Spring has sprung, and the Kansas State Fair is open for business to host non-fair events, including a Kentucky Derby party and the 20th annual “Boots and Bling” fundraising auction.
Coinciding with the actual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 3 in Louisville, Kentucky, partygoers will gather in the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds for the first annual “Hats and Horses,” a fundraising event sponsored by the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation (KFF).
Sponsorships are available for tables of 6 or 10, along with individual tickets for festivities scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. and last as long as participants choose to stay.
Dubbed the “Newest Luxury Fundraising event,” “Hats and Horses” will include a Derby-inspired menu, Mint Juleps, with the actual race simulcasted on a big screen and 15 large television sets situated throughout the 1861 Club. Derby attire contests will be a part of the festivities, along with other ways to support and cheer on your favorite horses.
Interested parties should call the KFF at 620-615-7388, log on to the foundation’s website KsFairgroundsFoundation.org, or email to info@ksfgf.org.
Also, the 20th annual “Boots and Bling,” the foundation’s top fundraiser, is scheduled for August 9 in the Meadowlark Building. Approximately 700 attend the event each year, which includes a live and silent auction. Following the live auction, attendees are treated to food, drinks, live music, and a party. Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available.
More companies, organizations and individuals are booking the 1861 Club for events such as corporate meetings, retirement parties, wedding receptions, annual dinners, and graduation parties.
Nearly 600 non-fair events are held on the Kansas State Fairgrounds each year.
The proceeds from all Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation fundraisers are earmarked to support improvements to the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The foundation’s vision, established at the time of the organization’s inception, is to inspire excellence and understanding of the Kansas agriculture industry and culture through the Kansas State Fair. The 2025 Kansas State Fair opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 5.
