By Jackson Swearer
A Certain Point of View
Just write a nice column about the Kansas State Fair, I thought. Should be pretty easy.
It seemed appropriate for the issue of the paper coming out during the fair, and it was going to be fun and light-hearted.
I planned just to share some of my favorite things that I try to do every year at the fair. I went over the weekend with my family, and we enjoyed a lovely time.
The food is the obvious place to start. For many people, it is the highlight of the whole experience. I am one of those people.
I am a sucker for corn on the cob, especially when topped with a new seasoning. Free Dillons ice cream is a classic for a reason. Everything in the Pride of Kansas building is worth a try. Over the weekend, I indulged in a dessert of apple dumpling à la mode—delightful.
Listing all of my favorite fair foods is an impossible task, and I haven’t gotten to everything that I want to eat this year. A pulled pork parfait is a classic with all the right layers, but I haven’t had the chance to dig into one yet.
I have never loved Pronto Pups, but I have already checked that box again this year. I’ll say they are miles better than the average corn dog. Don’t knock it if you don’t try it.
I visited most of my favorite exhibits during my opening weekend sojourn. I am a little nostalgic about how there used to be more submissions, but it is still a delight to see the talent of Kansans on display.
I planned to go back at least a few more times this week. There are just so many sights to see…
Speaking of sights to see, did you see all that water in the parking lot? Vehicles getting stuck in the mud compelled me to rewrite the conclusion of my column for this week.
In case you missed it, the incredible rains on Monday resulted in the fair closing most of the available parking on the fairgrounds for the next 48 hours.
A significant amount of planning goes into the fair, including being prepared for all kinds of emergencies and contingencies. I am not sure whether it was possible to be prepared for all the difficulties the rain caused in the parking lots. We have had an uncommon amount of rain this year, following a period of drought, which makes for the worst flooding conditions.
With the parking lots closed, fair officials are instead encouraging visitors to park west of the Sports Arena and take a shuttle to the fairgrounds. This is a reasonable solution, with the Sports Arena parking lot just about a mile-long shuttle ride away from Gate 9 on Plum Street.
It is a testament to the partnerships in our local community that the City of Hutchinson and Hutchinson Community College were able to quickly step up to provide an alternative option for parking.
Locals know that the Hyde Park neighborhood is often filled with vehicles parked for the fair, particularly during the busiest weekend days. Sidewalks on both sides of the street make for easy walking, and street parking there will catch some overflow from the flooded parking lots.
I hope the parking woes and some inconvenience to get into the fairgrounds won’t keep people from enjoying all of their favorite things at the fair. No doubt vendors are disappointed by the poor weather, but like good Kansans, they will be resilient.
If nothing else, the rain should clear off and everything should dry out by the weekend. At least I hope it does—I still need to get that pulled pork parfait.
Jackson Swearer is the publisher and managing editor of The Hutchinson Tribune. He can be reached at jackson@hutchtribune.com.