University Daily Kansan / Friday, September 14. 1990
Features
11
Off to the FAIR!
Award-winning ears of corn stand on display after competition.
An old-fashioned carousel spins to the music, entertaining children and adults of all ages on the carnival midway
Fair officials hoping to attract big crowd during last weekend
By David Roach
Kansan staff writer
HUTCHINSON - Fair weather is in the forecast for this weekend, and officials
are hoping crowds will take advantage of it to attend the Kansas State Fair '90.
Despite temperatures in the 90s last weekend, people poured through the gates Saturday to attend the first regular day of the fair, which will continue through Sunday in Hutchinson.
Steve Yager, of Wichita, said it was a wonderful turnout. He said that he attended the fair every year.
introduced the new year. "I like the fact that it brings all of Kansas together," Yager said.
Kimiko Oguchi, state fair manager,
Bob Gottschalk, state fair manager,
said the fair averaged 325,000 visitors each year.
"The lineup of free entertainment we have could push the attendance up," he said.
the entertainment this year includes a high-wire act; the Amazing Kreskin, a nationally-known magician; Freddy Fender, country
In addition to 55 carnival rides, a midway and livestock shows, the fair has over 700 exhibits featuring everything from down-home cooking to space-age technology. Gottschalk said.
The crowds do not bother Robert Brooks, collections manager for the KU Museum of Entomology, who has curated over 30 exhibits at the fair for six years.
"It's never empty," he said.
"There's always eight to 20 people in front of this for 12 hours solid from nine to nine."
The exhibit includes exotic insects
from around the world as well as common Kansas insects. He said that most people were interested in the Kansas varieties.
"I bring things everyone can relate to," he said. "I tell them about their biology and how to control them."
He said he also focused on unusual things that happen each year in the insect world. This year he brought live hackberry butterflies, which were especially numerous this summer.
The entomology exhibit was at the fair Saturday and Sunday. KU will have exhibits in the Industrial Building for the duration of the fair.
People at the fair also have the opportunity to sign giant greeting cards destined for U.S. troops in the war on Iraq and the Afghanistan Guard is sponsoring the event.
Sergeant 1st class Dave Goscha, of the 135th Division of the Kansas National Guard, said that the cards were originally intended for Kansas guard units on active duty in the Middle East. However, public response to the cards convinced the Guard to broaden its scope.
"By the time we started getting all the people who stopped us and said 'My son's over there,' or 'My daughter's over there,' or 'I have a nephew, we just said 'Hey, let's incorporate everybody,' " Goscha said
"We have hopes that every one of our guys will get to see it," he said.
The Guard hopes to get signatures from 20 percent of the people at the fair.
our guys will get to see it," he said. Kansas Honey Queen, Robyn DeBrow and Kansas City, Kan., senior assistant coach at the point to sign the card. She said she knew three people who left for the Middle East in three days.
Keith Thorne/NANDAM
Todd Ragsdale, Mexico, Mo., grooms a bull calf before competition.
To heat the heat, Lois Magie, Healy, shifares shaved ice with her 11-month-old daughter Kimber.
Keith ThorpeKANSAN