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FreedomFest organizers request $10,000 from county for 2026 celebration plans
Summary
FreedomFest board asked the Geary County commission for $10,000 toward the 2026 festival, outlining expected costs, revenue and regional draw for the event’s 250th U.S. anniversary year.
FreedomFest organizers asked the Geary County Board of Commissioners for $10,000 in county support for the 2026 festival, describing plans to expand programming for the nation’s 250th anniversary and to market the event beyond the region.
Organizers said they expect the 2026 event to cost in the range of $150,000 to $200,000. They reported carryover from prior years and fundraising that they expect will bring total receipts for the coming event near $185,000; the organizers said the requested $10,000 would help with early costs such as advertising and deposits for entertainers and stage setup.
FreedomFest co‑chairs described the event as three linked attractions — a balloon festival, a mud‑bog event and a downtown FreedomFest in Heritage Park — and noted recurring attendance from neighboring states, including Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma. The group said the stage deposit alone can run about $26,000 and that many headline entertainers require substantial deposits to secure dates.
Organizers told commissioners they rely on a mix of county and city contributions, private sponsorships and revenue from festival ticketing and vendor sales, and they reported that recent fundraisers (a balloon event and a mud‑bug event) contributed roughly 15–20% of their budget. They estimated that entertainment bookings in prior years led to 70–80 hotel room nights tied to performers and staff, and said they aim to grow attendance in 2026.
Commissioners thanked the organizers for their volunteer work and said they appreciated the event’s economic impact. The work session record does not show a commission decision; the request will be considered in the county’s broader 2026 budget process.
