Kansas State Fair outlines recovery, ARPA balances and capital priorities; lighting, shuttle and livestock barn requests flagged for further review
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Summary
The committee heard a year-in-review from the Kansas State Fair, which reported lower 2025 attendance due to heavy rain, unreleased ARPA funds from a cancelled emergency center, and enhancement requests including a lapsed lighting project, a $20,000 shuttle reimbursement and a $750,000 livestock barn enhancement (agency seeks half funding from the general fund). Committee deferred action on items until the next day.
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee held a hearing with the Kansas State Fair and reviewed the agency’s FY2026 and FY2027 budget materials. The state fair reported a drop in attendance for 2025 following heavy rain and parking losses but emphasized continued positive revenue streams from grandstand entertainment, vendors, sponsorships and non‑fair events.
Fiscal staff reviewed several items the committee flagged for further work. The state fair had a previously approved $365,000 general‑fund lighting project that was not completed and lapsed; the agency requested reappropriation and some additional estimate adjustments (about $218,000 lapsed was discussed). The fair requested a $20,000 shuttle reimbursement to cover shuttle/tent costs incurred during a wet event in 2025. For FY2027 the fair proposed a livestock barn upgrade with a $1.5 million estimated total project cost and asked for $750,000 from the general fund while planning to raise the remainder through foundation and charitable contributions.
Agency staff also described ARPA funds: the fair has approximately $240,000 in ARPA balances associated with a previously planned emergency command center that the agency is no longer pursuing. The committee was told these unused ARPA dollars remain in the budget packet and staff indicated they will handle potential reallocation discussions during further budget work.
Brian Schultz, general manager of the Kansas State Fair, presented a 2025 year-in-review including attendance, carnival revenue (about $1.8 million in revenue), exhibitor and vendor counts, sponsorship revenue (~$1.1 million), and an economic-impact study estimating about $106 million in impact to Hutchinson/Reno County and the state from the fair itself and $123.1 million when year-round events are included. The committee paused detailed questions for the next day and instructed staff to prepare budget‑work materials and any requested provisos or report language.
No final votes on the State Fair’s enhancement requests were recorded at this meeting; the chair indicated the committee will return to those items in the next day’s work session.