Hutchinson: Kansas State Fair attendance reached third highest in its history

Attendance numbers for the 2016 Kansas State Fair are in, and they’re good. Despite rainy weather that dampened several days of the 10-day fair, gate attendance reached 359,808. That’s the third highest in the fair’s 104-year history. The fair took place September 9-18 in Hutchinson. 2015 was a record-breaking year for fair attendance with numbers at 369,322, beating the previous record set in 1995 at 361,647. Those years celebrated near-perfect weather throughout. The Fair welcomed new schools and students with an increased focus on education components. The increase in 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors and the birth of multiple sets of twin calves also helped entice the crowds.