HUTCHINSON, Kan (September 10, 2025) – The Kansas State Fair kicked off this morning with the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast at the 1861 Club on the fairgrounds.
The breakfast featured insightful speakers, beginning with Tim Steffensmeier, Assistant Vice President and Director for Engagement and Outreach, and Jessica Gnad, Director of Economic Development, both from Kansas State University. They offered valuable perspectives on how businesses and individuals can harness the power of higher education for growth and improvement. Gnad announced that their team would be at the House of Capper all day, showcasing the Powercat Motorsports Formula race car and offering the chance to chat with the students who built it. Additionally, fairgoers can look forward to learning about innovation in aviation with an aircraft from the Salina Campus on display.
Next to the stage was Kansas Poet Laureate, Traci Brimhall. She shared details about her unique project: gathering 20 recipes from Kansas chefs and commissioning 20 Kansas poets to create poems inspired by those recipes. These collaborations have been transformed into poetry cookbooks and can be discovered on poetry posters scattered throughout the fairgrounds.
The morning concluded with an address from Colonel Michael Boswell of McConnell Air Force Base. He highlighted the base’s significant economic impact, noting it as the fourth largest employer in south-central Kansas, responsible for creating 9,948 jobs. Colonel Boswell emphasized the critical role of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing in supporting global operations and stressed the importance of ensuring their personnel feel supported and cared for, highlighting the recent renovation and expansion of the on-base Child Development Center.
