HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair just completed two days of meetings with stakeholders and others regarding the future of The Bison Arena. The building, which is one of the oldest on the fairgrounds, is in need of renovation both cosmetically and structurally.
“We had four focus groups, and it was legislators, it was county commissioners, we had commodity groups, and our board and staff,” GM Bryan Schulz said. “Everything was fantastic, we had a great meeting opportunity for everyone to give their input on what they would like to see in The Bison Arena.”
The state fair would like to use the building for ag-related exhibits or education.
“We’ve been talking an ag innovation center, but ag is so broad, so we’re talking an innovation center that can encompass a lot of things,” Schulz said.
But the building is old and not only does it need to have a purpose for the fair, it also has to be safe, according to Schulz.
“Our biggest thing is to make sure that it’s structurally sound first off and foremost,” Schulz said. “And then working with the commodity groups and organizers in the community and the state to bring education in agriculture to that facility.”
The Bison Arena was constructed in 1937. During World War II the arena was used by the Navy as a training center. More recently it has been used for small animal shows throughout the year, and during the Fair the arena hosted the Antique Tractor Pulling Contest and other smaller livestock events.
The facility was last used for shows at the 2019 Fair. After years of concern expressed by the Fire Marshall, the Bison Arena was finally deemed unsafe after the 2019 Fair. It has since been used by the Kansas State Fair staff for maintenance and storage.
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