Print edition: 
The Grandstand has been a grand mess for the Kansas State Fair this year, with three acts canceling since the fair first announced its concert lineup in March.
But, ironically, said Denny Stoecklein, the fair's general manager, the Grandstand is one of the best indicators he has so far that this year's fair — which opens Friday and runs through Sept. 19 in Hutchinson — is going to be just fine.
Ticket sales to the Grandstand shows are up about $42,000 over the same date last year, and the fair has sold about 1,500 more tickets.
The grandstand numbers make
Stoecklein optimistic that the fair will continue to improve financially and perhaps even top last year's attendance of 350,856 people — the second highest attendance since 2000.
"Knock on wood, things really feel good and are moving along really well," he said. "For all the hiccups we had with the Grandstand, it's really looking to be much better than last year."
The hiccups started in April, when rock band Maroon 5 canceled a show scheduled for Sept. 16. The group was scheduled to tour in support of its new album, but when the album's release date was moved back, the tour was shut down.
Then, in May, classic rock band ZZ Top canceled its Sept. 19 show after being invited to tour with Tom Petty.
Fair organizers found a replacement in tween singer and Disney Channel star Selena Gomez, and her show has been this year's biggest seller so far, at 5,140 tickets.
The fair eventually replaced Maroon 5 with comedian and television host Howie Mandel. Then came word that Mandel would cancel, too. The official reason given was scheduling problems on Mandel's part, but, Stoecklein admits, the show wasn't selling — at all.
Promoters were able to provide classic rock band Loverboy as a last-minute replacement, and at a good price. As a treat to fairgoers, and as an apology for all the uncertainty, Stoecklein and his staff decided to make the concert free, a rare move.
"It's on a Thursday, which historically is one of our quiet days," Stoecklein said. "We're hoping it might generate some buzz for that day."
Any other year, all the Grandstand drama might have concerned Stoecklein, he said. But concerts and tours are being canceled all over the country, a well-documented sign of tough economic times, he said.
Still, it's given him and his staff reason to get philosophical about the Grandstand's role at the fair.
Only about 10 percent of fairgoers attend a Grandstand event, Stoecklein said, which makes him wonder how much he should invest in a fair activity that 90 percent of attendees don't participate in.
On the other hand, a fair without concerts seems lackluster, he worries.
"I guarantee you that on Sunday afternoon when Selena Gomez is about to perform, this place is going to be buzzing. Even if people don't go to the shows, they're going to feed off the excitement," he said. "If we're not offering those things, what's the perception of the fair?"
For now, Stoecklein said, the concerts still make sense, especially in a time when most other venues are selling tickets starting at $65.
"I think there's still a niche for what we can offer at the Grandstand," he said. "The most expensive ticket we have is $35."
Oddities, old favorites
Grandstand shows aren't the only thing the fair is offering this year.
The grounds will be filled with all the usuals — Pronto Pups, champion animals, baby pigs, hot tub and tractor demos, free yardsticks, train rides, Ye Old Mill frights and blue ribbon pies.
The fair has added a few new attractions this year, including a "Sentimental Journey" day on Wednesday, Sept. 15, that will feature a patriotic thank-you to veterans and a "Not-So-Newlywed" game with longtime marrieds as contestants.
Gottschalk Park, which always features a novelty performer, this year will be home to "Wild About Monkeys," a humorous show featuring live baboons that will run three times a day throughout the fair.
The bizarro food this year is a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger — a burger that replaces the bun with the sweet glazed doughnuts. It'll be sold from the Carousel Cafe on Fort Riley Boulevard.
And the fair will also continue to focus on making itself affordable to families by offering ticket packages that target families and couples, which have been responsible for an uptick in advance ticket sales the past few years, Stoecklein said.
"The two things we strive for are to be family-friendly and affordable, and I think we're hitting those even in tough economic times," he said. "This is something families can come out and enjoy and do so reasonably. It's a great opportunity for them."
