Activity on the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson is starting to pick up with the 10-day event set to begin Friday.

The first of many rides on the North American Midway was under construction over the weekend, but there were people getting ready on virtually the entire fairgrounds, from the animal sections and agricultural exhibits, commercial exhibits and booths, food vendors and so on. But, starting Monday, things will really pick up and by Wednesday, setup will be at a fever pitch.

The State Fair is an annual economic boost for the Hutchinson area, and annually attracts approximately 350-thousand people from all across Kansas, as well as several other states.

The Fair has over a thousand commercial vendor and close to 30,000 entries in various competitive exhibit departments.

For education, its “Kansas’ Largest Classroom,” field trip program. On September 12, the fairgrounds will live up to that billing for all 328 students from Prairie Hills Middle School in Hutchinson, part of the USD 313 Buhler school district will take part.

The school’s math department, 2010 recipients of a Technology Rich Classroom grant from the State of Kansas, has developed a project-based learning experience for all its seventh and eighth graders based on the TRC team’s theme “Making Math Real.”

Discount tickets are still available for the gate, plus purchase midway tickets, and night show tickets in advance.