State fair booth to promote Hillsboro
STAR-JOURNAL STAFF
One thing makes it possible for Hillsboro to maintain a state fair booth each year: volunteers.
Starting Friday, Sept. 6, residents will take their turns selling tulips and talking up Hillsboro at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. The fair runs through Sunday, Sept. 15.
As of last Friday, the booth still needed 12 volunteers, according to Rhonda Toal of the Chamber of Commerce. That number was down to seven on Wednesday.
Three shifts are available at the booth — morning, afternoon, and evening. Each shift lasts four to four and a half hours, with the booth closing at 10 p.m. that night.
It's suggested that two people man the booth during a shift, so volunteers are generally expected to bring along someone to accompany them, Toal said.
Volunteers get free admission to the fair and parking inside the gates.
Evenings and weekends are fairly wide-open, with the last Saturday of the fair, Sept. 14, needing the most volunteers, Toal said.
Hillsboro has had a booth at the state fair since 1983, Toal said. It's sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the Arts and Crafts Festival committee.
It costs $1,000 to hold a booth at the fair, and all three organizations contribute toward that cost, Toal said. The City of Hillsboro pays for one-third of the cost.
Hillsboro has been able to keep a favorable location for the past several years, Toal said. The booth is located in the Eisenhower Building, which is near the front gate of the fair. Inside the building, Hillsboro is stationed near an entrance, affording it a cooling breeze during hot Kansas days.
"It's a nice location," Toal said.
A tradition at the booth continues this year with the selling of tulips to raise money for the CVB.
But the main goal of the booth is to raise public awareness of Hillsboro — to continually keep it in the public eye.
"We are promoting Hillsboro to those not aware of its existence," Toal said.
