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The Carnival Parade Is Back For The State Fair's Centennial

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The Kansas State Fair is reviving its fair parade through Hutchinson to celebrate the fair's 100th anniversary.

Back when the carnival traveled by train, people would line up on Main Street in Hutchinson to see the procession of rides and animals from the depot to the state fairgrounds.

Lori Hart with the Kansas State Fair said, "This wasn't a parade like we have today," but the annual procession turned into quite a festive event. The tradition faded when the carnival started bringing most of its equipment into Hutchinson on trucks and stopped using traditional circus animals like elephants.

But to celebrate the fair's Centennial, Hart said they're partnering with the Hutchinson Young Professionals to bring back the parade on Labor Day. People can register their floats with the young professionals or with the state fair office.

Will their be lions and elephants at the parade? Hart said probably not. But will there be horses involved and things like antique tractors? Yes. The fair runs September 6 - 15.

When she's not out making lattes in her mobile coffee bus Sunflower Espresso, Kate Hutchens is a fill-in host for KMUW. She has worked in broadcast journalism at KFDI, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and at KMUW as Morning Edition host, which she did until March 2017.