State quarter makes debut

Children receive commemorative coin

Hutchinson ? The Kansas State Fair started its annual run Friday with the emphasis on quarters and corn dogs.

While corn dogs, funnel cakes and the like are staples at the fair, this year’s opening day focused on the official launching of the Kansas commemorative quarter in ceremonies led by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

“With two of our state symbols, the buffalo and sunflower, the Kansas quarter celebrates our state’s past and is a representation of the heritage and traditions of our state,” Sebelius told about 5,000 spectators at the fair’s grandstand.

Sebelius, who arrived at the grandstand in a red stagecoach, placed a large replica of the quarter on a backdrop map of the United States, signifying the official launch.

The Kansas quarter is the 34th in the series of commemorative coins issued by the U.S. Mint honoring the states. One side of the coin shows the front view of a standing buffalo and three sunflowers. At the top is “Kansas 1861,” the year the Sunflower State joined the union.

More than 1,500 Kansans submitted designs, and students from 211 high schools throughout the state selected the winner last year. The buffalo has been the state animal for 50 years and the sunflower the state flower for more than a century. The opening line of the state song, “Home on the Range,” mentions roaming buffalo.

David Lebryk, acting director of the U.S. Mint, said about 650 million Kansas quarters will be minted and it’s the first in the commemorative series to have a buffalo.

The ceremony included Buffalo Soldiers re-enactors placing the U.S. and Kansas flags on stage and Navajo dancer Dennis Rogers performing a tribute to the buffalo.

After the ceremony, Sebelius handed quarters to choir members from the Kennedy Middle School in Hays, then chatted with visitors. Each pupil younger than 18 at the fair was given a quarter.

“That’s a good deal for the kids. I just wonder how many will take care of it,” said Leonard Swan, of Hutchinson.

After the ceremony, hundreds of fairgoers lined up to purchase rolls of the Kansas quarters – each with 40 coins – and commemorative sets. Wichita resident Helen Storrer left with four rolls of quarters – one for each of her grandchildren and one for herself.

“I’m going to keep one roll unless I have to cash them in. Hard times, you know. The way gas prices are going, it may be sooner,” she said.

Darrell Cook came from Corydon, Iowa, and left holding a bundle of 11 rolls.

“I took orders for people back home,” he said. “I’ll probably keep a roll for myself.”

Crop artist Stan Herd, of Lawrence, was on hand signing posters of an aerial photograph of his rendering of the coin’s reverse side on an acre of land near the fairgrounds. He said the sunflowers were fashioned from corn and the buffalo included hay, mulch and soil.

The commemorative quarter idea started in 1999 and runs through 2008, with each coin released in the order in which the state was admitted. Other states with quarters this year are California, Minnesota, Oregon and West Virginia.

The fair, which runs through Sept. 18, is a melting pot of rural and urban. Last year, about 350,000 people walked the fairgrounds taking in the sights and sounds, including vendors hawking everything from cold drinks to the latest gizmo to make life easier and animals in various sizes, shapes and colors.

The core of the fair is the competitive events. Judges will pick the best cattle, horses, pigs and rabbits among other animals. There’s also competitions to decide the best jam, jelly, cake, pie and assorted fruits and vegetables. Fair officials estimate there are more than 28,000 entries, about 10,500 exhibitors and 5,500 animals this year.

This year’s unique feature is a free wedding for a couple selected by the public. Called “Marriage on the Midway,” a local radio station and North American Midway Entertainment will donate items such as the dress, rings, wedding cake and three hours of free carnival rides for the Sept. 17 ceremony in front of 100 family and friends.

Besides the midway with its various rides and games, the fair also offers entertainment at the grandstand, which today will be a live broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” hosted by Garrison Keillor. The two-hour show reaches more than 4 million listeners weekly on 558 public radio stations, as well as American networks in Europe and the Far East.

Some other scheduled grandstand acts include ZZ Top, Ronnie Milsap and Foreigner. The 10,000-seat grandstand also will be the venue for such events as truck and tractor pulls, and lawn mower races.

While the fair can be a sidetrip from reality, the outside world will intrude. At one entrance is a trailer to be filled with donated items for Hurricane Katrina victims. Also, the American Farm Bureau is collecting money for farmers and ranchers needing help recovering from the hurricane.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of 4-H in Kansas, and many of its members are among those in the various judging competitions, along with other groups such as FFA. The centennial celebration will kick off today with a parade through the fairgrounds.