Hutchinson ? In response to the growth of the Hispanic population, Kansas State Fair officials are trying this year to persuade more Hispanics to try the fair.

The campaign, funded with $50,000 that state lawmakers earmarked for the fair this year, included placing two billboards in a heavily Hispanic area of Wichita and launching ads on Spanish-language stations in Wichita and Garden City.

The aim, says Denny Stoecklein, the fair manager, is to make the fair “something they want to do.”

Mariachi music will return to the fair this weekend after an absence of several years, in part to note Mexico’s Independence Day today.

The few Hispanics at the fair Thursday said they would like to see the fair do more.

“I think they could do more, especially with Mexican independence coming up,” said Maria Sanchez, of Wichita. She said she would like to see something tied more specifically to independence celebrations.

Melissa Fernandez, of Hutchison, also said she would like the fair to have more Hispanic music and a broader array of Mexican food.

Luis Lema, who has sold Andean items at the fair for four years, said he sees few Hispanics at the fair, though he gets many questions from others about the music and culture of his native Ecuador.