side of Main Street to Poplar, from 11th Avenue north to 17th Avenue in Hutchinson. The land was leased in trade for 10 percent of the gate receipts and half the concession privileges in 1901. In 1903, the Central Kansas Fair was recognized by an act of the state legislature to give the fair association the license to legitimately call their event "The Kansas State Fair". In 1912, of land north of 17th Avenue and east of Main Street were purchased for expansion. It was decided for bonds to pay for this new land was put to a vote by Reno County voters in April 1913, and won by a margin of 4 to 1. A bill was passed in the Kansas legislature to grant Hutchinson fair monetary support in exchange for the city giving the state the fairgrounds. The first "official" Kansas State Fair was held September 13–20, 1913. The Old Mill was completed for the opening of the 1915 fair. One thousand feet of water-filled channels featured boats which promised to transport passengers through "gloomy caves of gleesome gladness". In 1916, the House of Capper, a covered veranda, was built. It has been used as a shaded place to rest, the Professional Arts Building, and even a bandstand at one time. The Cottonwood Court was built in 1928 and renovated in 2003. The building was originally used as an automobile building, which later became the Commercial Building, the finally the Cottonwood Court. The Grandstand was built in 1930. The Domestic Arts Building was built in 1930 and renovated in 2003. In 1931, a sandpit was landscaped and renamed as Lake Talbott. The Encampment Building was built in 1934. It was home to POWs and State Fair Soldiers during WWII. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 fair, ending a 107-year streak of hosting annual fairs in the state. Despite the Great War & World War II, the fair went on. Grandstand entertainment The state fair grandstand hosts events every evening, with concerts, a demolition derby, auto races, and truck / tractor pulls. Exhibits The state fair has over 1,000 commercial vendor locations. They are utilized for competition, with over 30,000 entries in various competitive exhibit departments, education, through its Kansas' Largest Classroom field trip program, and for entertainment with strolling and stage entertainment in addition to the national acts performing at the grandstand. In 2021,