Bringing purple to the Kansas State Fair
Fairgoers participate in a sensory science activity with students and faculty from the K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center to identify familiar scents.
Purple was sprinkled everywhere at the Kansas State Fair.
For the fair's first Wildcat Wednesday, multiple K-State units helped turn the yellow House of Capper into a purple house full of activities highlighting how K-State serves communities across the Sunflower State.
Fairgoers could hear the roar of purple across the fairgrounds when K-State students revved the engine of the Powercat Motorsports Formula SAE racecar.
At the K-State Extension booth in the Pride of Kansas building, more than 50 Extension agents interacted with more than 15,000 people during the 10 days of the fair in 2025.
And this year, Kansas 4-H youth continued the tradition of showcasing their hard work, dedication and talent through livestock shows and exhibits in food and nutrition, entomology, geology, engineering, rocketry, plant science, vegetables and more.
All the sights and sounds of purple were ways to engage during the Kansas State Fair. K-State has a presence at the fair every year, but the new Wildcat Wednesday event on Sept. 10 involved some added K-State experiences.
"Wildcat Wednesday at the Kansas State Fair provided an excellent venue to interact with prospective students, alumni and Kansas residents," said Tim Steffensmeier, assistant vice president and director for engagement and outreach. "It also provided an opportunity to demonstrate Kansas State University's positive impact in areas such as food science, engineering, innovation technologies and uncrewed aircraft systems."
Wildcat Wednesday included special events at the House of Capper to learn about admission to K-State, the All Things Kansas interactive resource, how the university engages across Kansas and more.
Kansas State Fair attendees were able to:
- Participate in a sensory science activity with students and faculty from the K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center to identify familiar scents.
- Discover the future of flight with K-State Salina's Uncrewed Aircraft Systems program and talk with faculty, see an uncrewed aircraft up close, and discover how hands-on learning and partnerships shape innovation in aviation.
- Get up close with K-State's Powercat Motorsports Formula race car and learn from the K-State students who built it.
- Engage with the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab's mobile unit, inspiring exploration, problem-solving and creativity across the state.
- Celebrate Wildcat pride with the K-State Alumni Association.
Four Powercat Motorsports student team members attended the fair to show off the Formula SAE racecar. Wildcat Wednesday was also Marching Band Day at the State Fair, and the K-State students interacted with many middle school and high school students who were interested in joining the team someday, said Tyler Carlgren, senior in mechanical engineering and president of the Powercat Motorsports Formula SAE team.
"My favorite part was being able to talk with different groups of people who were curious about being future K-State students and about what our team does," Carlgren said. "There was a range of knowledge about our team — many people had never heard of us, but some people had seen us on Instagram, which was an exciting first for us."
The K-State College of Veterinary Medicine also engages in the fair every year. Veterinarians and fourth-year veterinary medicine students help with animals in the birthing center and interact with visitors who can explore large cow and horse models.
K-State College of Agriculture academic programs staff, together with Ag Ambassadors, connected with future students, alumni and friends of the university during the opening days of the Kansas State Fair. With excitement building at the birthing center and livestock youth preparing their animals for show, purple pride was unmistakable throughout the fairgrounds.
The K-State Extension booth in the Pride of Kansas building offered a chance for Kansans to learn about K-State resources and educational programs in their communities. Extension agent volunteers from across the state engaged with fairgoers on community vitality, agriculture, horticulture, 4-H and youth development, and more.
"K-State Extension touches every corner of the state, and it plays a critical role in making Kansas what it is," said Elizabeth Wright, communications and marketing specialist and organizer of the K-State Extension booth. "The state fair is an opportunity to meet with many different people and share what programming and services K-State Extension offers, as well as connect with people who are proud to bleed purple."
If you or your unit are interested in participating in a future Wildcat Wednesday and bringing another aspect of K-State to the Kansas State Fair, contact ooengage@k-state.edu with your ideas.