TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — People attending the Kansas State Fair this fall will be able to stroll the grounds with a beer, a glass of wine or even a cocktail if some Kansas legislators get their way.
House and Senate negotiators are set to draft the final version of legislation expanding the sale of alcohol on the fairgrounds in Hutchinson.
During the fair, patrons 21 and older already can consume beer and wine in designated buildings and areas. But other states allow fairgoers to roam outside those areas with their drinks, and the Kansas fair believes its revenues will increase if the same is true at its two-week event in September.
The big issue for lawmakers to settle is whether to allow the sale of hard liquor during the fair.
The House approved a bill that would allow drinkers to roam and permit hard liquor to be sold along with wine and beer. The measure passed Wednesday on an 87-31 vote.
The version of the bill the Senate approved last year did not allow hard liquor sales.
In both versions, people with drinks would be able to roam only “within boundaries that have been marked with a three-dimensional barrier.” But the fair’s management says that would allow them to visit vendors and view exhibits.
