Hold on tight because 38 Special is bringing their signature brand of southern rock – which has spawned several gold and platinum albums – to the 2020 Kansas State Fair.
The band, known for smash hits “Hold on Loosely” and “Caught Up in You,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Nex-Tech Wireless Grandstand. The iconic rockers are the second act to be announced in the Fair’s grandstand concert series.
Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17. The Fair’s ticket office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day to accommodate walk-in traffic and phone calls. Fans can snag tickets two days earlier, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, by signing up for the Fair’s email list at
www.KansasStateFair.com.
Ticket prices are all general admission – $20 in the grandstand seating area and $45 in the Bud Light Party Pit. The Bud Light Party Pit is a standing-room only experience that is up close next to the stage.
“We want this to be a concert where fans can come with family or have a reunion with friends,” said General Manager Robin Jennison. “With seating being general admission, all fairgoers have the opportunity to choose their great seat in the grandstand.”
All tickets include $7 gate admission through Aug. 15.
“It’s an inexpensive way to see this celebrated classic rock band and spend a day at the Kansas State Fair,” Jennison added.
Spanning five decades, 38 Special helped write the classic rock soundtrack of the 1970s and 1980s. Founded by young friends Don Barnes, Donnie Van Zant (brother of the late Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd fame) and Ken Lyons, the band has released 15 albums since 1976 with sales surpassing $20 million.
Other hits include “Fantasy Girl,” “Rockin’ into the Night,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where you Belong,” “Chain Lightin’” and “Second Chance.” Barnes said the band works hard to keep the energy high and the music true.
“The magic's still there,” Barnes said. "It's an emotional high for us to keep 'bringing it' after all these years. When those lights go down, and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush to the head. It feels like we're getting ready to strap ourselves in, and it just takes off from there."
Fair officials are still finalizing the remaining Nex-Tech Wireless Grandstand concert series. Teen ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer was the first act added to the Fair’s current lineup with tickets going on sale in December. Darci Lynne will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
Fair officials also advise fairgoers to be cautious when purchasing tickets. Etix is the only authorized seller for Fair tickets. Tickets can be purchased through Etix by visiting the Kansas State Fair’s website —
www.kansasstatefair.com or by stopping in at the Administration Building at 2000 N. Poplar, Hutchinson. After the on-sale date of Jan. 17, the ticket office will open in the spring when all the Fair’s concerts have been announced.
For more information, call the Fair at 620-669-3600.