Sweet Corn Festival tickets go on sale April 1

OLATHE  — The Olathe town board approved final ticket details for the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival during its regular meeting Monday.

The board approved a $75,000-contract for country music star Clint Black to perform at the festival Aug. 1. The amount is equivalent to that spent on previous years’ headliners.

The board also approved ticket prices, including general admission and reserve seating.

"The main goal was to come as close as we could to pay for the entertainment with the reserve seating so we wouldn't have to raise general admission," said Bobbi Sale, Olathe's special events director.

General admission prices stayed the same at $19 for advance tickets and $22 at the gate for adults; $14 for advance and $17 at the gate for seniors, and $4 for a child ticket (ages 12 and under).

"We understand that these are hard economic times and we want everyone who wants to be able to afford to come," Sale said.

Advance seating changed slightly this year. The pricing arrangements moved from rows to "popular" seats, and even those in the back are only 75 feet from the stage, Sale said. Reserve seating is $80, $60 and $50 depending on location.

Tickets go on sale April 1 at 9 a.m. and can be purchased by stopping by the department at 420 Horton Ave. in Olathe (located in the same building as the police department), or by calling toll free (866) 363-CORN or (970) 323-6006.

Information on the festival, including parking and a map of reserve seating is available at www.olathesweetcornfest.com.

Sale said the department is still finalizing the festival's other events, but is looking to "mix things up a little during the day." The department is in contact with one popular group from last year, Spirit Express Dance Team. The department is also hoping to play off the popularity of game shows, with its own "game show" that would fit the venue and involve the audience, she said.

Sale hopes details on the other events will be finalized by April.

"We have a special events advisory meeting (Feb. 18) and will get a lot further (on the details) that day," she said.

Contact Kati O'Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com