Kentucky State Fair

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The Kentucky State Fair is the official

The Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show is one of the fair's most prestigious events, where attendees and horses travel from various continents. More than 2,000 elite saddlebreds compete in the World's Championship Horse Show for more than 1.2 million in premiums and awards.

History

The fair was organized in 1816, just five years after the United States' first fair in Massachusetts. Fayette County farmer Colonel Lewis Sanders (no known relation to Colonel Harlan Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame) was the organizer. The event did not become an official state fair until 1902. The fair moved from city to city until 1907, when Louisville became the fair's permanent home. Churchill Downs has hosted the fair on three occasions, particularly during World War II. The fair moved to its current site at the Kentucky Exposition Center in 1956.

There were cancellations in 1862 to 1864, 1917 to 1918, and 1942 to 1944. The COVID-19 pandemic caused officials to present the 2020 fair in modified fashion.

See also

• List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area

References

• Kleber, John E., ed. (2001). "Kentucky State Fair". The Encyclopedia of Louisville.
  OCLC 247857447
  . Retrieved November 8, 2023.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kentucky State Fair.

• Official site