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Bill Clary

(502) 564-4696

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky State Fair will beef up, dignitaries will ham it up, and champions will be crowned in the fair’s second week.

        “I want to invite Kentuckians to the state fair to see the best of Kentucky agriculture,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said.

        Farmer noted the theme for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s exhibits this year is “Agriculture: It’s Your Future.” “I love for people to ask me, ‘How is agriculture important to me?’” he said. “I always say, ‘You eat, don’t you?’”

        The annual Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast will serve some 1,500 people on Thursday morning in the South Wing, and the grand champion country ham will be auctioned off to benefit charity. This year’s champion was cured by Broadbent B&B Foods of Cadiz, which took the title for the third consecutive year. Last year’s ham brought a record $340,000.

        On Thursday afternoon, the Sale of Champions will honor youth exhibitors with the grand and reserve champion steers, hogs and lambs.

        Dairy cattle shows will conclude Monday, and the Boer goats will wrap up on Tuesday. Beef cattle, swine and sheep shows get under way Tuesday and continue through closing day on Sunday. The draft horse pull is also on the final day. The popular mules and jacks will show through Thursday.

The enticing aroma of meat cooking on the grill will lead fairgoers to the Great Kentucky Cook-out Tent, where you can buy ribeye, lamb, fish, country ham and pork chop sandwiches, grilled chicken, corn on the cob and ice cream from eight Kentucky farm commodity organizations.

        Kids will enjoy the KDA exhibits in the South Wing and the West Hall. Children also can catch the Kentucky Pork Producers’ Racing Pigs under a tent in the South Wing parking lot.

        The World’s Championship Horse Show will enter its second day Monday at Freedom Hall. Free performances will be given at 9 a.m. daily. More than 2,000 of the country’s top saddlebred horses and their riders will compete for $1.2 million in awards at 6:30 each evening through Thursday, and 7 p.m. on the final two days, Friday and Saturday.

        Five daily cooking demonstrations by chefs from around the state are held at the Kentucky Ag Producers’ Gourmet Garden in the South Wing A Lobby. Fairgoers can browse exhibits of fruits, vegetables, bees, tobacco, hay and grain. Kentucky-made farm products are available at the Kentucky Proud tent.

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