Coming off its best run in over 15 years, the Western Kentucky State Fair returns this week for a 73rd run at the fairgrounds and convention center in Hopkinsville through June 29.
The gates open Friday at 5:00 with rides on the Midway. Board member Brad Hewell said Drew Expositions returns from another year of providing rides and said an unlimited ride armband can be purchased for $25.
The petting zoo returns Friday at 6:00 and the ‘Country Twang Band’ will be at the convention center at 6:30 featuring Western Dance Night.
Hewell said there is something for everyone on the opening weekend.
click to download audioSaturday and Sunday are known as pageant days at the fair.
The baby and tiny tot pageants are Saturday morning, and the youth pageants will be Sunday afternoon — all in the convention center.
Information on how to enter the child pageants can be found at westernkentuckystatefair.org.
Saturday night at 5:30 is the Mrs. Western Kentucky State Fair Pageant while the annual Miss Western Kentucky State Fair pageant is at 7:30.
Also, Saturday night is the demolition derby at the grandstand.
A full schedule of events can be found on the fair’s website, and Your News Edge will also provide daily updates and stories.
Last year’s fair attendance was just over 44,000 people, slightly topping the 2022 total and beating the 2021 total by over 3,000 people.
The attendance was the best since the fair board moved the fair up a week in 2017 and the highest since 2008.
The record attendance was over 63,400 people in 1978 for an August fair that featured performances in the convention center by Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, and the Statler Brothers
