Kentucky State Fair 2024

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© David Black

The Kentucky State Fair takes place every August at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. It offers a dozen days of fun and entertainment for the entire family. The fair showcases Kentucky agriculture and offers unique experiences like AgLand, a massive space with agricultural exhibits, and Discovery Farm, an interactive area with all kids of farm animals. The program also includes live music on several stages and tents with food. Every year, the fair draws about 600,000 people.

Entertainment Program

The Kentucky Exposition Center covers 520 acres (2.1 sq. km) of space with many indoor and outdoor exhibits, food sampling, thrilling rides, and entertainers like acrobats, illusionists, and balloon sculptors. You'll have a chance to see a herding display of Miller's Border Collies, Jason D’Vaude performing heart-stopping stunts and tricks done by Marvelous Mutts.

The Kentucky State Fair also features various agricultural and livestock competitions, like the Largest Pumpkin and Watermelon competition or Kentucky Exposition Livestock Championship Drive. And if you're looking for a thrill, stop by the Thrill Ville, offering a wide range of exciting midway rides.

Exhibits

The Kentucky State Fair fairgrounds offer a plethora of fascinating exhibits and an opportunity to learn more about agriculture, artisan crafts, and produce. Besides AgLand and Discovery Farm, you'll have a chance to witness medical exhibits in the Health Horizons space, textile demonstrations, interact with first responders and observe all kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruits, homemade brews, and wines.

World's Championship Horse Show (August 17-24, 2024)

One of the highlights of the week is the World's Championship Horse Show, with over 2,000 elite horses competing for more than $1.5 million prize. First held in 1902, the show has a century-old track of being one of the biggest equestrian events in the country. It's held annually during the Kentucky State Fair.

The show features competitions in several divisions, including five-gaited and three-gaited horses, fine harness horses, saddlebred pleasure, roadster, and equitation horses. All divisions differ by speed, types of gaits they are able to perform, and their purpose, for example, carriage horses or speed horses.

Concerts

Kentucky State Fair is known for its free concert series, which has featured many musicians, including Gary Allan, Walker Montgomery, Midnight Star, The Oak Ridge Boys, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Casting Crowns, Bonray, Happy Together Tour, Chris Janson, Carly Pearce, Chevelle, The Cunning, Josh Turner, and many others. This year, the lineup is no less impressive, with such performers as the R&B band Kazual, the Dennis Lee Show, and more to come. Concerts take place at 8 pm each day of the fair.

Schedule & Hours

From Monday to Thursday, the fairgrounds operate from 10 am until 10 pm, however, the buildings close earlier, at 8 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, the fair opens at 10 am and closes its indoor attractions at 9 pm and outdoor ones at 11 pm. On August 20th, the schedule slightly differs, with the indoor spaces closing at 8 pm and outdoor at 11 pm. On August 27th, the indoor fair operates from 10 am until 6 pm, and the outdoor fair follows the regular schedule from 10 am to 10 pm.

Thrill Ville operates from 3 pm until 10 pm Monday through Thursday and until 11 pm on Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, it opens at 1 pm and welcomes visitors until 11 pm, with the exception of August 27th, when it closes at 10 pm.