In 1959, incorporation papers were signed for the Franklin County (open) Fair. Though the fair was started to advance and show livestock and agriculture products, it never really got moving until 1959 with the open fair and better facilities for showing.

An open and better location brought many changes, including greater involvement from civic clubs. Beginning with the 1959 fair, the Peaks Mill Ruritans handled the parking for many years for a percentage of the fee. The Jaycees began staging the queen contest in 1959. Until 1971, the queen contest was the grand finale of the fair. At that time it was decided the queen should be honored by reigning over the fair and the contest became the first event of the fair.

Franklin County is horse country so a horse and pony show became part of the fair in 1961. The show ring was on grass staked off and enclosed with baling twine. In 1963 the horse show had its first show ring located on the west side of the drive to the high school. In 1964, the show qualified for sanctioned shows.  In 1969, the show had grown to such a status that the name Franklin County Fair and Horse Show Inc. appeared on the catalog cover. This was the first year the Ralph Bates Horse Show Arena was used.

From 1959 to 1968 the three- or four-day fair was held the second week of August. In 1969, the date was changed to the third week of July.

In 1993, under the leadership of President Shirley Noel, the fair moved to its new home at Lakeview Park. Kissel Rides and Shows was approached to bring a small number of carnival rides. They brought eight rides. It was also the first year for a Pay-One-Price gate. For $4, fairgoers could attend all events and ride the carnival rides as many times as they wished. The next year, Kissel Rides and Shows brought their full carnival and the gate admission was raised to $5 Pay-One-Price.

In 1994, major changes were made to the Miss Franklin County Fair Pageant when Capital City Woman’s Club became the sponsoring organization. Contestants were no longer required to secure individual sponsors. Club members solicited sponsors and the queen received a $300 scholarship and many gifts from area businesses. The scholarship has quickly grown to $1000 a year.

In 1995, Lakeview Park saw a major change to its landscape with the addition of Lakeview Springs Golf Course in operation during the Fair. A hole-in-one competition was added to the line-up that year.

A sixth day was added to Fair week in 1995 and gate admission remained at $5 Pay-One-Price; Children under 2 have a free gate with rides costing $1.50 each. In its second full-blown fair since problems in the mid-1980s forced the Fair Board to downsize, Franklin Countians returned to the Fair in great numbers. The gate saw a nearly 3,000 person increase in paid admission over the previous year. Exhibits were up by more than 250 over the 1994 fair. The price of admission was raised from $5 to $6 Pay-One-Price for the 1997 Fair. Attendance continued to grow each year.

In 1996, the Board contributed $5,000 toward the enclosure of the Farm Bureau’s 120’x60’ pavilion– the total cost was $15,835. This allowed for the move by the Exhibit Hall to a closer proximity to other Fair events.

The Youth and Open Dairy Shows were merged with the Anderson County shows in 1996 and moved to three weeks before fair week. The split show date is before the district show. The Saddlebred Horse Show also had a split show date to take it away from competing with Lexington’s Junior League show. This was the last year for the show for several years.

The 1999 and 2000 Fairs were honored as the Most Progressive Fair Award in Zone 2, Division B, and the 1999 Fair was also named first runner-up for the Most Progressive Fair in the state. The Walking Horse Show was named Best One Night Show of the Year by the Ohio Valley Walking Horse Association and the Kentucky Walking Horse Association both years, as well.

The board received the coveted Most Progressive Fair in Kentucky award for the 2001 Fair. This award, given by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, is judged in four categories: livestock entries; horse entries; food, crop and youth entries approved for state aid; and money spent on entries not approved for state aid. Both the number of entries for the year and the percentage increase are crucial to winning the award. The board gave out $19,629 in agricultural prize money and $23,191 in other prizes during the 2001 Franklin County Fair and Horse Show.

In 2006, premiums paid out were significantly more than they were in the early years: livestock winners received more than $9000; horse show premiums totaled nearly $7500, and the exhibit hall paid more than $3600 in premiums. Ribbons, trophies, and the prizes for other events cost the fair nearly $17,000.

Other expenses in 2006 included nearly $50,000 for a second livestock sales and show pavilion, more than $8000 for a new PA system in the livestock/horse show area, and more than $3000 in electrical upgrades. All told, more than $160,000 was placed into the economy that year by the Franklin County Fair and Horse Show.

In the 16 short years since the fair moved to Lakeview Park, the hard-working volunteers have built the Franklin County Fair and Horse Show from a near non-event into one of Kentucky’s best and fastest-growing fairs. The awards bestowed upon the Franklin County Fair and Horse Show over the past several years evidence the hard work and dedication of the fair board and its army of volunteers.

The Fair Board would encourage those who haven’t attended the fair before, or those who haven’t been for several years, to please attend this year and give us a chance to entertain you. We, and many other volunteers, work almost year round to bring Franklin County the best entertainment we can afford. The 2009 Franklin County Fair and Horse Show will include several new events and activities as we strive to improve and grow every year. We’d like to showcase the talents and skills of all Franklin Countians and give everyone an opportunity to participate on some level.