 Fair Board President's Message
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This page was last modified on Sunday June 22, 2008
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We've come a long way ....
Franklin County has had a county fair, with a few interruptions, since the turn of the 20th century. The longest gap being the period during or soon after World War I that lasted until a Fall Festival was held from 1944 to 1948. During each of those gaps, there was no means of spotlighting the projects of the many talented youth groups, and no opportunity for citizens to gather as a community and to enter into friendly competition.
Then, in 1953, under the supervision of County Extension Agent Robert Heath and the agriculture teachers at the county high schools, a few community leaders decided it was time to provide a venue for area youth to display the good work they were doing and to let the public learn from them.
Early in 1954, the Franklin County Youth Fair was organized. It had a very humble beginning by present standards. There were no money prizes. Ribbons – and bragging rights – were given on the Danish System. Large animals were shown in trucks. The 1954 and 1955 fairs are believed to have been for boys only.
During this period, the Franklin County Board of Education, recognizing that the fair was another process for learning, generously allowed the use of school properties for many of the fairs.
Sites for the fair during those early years were:
1954 Thorn Hill School
1955 Second Street School
1956-57 Capital City Airport
1958 Bridgeport High School
1959-89 Franklin County High School
1990-91 Western Hills
The first officers and workers of the Franklin County Youth Fair are believed to have been Willard Welch, president; Kenneth Webb, vice president; Ralph Bates; Paul Burton; Arch Quarles Jr.; and James Smith.
According to recollections in the 1978 Fair Catalog, James Smith and Paul Burton spent one Saturday morning in 1956 in collecting $100 in Frankfort to buy ribbons to stage the fair. The fair became a true event for all of the county's youth. The Scouts, 4-H, FHA, FFA, and other supervised youth groups exhibited for modest money prizes. In August 1, 1956, the executive committee, consisting of Willard Welch, Florine Bondurant, Ann Hensley and George Buchanan, signed incorporation papers.
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.
Other awards received for the 2001 Fair were: Most Progressive Fair Award in Zone 2, Division B; All-Kentucky County Fair; Best One Night Walking Horse Show of the Year by the Ohio Valley Walking Horse Association and the Kentucky Walking Horse Association.
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 last year by the Franklin County Fair and Horse Show.
In the 15 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 2008 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.
Timeline Excerpts
1954-1955 Board President: Willard Welch
1956 First catalog – four 3" x 5" pages; First Baby Show – for the first 12 years, the judges had to select just one from nearly a hundred entries.
Board President: Kenneth Webb
1957 New events: Speech Contest, Micro Midget Auto Races, a Tractor Driving Contest and a Square Dance.
Board President: Kenneth Webb/Arch Quarles Jr.
1958 Only two-day fair held August 29 and 30, 1958 at Bridgeport High School.
Board President: Arch Quarles Jr.
1959 Board President: William Watson
1960 Board President: Ralph Bates
1961 Board President: August Luscher
1962 Board President: Mason Vansant
1963 Board President: Mason Vansant
1964-1967 Board President: Dr. L.M. Roach
1968 Board President: Morrison Kavanaugh
1969 First Tractor Pull Contest with only four weight contests.
Board President: Morrison Kavanaugh
1970 Board President: Morrison Kavanaugh
1971-1975 Board President: Marvin Polsgrove
1976-1978 Board President: Clyde Smith
1979-1989 Board President: Kenneth C. Hockensmith
1990-1991 Board President: Stewart Hardy
1992 Board President: Shirley Noel
1993 Board President: Shirley Noel
1994 Wash racks added to livestock area. 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. The scholarship has quickly grown to $1000 a year. New events: Truck Tug-of-War, Monster Truck and Hollywood Stunt Shows. Kentucky Lottery brought their portable unit to the Fair. Fiscal court began construction of a golf course at the park.
Board President: Shirley Noel
1995 Movieland Express, with racing ostriches and camels, opened the 1995 Fair. Included were special races for some of our local celebrities. The board gave away $1000 ($500 to one person and $100 each to five more people). Final payments were made to reimburse the county for the installation of a sound system. The board rented its first billboard advertisement — at Century Plaza. And, a survey was included for the first time in the 1995 fair catalog to ask citizens to comment and rate the year’s activities. It was the first year as a preliminary for the Coca-Cola Talent Showcase at the state fair. One of our winners, Tiffany Sudduth, was a state finalist. Movieland Express, with racing ostriches and camels, opened the Fair with local celebrities participating in the races. The Bennetts, winners of the Fair’s Gospel Sing, won the state competition. Mike Quarles and Travis Quarles won at the state tractor driving contests. At the 1996 KAFHS Convention, the board was recognized as first runner-up Most Progressive Fair in Zone 2. The Walking Horse Show received a fourth place plaque from the Kentucky Walking Horse Association for Best One Night Show.
Board President: Patti Cross
1996 New events: Opening Ceremonies, Barnyard Olympics, Bicycle Rodeo, Miss Teen Franklin County Fair. Robinson's Racing Pigs were the fair’s first weeklong show. The Windriders gave a skydiving demonstration. The exhibits were moved to the newly enclosed Farm Bureau Pavilion in 1996. Guardrail was added to the motorsports area and bleachers were purchased. The Fair Board’s float was a winner in the 1996 Frankfort Christmas Parade.
Board President: Patti Cross
1997 An announcer’s stand for the motorsports area was built. New events: Mud Sling, Adult Pet Show, a Car Show, and two Western Horse Shows — Team Penning and Barrels & Poles. Safety City came to the fair in conjunction with the Bicycle Rodeo. TranStormer Intergalactic Space Cop, a fire-breathing robot performed in the Motorsports Arena, and Miller’s Border Collie Show herded geese 3 nights. To make it more manageable, the size of the fair catalog was changed to a mini-tab from the tabloid format in 1997.
Board President: Patti Cross
1998 An on-grounds Shuttle Bus service was added to help ferry fairgoers from one side of the park to the other for events. New events: Arm Wrestling, a Mule Show, and the Mini Demolition Derby. The board also tried Bull Mania, but the monsoon-like weather that day made the event more like mud wrestling. There were two weeklong shows: Drag Racing Stinkers and Alfie Cockatoo & His Comedy Macaws.
Board President: Greg Howard
1999 Weeklong shows: Wild West Follies and Baboon Lagoon. New events: Tiny Miss & Mister Franklin County Fair Pageant and the Miniature Horse Show.
Board President: Greg Howard
2000 New event: Backseat Driving Contest. Weeklong show: David Zoppe’s Variety Circus
Board President: Greg Howard
2001 Weeklong shows: Alfie Cockatoo & His Comedy Macaws and April & Her Wild West Puppets.
Board President: Chester Hillard
2002 Gate admission was raised from $6 to $7 Pay-One-Price. New events: a Sheep Show was added in 2002, and the Saddlebred Horse Show returned to the line-up for the first time since 1996.
Board President: Chester Hillard
2003 Changes came once again to Lakeview Park with Fiscal Court’s construction of the Skate Park. The board developed its on-line identity at www.franklincountyfair.info. A goat show was added to the growing list of livestock shows. The Exhibit Hall added the Ugly Lamp competition. Randall’s High Diving Racers were a popular weeklong show.
Board President: Chester Hillard
2004 New event: Swine Show
Board President: Judy Stephanski
2005 The board completed construction of the first of two livestock sales and show pavilions.
Board President: Judy Stephanski
2006 New events:
Board President: Judy Stephanski
2007 New events: MR. Franklin County Fair Contest, Doll Pageant, Hobo Contest
Board President: Kenneth C. "Butch" Hockensmith
2008 New events:
Board President: Kenneth C. "Butch" Hockensmith
If you have something that should be added to the history, please let us know.