Kentucky State Fair welcomes thousands of people on Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of people enjoyed the tastes of the Kentucky State Fair on Saturday.

Fairgoers Connor Johnston and Chris Clark agreed the food offerings at the fair are the main attraction.

"Good food, good drinks, good company, the normal stuff," Clark said.

IMAGES | 2023 Kentucky State Fair welcomes thousands of people from across the state

"Here for the livestock, the animals, the cows, we're here to get some good food, enjoying the time with friends and family," Johnston said.

There is a wide variety of food offerings, including donut burgers, corn dogs, ice cream, funnel cakes and more.

Lanona Nelson, owner of Cheezy Does it!, has her food truck set up at the fair.

"It's very important for us to be here, we love it when people line up to try out food, they come to mostly try our iconic cheeseballs, they have eight cheeses and they are deep fried," Nelson said.

The Louisville-based food truck will be offering the mac-and-cheese balls every day for the rest of the fair.

Families tried out rides and games at the Midway while others met animals and checked out locally grown produce.

"It's not too packed, there's a good amount of people where you can get through and still navigate but not everybody is on top of you, it's not too overcrowded," Clark said.

The main gate was closed to vehicles for about an hour around 5 p.m., but it later reopened. According to the Kentucky State Fair, Gate 1 at the intersection of Phillips Lane and Freedom Way was operating as a walk-up gate to help with traffic and parking.

The state fair showcasing Kentucky's best creations goes from Aug. 17-27.

The fair will open at 10 a.m. daily, but different areas will close at different times. To check the schedule, hours are posted here on the Kentucky State Fair website. Also, the fair will continue to stop allowing entry an hour before it closes.

Special discounts and promotions are offered throughout the duration of the fair, including Military Sunday with free admission for active military and veterans, $5 Mondays, Senior Day, and more.

The annual concert series, which is free with fair admission, featured Chris Janson and special guest Alex Miller on Aug. 17. Morris Day and the Time with special guest Tag Team performed on Aug. 18. Happy Together Tour will play on Aug. 22. According to a news release, more acts joining the lineup will be announced next week.

The fair is continuing a policy this year that requires anyone 18 and younger to be accompanied by a guardian at least 21-years-old after 6 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and an all-day policy on Fridays through Sundays. Officials say IDs will be checked at the gate.

Organized in 1816, the fair became the official state fair in 1902. It moved from city to city until 1907, when Louisville became its permanent home.

Kentucky State Fair tickets are available online, at participating Kroger stores or the Kentucky Exposition Center box office. To purchase tickets for the state fair online, click here.

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