LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A decision on holding the Kentucky State Fair this year may not come until the middle of June.
But if the fair is held in August, Kentucky Venues, the state agency that operates of the fair, is preparing plans for shorter hours, holding the championship horse show without spectators, and moving some indoor exhibits outdoors.
The plans predict fair attendance to drop by half from previous years, Kentucky Venues Chief Financial Officer Tony Schreck said during a state fair committee meeting Monday.
More than 589,000 people visited the fair in 2019.
It is scheduled for Aug. 20-30 this year at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
The full Kentucky Venues board is scheduled to take up the plan May 28 and submit it to officials in Frankfort for a final decision, perhaps around June 15, Kentucky Venues CEO David Beck said.
The plan recommends starting the fair at 2 p.m. weekdays and at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, to provide more time for cleaning and sanitizing, compliance officer Chris Brawner said.
Gates opened as early as 7 a.m. during the 2019 fair.
Social distancing will be marked, Brawner said.
Outdoor concert seating may be adjusted to add more room between spectators, and the fair will not allow school tours this year.
Some non-livestock competitions may be shown online.
Children’s rides may be moved indoors to the South Wing of the fairgrounds, making more room for other attractions on the midway, Brawner said.
State fair board member Joe Goggin said the plans preserve “the roots of the fair,” by including the horse show, livestock displays, the midway and concerts.
“We can take this and build on it and come up with even more comprehensive plans,” Goggin said. “We’re three months from a potential fair.”
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