The 72nd Western Kentucky State Fair opened Friday and gets under way in earnest on Saturday at the fairgrounds, 2810 Richard St. It runs through July 1 with carnival rides and games, entertainment, truck and tractor pulls, livestock competitions, and home and garden exhibits.
General admission is $3, while several events such as tractor pulls and pageants have additional admission fees. The gates take cash only, but there are ATMs available to fair-goers once they enter the grounds.
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Midway rides and carnival games are provided by Drew Exposition. The company sells armbands each day, ranging from $20 to $30, for unlimited rides.
Several local organizations, including Hopkinsville Junior Auxiliary and Christian County 4-H, have concession booths lining the pathway from the midway to the grandstands. These groups sell perennial favorites, such as the 4-H ribeye sandwiches and Junior Auxiliary’s pork chop sandwiches.
Fair Food
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FFA exhibits and the Home and Garden exhibit is in the small room of the Convention Center, and fair-goers can see these items after the items are delivered and judged on Tuesday.
The livestock pavilion behind the grandstand is the place to see a petting zoo and other the 4-H and FFA livestock shows.
Traditionally, the truck and tractor pulls on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights draw the biggest attendance at the fair.
WKSFA Calendar Highlights
Saturday, June 24
- 4 p.m. — Gates open.
- 4-H/FFA Cattle Show, Livestock Pavilion.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($30 armbands)
- 5:30 p.m. — Mrs. WKSF Parent, Convention Center.
- 7 p.m. — Demolition Derby, Grandstand.
- 7 p.m. — Miss WKSF Pageant, Convention Center.
Sunday, June 25
- 2 p.m. — Gates open. (Free admission until 5 p.m. with a church bulletin).
- 3 p.m. — Antique Tractor Show, Grandstand.
- 3 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
Monday, June 26
- 4:30 p.m. — Gates open.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
- 7 p.m. — Ms. Plus Pageant, Convention Center.
- 7 p.m. — Motor Cross, Grandstand.
Tuesday, June 27
- 4 p.m. — Gates open.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
- 5 p.m. — Petting Zoo open, Livestock Pavilion.
- 7 p.m. — Go Kart Races, Grandstand.
Wednesday, June 28
- 4 p.m. — Gates open.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
- 6 p.m. — Pedal Pull Competition, in front of Convention Center.
Thursday, June 29
- 4:30 p.m. — Gates open.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
- 6 p.m. — Christian County Farm Bureau meeting, Convention Center. Entertainment by Todd County Boys bluegrass and gospel band.
- 7 p.m. — Farm and Altered Farm Tractor and Truck Pulls, Grandstand.
Friday, June 30
- 4:30 p.m. — Gates open.
- 5 p.m. — Midway rides open. ($20 armbands)
- 6 p.m. — Corn Hole Tournament, Convention Center.
- 7 p.m. — Mid-South Truck and Tractor Pulls, Grandstand.
Saturday, July 1
- 3 p.m. — Gates open.
- 4 p.m. — Midway rides open. (free rides until 5 p.m.; $30 armbands after 5 p.m.)
- 7 p.m. — Mid-South Truck and Tractor Pulls, Grandstand.
This calendar provides highlights of the week. For a complete listing of all events, check out the fair board’s calendar. Additional daily updates are available at the WKSF Facebook page.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
