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Kentucky State Fair

4.0 (64 reviews)

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#MostWanted at the Bud Tent
Nancy P.

A great day at the state fair. I secured tickets early at $9 each which includes parking. We arrived a little before noon and spent our first couple of hours in rhe Bud Tent watching out favorite local band, Most Wanted. It was hot but they sounded exceptional and it was fun to watch the talent of this band. We rode the shuttle around the fair grounds, ate some junk food, but also stopped by the car a time or 2 to grab a healthier snack from the cooler we packed. We cruised through the livestock and saw cows, chickens and rabbits. We sat in Freedom Hall and watched some riders practicing for the horse show. We looked at all the culinary exhibits, the crafts and the art and photography. We also stop to chat with Freddie, the farmer. So much more to do and see, on another day.

Daily schedule for Senior Day at Ky State Fair 2024
Sarah W.

Our group decided to attend the 2024 Kentucky State Fair on Tuesday for FREE senior day for ages 55 and older. None of us had to show our ID, so I suppose our gray hair and showing up before 11 AM was proof enough. :) Parking was $10 per carload and a shuttle is offered at the outer perimeter of the parking lot. It can be quite a trek; however, we are quite spry and also wanted to get our steps in -- almost hit 10,000 for the day. The goal was to see and do as much as possible in a few hours and we ended up being on premises for 6 hours. Midday rides open at 3 PM, so we hoped to vacate before school dismissed for the day. Lots to see and do! Watched a magic show, watched a dogs doing tricks show, visited the beer tent for great live music, sampled food and drink (corn dog $9, pineapple whip $5, fried green tomatoes $8, roasted corn $5, beer $8), viewed displays (quilts, Christmas trees, doll houses, baked goods, cows, sheep, ducks, hay bales, Vietnam War memorial, honey, etc), and even watched chicks hatching in real time in an incubator. It is also possible to get a flu shot while at the fair and receive a free Thrillville Ride bracelet for unlimited use for the day ($30 value). Great venue. Appreciated the daily schedule printouts available in a multitude of Info kiosk locations.

State fair 2012
Joseph G.

The Kentucky state fair held annually in Lousiville Kentucky at the fairground and exp center off Phillips lane is always a big week long celebration usually taking place in the 1st or 2nd week of August for the state and city. Being a Lousiville resident born and raised I've visited the fair more times that I can remember. From trips to see Freddy the farmer the big talking farmer with my kids and as a kid to myself, to the free summer concerts (I've seen country acts such as Gary Allen, Eric church, Dwight yokum, blake Shelton Travis tritt and other genres ranging from boys II men and nc hammer), to the amusement park rides and shopping the massive flea market I've seen just about all the fair can offer. My personal favorite things to see annual Are Freddy, the petting zoo, the flea market, the baby chicks, the oversized crops such as largest pumpkins and the livestock. They use to have some really big names come in and doing free nightly concerts. They still have the concerts nightly but the acts and names are way less known now. Not sure why but that has been a bummer. I enjoy taking my kids through the flea market part as they have a lot of interactive areas that they love and adore. They also enjoy the annual magic shows and the ugly lamp showcase that is held in the indoor wings of the fair. Pricing wise it is very overpriced. Especially for food. My family of 7 it costs around $100 for maybe $20 worth of actual food. So we've recently packed a lucky or just haven't eaten at the fair. For me the fair use to be a five star experience. However it is rapidly dropping. The shows and activities are dwindling. The items and bargains at the flea market are disappearing and the pricing has skyrocketed. I'm Hopeful this trend changes as we've always loved the fair. But it is becoming harder and harder to justify or find a reason to visit each year. Overlap plenty of great and wonderful memories have been created for me as a youth and a parent here. It's a shame it has fallen off but I'm hopeful it can be revived to what it once was.

Jeremy J.

The Kentucky state fair is an annual fair in Louisville Kentucky. It is for the entire state of Kentucky obviously because Louisville is the largest city. We have a great time every time we visit the Kentucky state fair. We like all the food the animals and the free concerts that come along with the purchase of a ticket. I will return and I suggest everyone else do as well

Fried Oreos & Funnel Cake
Emily L.

2021 was my first time at the Kentucky State Fair.... The only fair I had to compare it to was the Texas State Fair (aka the largest in the country) so it was definitely smaller BUT I still found it to be a lot of fun! I absolutely LOVE fair food so I'm in heaven at any fair. My go-to fair food is a classic corn dog, and I also got the fried oreos and a funnel cake... so delicious! There was a great variety of carnival games (which you can never, ever win) and the fair contests (like largest vegetables) are so much fun to look at! I will be back next year for sure!

A leg cup full of booze
Sydney B.

The fair is a stable event if you are from Kentucky. I honestly didn't start going to the fair until I was in high school so I was missing quite a bit. I'm not going to lie, the process to getting into the fair takes forever to get in. It's nonstop traffic and if you have multiple people paying separate in one car, it can take some time. Also, everything at the fair is expensive as hell. You can easily spend $100 in no time at all. My favorite part about the fair is inside the expo center with all the booths and animals. It's also an escape from the heat outside. The food selection is always great. It's the perfect excuse to eat like a pig and see how much grease you can consume without regretting it. The best items in my opinion are the giant turkey legs and the doughnut burger (yes, the burger is actually one of the best things you can get). In my opinion, the best time to go is the afternoon. It's still crowded but not as bad as it is at night. You are also avoiding the teenagers and the drunks. I think it's more relaxing to go in the afternoon honestly. The Kentucky State Fair is so important to us Kentuckians and it's something I like to go to at least once a year.

Amie B.

The KY State Fair is one of my absolute favorite events. I love everything about it. The people-watching, the shows, the enormous produce, the giant belt buckles, complimentary yard sticks and tote bags, livestock, rides, and fried food. So much to offer for such a reasonable admission. Hint: Buy tickets at Kroger the month before the fair to save $. Last year -2020- the fair was closed to spectators, but it's back for 2021. This year masks are required indoors but not enforced. It was not crowded at all on the Tuesday afternoon/evening we went. I did notice that the amount vendors for 2021 has been reduced from previous years and slim pickings on the free stuff. But still tons of fun to be had. If I could do it all over, I would have purchased the unlimited ride wristband and taken advantage of the short lines for rides. I also would have gotten my food outside. I ate a catfish sandwich from an indoor booth and was disappointed. The offerings outside looked much better and included a food truck that sells deep-fried macaroni & cheese balls. Next time! I can't wait to return next year to get my free yard stick.

Grate fair amazing games and food Everything is great! Spend a good amount of money but fun

Beautiful bird on display.
Audrey W.

Many go just for the fair food and midway rides, and those people are truly missing out. There is so much pride in all of the exhibits- artwork, crafts, quilts, honey, heirloom tomatoes... I seriously could go on forever listing all the amazing things made/created/grown in Kentucky and on display at the fair. I never knew there were so many types of pigeons. A 600 pound pumpkin is as impressive in real life as the Statue of David. Cakes worthy of the fanciest of Food Network baking competitions made me jealous that I can't even make "happy birthday" look pretty in icing. Make sure to go early in the week if you want to see all the animals- many lot go home after judging and the ribbons are awarded. Don't skip the corn dogs, fried Oreos, and handmade lemonade, just make sure they're not the main attraction in your day.

This one's not actually a Kentuckian
Matt R.

Once upon a time in America there were things called World's Fairs which were showcases of innovation, technology and imagination. It seems to me that state fairs are the opposite of that, a celebration of traditional culture and traditional values but not much that pushes the envelope. And like a lot of things that are so entrenched in tradition, the result is a mixed blessing, with plenty of nostalgia but usually with a feel that's pretty exclusively old and white and rural. This old guy can certainly find things to dig. The cooking competitions are great. I love to see all the amazing quilts and cakes and admire the prize-winning livestock. And a close scan of the program always finds terrific performances -- this year features Chinese acrobats and the Kentucky New Play series. But the fried food is truly banal. Yelpers understand that they would do so much better eating in the city than on the fairgrounds, an ironic reality given how fabulously the fair showcases 4-H here. Similarly, you'll likely have a better time listening to local musicians than paying for many of the larger shows at the fair. And I'm too much of a curmudgeon to even bother exploring the midway. But if you can put up with the inescapable corporate vibe and the smog-choked parking lot, the State Fair is still worth a visit.

Break time
Tim B.

The 1st thing we did when we got into the fair was jump onto the FREE tram ride. This tractor pulled ride actually makes the complete loop around the fair grounds with plenty of stops to get on or off. The ride starts at 9am and goes until everyone is to their cars at night. Also there are several of the trams running at the same time which makes it nice when it's crowded. As we rode the complete loop it gave us ideas of what we wanted to go see and do next. I've always heard that the Kentucky State Fair has the largest indoor activities out of all the state fairs and I think that's true. We spent alot of time inside lookig at all the entries competing for ribbons. From art to crafts to sewing to food and even Christmas & non Christmas themed trees, (just to name a few) there is a catagory for all and all ages. Of course what's a fair without animals..... Plenty of live stock to pet and look at along with all the horse stables out back. Freedom Hall was set up for all the horse shows while any seat inside there is a good seat. If it's food your after, the fair offers plenty of choices there too. With all the food trucks/trailers you can find just about anything you want. Eating lunch and dinner there gave us a chance to experience it twice!! There were plenty of FREE side shows going on all day. We watched 2 different dog shows, a motorcycle inside a ball, a singing show and a guy on a tall pogo stick which was amazing!! As the sun began to set we headed over to the mid way. Something we noticed was there were (2) double of the bigger more popular rides which helped cut the line time down quite a bit. Plenty of cool rides for all ages. Each night offered a FREE concert in the main concert area while a few tents had their own FREE bands playing as well. For the crowd each and every day the grounds were clean. I don't recall seeing any trash laying around anywhere!! Also, the crowd was friendly and every food truck we ordered from they were nice and polite too. Great family atmosphere the whole time we were there!!

Andrea E.

Way to go KY State Fair- you made a few upgrades this year! The app was convenient and helped schedule our visit. Express lane with advance parking purchase My last few experiences trying to get through the traffic to park kept me away for a few years! Obviously, there is a wide variety of food and drinks! One change that I don't understand is moving the free concerts from Cardinal Stadium that has shade and seating to the open area. I love the concerts but we were standing in the direct sun with no covered areas. I'll see what happens next year!

Leah M.

We look forward to our annual trip to the Kentucky State Fair. It's priced pretty reasonably, especially if you purchase your tickets online. It also makes driving through the gates a bit quicker since you can use the express lane. As far as food, we've tried it all. The donut burger, the corn dogs, gyros.. you name it. It's allll good. We also look forward to walking through the booths and snagging free stuff from all of the different counties. There's plenty to do and see.

View from the fountain.

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Great family fun. Lots to do and see. Animals rides shopping food. What more can you expect it makes for a great day.

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It's the state fair! Lots of fun, fun foods, fun rides, fun shows, and fun food! What's not to like?

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8 years ago

Fair has really gone down this year. Smaller and smaller. Always was my favorite time of year. Probably be my last year coming

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Review Highlights - Kentucky State Fair

We started our day by checking out the livestock, (mules, cattle, goats, rabbits etc), very nice display.

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Broadbent Arena

Broadbent Arena

2.5(15 reviews)
0.5 miFairgrounds/Expo Center

I've been to Broadbent three times in my life. Two times for graduations wanna be in my own from my…read morehigh school and then I went to another person's high school graduation day. Today I went and got my Covid vaccine shot there and it was really easy and simple just drove right through it to clean arena on the inside at the shop real quick and nearby there was solid and nice but the arena itself still holds up after all these years and looks pleasant on the inside

The Kentucky Expo Center is at the center of a sea of about 200 acres of asphalt in the heart of…read morethe city. As a venue, it's hard to love. Even aficionados of everything about the state fair would have to concede its lack of architectural or ecological merit. But thanks to Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, I can associate this airy little rodeo arena with happy memories of the county's first wide-scale COVID vaccination effort. I enjoyed a good dozen shifts rubbing elbows with a bunch of other do-gooders, and it was so much fun to take part in it. This review coincides with the wrap-up of this use of the space, and so it can serve as a requiem as much as a review. Next week it will serve the Kosair Circus, followed by several graduations. But may its 6-month life as a vaccination drive-thru serve as a reminder that there are times when even a creaky old arena in the center of a treeless landscape can be a lifeline and that true public spaces hold great potential for our communities when we let good organizations have that chance.

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Broadbent Arena - 2025 bed races

2025 bed races

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The Alley at Cardinal Stadium

The Alley at Cardinal Stadium

4.0(6 reviews)
1.2 miUniversity

The alley at cardinal stadium is a tailgate/bar area that opened up starting with the 2021…read moreuniversity of Louisville football season. The entrance sits across the street from the main entrance area of Uofl home football stadium cardinal stadium. The entrance is actually maintained and monitored by event security. I didn't make it to the season opener against eku for the 2021 season but for the second game we played central Florida on a Friday night (and won!) so before I entered the stadium I decided to check this new experience out. Event security wands and checks you before entering. Upon entering there is a large spacious area for food trucks, beer trucks and a huge turf area full of corn hole boards. There was a stage with a live band playing and they had an outdoor bar that was packed to the gills so I didn't get a great look. They have a nice inside area that was Rsvp only. The vibe and atmosphere here was great. Plenty of fun tailgate activities. Cool food trucks for pizza or bbq and plenty of places to buy beer or harder alcohol beverages. In the very back is a patrolled bathroom that is a roll of port o pots protected behind a wooden fence for extra privacy. Everything here was well down. Very visually pleasing and cool cards decor. I think the alley is going to be immensely popular and foresee it becoming a long standing fun pre game tradition for Uofl football games. I look forward to what the future holds for the alley. And as always.....Go Cards!

Cool spot located right across feom cardinal stadium. It features overpriced food trucks and over…read morepriced beer. It has a band that plays and has some cornhole boards to play. It gets really crowded and not easy ti move around but it's a cool spot to check out still

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The Alley at Cardinal Stadium
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Kentucky State Fair - stadiumsarenas - Updated May 2026

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