2011 Fair Info
Taylor County Fair History
The Taylor County Fair Association in an independent agency that operates the Taylor County Fair as a non-profit organization to promote agriculture, industry and entertainment to the citizens of Taylor County and all of south-central Kentucky. All funds are used to produce subsequent fairs, maintenance of facilities and advertising/promotion and board members are volunteers who reside in Taylor County. The board is currently in the early stages of acquring 501 C-3 tax exempt status.
For many years dating back to the early 1900’s, the Taylor County Fair was recognized as one of the best fairs in the state of Kentucky. In 1978 the American Legion conducted its final fair and for twenty years the residents of Campbellsville/Taylor County did not have a county fair to call their own.
In 1997, Campbellsville resident Bryan Blair organized a community wide initiative to “Revive the Fair”. Nearly forty people attended a community meeting in the old Railroad Depot building, including Stewart Gritton of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Division of Shows and Fairs and Bill Taylor, who at that time was the Executive Secretary of the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows. From this community meeting, the Taylor County Fair Association, Inc. was born.
Initial officers/charter members were Bryan Blair, President; Becky Nash, Vice-President; Jeannie Seaborne, Secretary and Mike Litchfield, Treasurer. Other charter members included William Wallace Evans, Melvin Doug Martin, Randy Wayne, Patty Evans, Johnnie Price, Janet Mills, Angie Johnson, Anna Lee Johns, Utah Canada and Helen Canada.
Initial plans were to conduct the first Taylor County Fair in 1999, however, at the request of then County-Judge Excecutive Fred Waddle, the Fair Association produced a three day Taylor County Heritage Fair that ran concurrently with the Campbellsville Independence Day Celebration in 1998. The event was held at the Taylor County High School campus and featured animal displays, field stock dog trials, entertainment and a pictoral history of Taylor County to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the county.
In the late summer of 1998, the Fair Association secured a lease with the local American Legion post to utilize the Legion land as a fairgrounds. In early August, Kissel Rides and Shows provided a carnival on the American Legion Fairgrounds which the board used as a fund-raiser to kick start the
1999 Taylor County Fair.
In the spring of 1999, with the assistance of the county road department, the first dirt was turned on what would be the motorsports/event track at the new fair. The first fair was held August and the Fair Association rented portable lighting, sound and bleachers were obtained from Miller Park and other areas in the community for seating.
Since that time, numerous improvements have been made to the American Legion grounds by the Taylor County Fair Association. The Association has purchased seven sets of aluminum bleachers, state of the art lighting for the track and parking areas, a sound system, two large hoop buildings to serve as livestock barns/display areas and countless of infrastructure improvements/additions such as electric and water lines.
In 1999 and 2000, the fair was held the first week of August. However, in 2001 the date moved due to a change in the schedule of Kissel Rides and Shows to the last full week of June. In 2009, the Taylor County Fair Association began a business relationship with Myers International
Midways as only the second carnival provider of the fair and moved the date to the first full week of June in order to secure a contract with Myers. 2011 marks the third year for Myers and the second year that the fair has been held the first full week of June.
Over the years, attendance has remained steady at the fair. There have been years when several events were rained out, but the people of Campbellsville and central Kentucky have repeatedly shown their support for the annual event which averages 12,000 paid admissions per year. Numerous events have been held at the fair, including Demolition Derbies, KTPA Truck Pulls, Ohio River Valley Tractor Pulls, Mud Slings, Beauty and Talent Contests, Rodeos and Concerts. In 2002 the Fair featured the U.S. Army squadron from Fort Campbell that parachuted onto the track from a Blackhawk helicopter and in 2007 the Taylor County Fair pioneered “Dancing With The Fair Stars” with such success that county fairs across the state followed suit with their own “Dancing With The Stars” contests in 2008!
Perhaps the most somber moment in Taylor County Fair history came in 2006, when just 24 hours after being crowned Miss Taylor County Fair, Brittany Nicole Meece of Somerset tragically lost her life in an automobile accident in Pulaski County. The fair ended on a sad note and in 2007 the pageants were dedicated in her memory. And, one of the greatest highlights of the Taylor County Fair is also pageant related, when in 2009 Miss Teen Taylor County Fair was crowned Miss Kentucky Teen County Fair at the fall meeting of the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows.
For many years dating back to the early 1900’s, the Taylor County Fair was recognized as one of the best fairs in the state of Kentucky. In 1978 the American Legion conducted its final fair and for twenty years the residents of Campbellsville/Taylor County did not have a county fair to call their own.
In 1997, Campbellsville resident Bryan Blair organized a community wide initiative to “Revive the Fair”. Nearly forty people attended a community meeting in the old Railroad Depot building, including Stewart Gritton of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Division of Shows and Fairs and Bill Taylor, who at that time was the Executive Secretary of the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows. From this community meeting, the Taylor County Fair Association, Inc. was born.
Initial officers/charter members were Bryan Blair, President; Becky Nash, Vice-President; Jeannie Seaborne, Secretary and Mike Litchfield, Treasurer. Other charter members included William Wallace Evans, Melvin Doug Martin, Randy Wayne, Patty Evans, Johnnie Price, Janet Mills, Angie Johnson, Anna Lee Johns, Utah Canada and Helen Canada.
Initial plans were to conduct the first Taylor County Fair in 1999, however, at the request of then County-Judge Excecutive Fred Waddle, the Fair Association produced a three day Taylor County Heritage Fair that ran concurrently with the Campbellsville Independence Day Celebration in 1998. The event was held at the Taylor County High School campus and featured animal displays, field stock dog trials, entertainment and a pictoral history of Taylor County to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the county.
In the late summer of 1998, the Fair Association secured a lease with the local American Legion post to utilize the Legion land as a fairgrounds. In early August, Kissel Rides and Shows provided a carnival on the American Legion Fairgrounds which the board used as a fund-raiser to kick start the
1999 Taylor County Fair.
In the spring of 1999, with the assistance of the county road department, the first dirt was turned on what would be the motorsports/event track at the new fair. The first fair was held August and the Fair Association rented portable lighting, sound and bleachers were obtained from Miller Park and other areas in the community for seating.
Since that time, numerous improvements have been made to the American Legion grounds by the Taylor County Fair Association. The Association has purchased seven sets of aluminum bleachers, state of the art lighting for the track and parking areas, a sound system, two large hoop buildings to serve as livestock barns/display areas and countless of infrastructure improvements/additions such as electric and water lines.
In 1999 and 2000, the fair was held the first week of August. However, in 2001 the date moved due to a change in the schedule of Kissel Rides and Shows to the last full week of June. In 2009, the Taylor County Fair Association began a business relationship with Myers International
Midways as only the second carnival provider of the fair and moved the date to the first full week of June in order to secure a contract with Myers. 2011 marks the third year for Myers and the second year that the fair has been held the first full week of June.
Over the years, attendance has remained steady at the fair. There have been years when several events were rained out, but the people of Campbellsville and central Kentucky have repeatedly shown their support for the annual event which averages 12,000 paid admissions per year. Numerous events have been held at the fair, including Demolition Derbies, KTPA Truck Pulls, Ohio River Valley Tractor Pulls, Mud Slings, Beauty and Talent Contests, Rodeos and Concerts. In 2002 the Fair featured the U.S. Army squadron from Fort Campbell that parachuted onto the track from a Blackhawk helicopter and in 2007 the Taylor County Fair pioneered “Dancing With The Fair Stars” with such success that county fairs across the state followed suit with their own “Dancing With The Stars” contests in 2008!
Perhaps the most somber moment in Taylor County Fair history came in 2006, when just 24 hours after being crowned Miss Taylor County Fair, Brittany Nicole Meece of Somerset tragically lost her life in an automobile accident in Pulaski County. The fair ended on a sad note and in 2007 the pageants were dedicated in her memory. And, one of the greatest highlights of the Taylor County Fair is also pageant related, when in 2009 Miss Teen Taylor County Fair was crowned Miss Kentucky Teen County Fair at the fall meeting of the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows.