August 13, 2025 • 11 mins
KY Venues CEO David Beck says the 2025 Kentucky State Fair is the largest fair in the commonwealth's history.
He shared details on WHAS Radio on the night before the fair's opening ceremony.
He shared details on WHAS Radio on the night before the fair's opening ceremony.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All things Kentucky all in one place. That's not my slogan.
It should be, but they already took it at the
Kentucky State Fair as well. They should. It's perfect for
them starting tomorrow. David Beck is the CEO of Kentucky
Venues that is the Kentucky Expost Center and downtown's kick
Kentucky International Convention Center. Mister Beck, Happy State Fair Week,
(00:24):
Thank you, Good afternoon, Terry. You and your team work
on this all throughout the year. It's like Christmas, you know,
and parents are putting together things, and it's the night before,
and so I'm asking you, are we ready for Christmas?
We are, We're ready. We're already playing next year before
distance starts. That's how that works, doesn't it. I walked
(00:45):
the property last night. I left the probably about midnight
last night. I walked the floor, see exhibit, still things
to do today. I walk the parking lot, I look
at the exhibits. It's amazing how things come together, just
a matter of hours and a lot of work from
all Kentucky. A lot of people involved making this fair happen.
But you've got a heck of a team that has
to get all this set up and get this organized,
(01:07):
to get people in their proper places and make sure
that it's safe and accessible and all the other things,
and the air conditioning's working, all the other things that
come into play.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Here. It is and in a lot of states have
a state fair, maybe two or three of the events
on the property. The state Fair is one of many
our people have. So we have a very dedicated staff team.
We cannot do this without them. Somebody's moving in and
out every day with a show, and then we're doing
that while we're planning our own shows, the state Fair
being one of those. So it's a challenge for our people.
(01:39):
I appreciate their dedication. We encourage them to have balance
work and family and all that goes with that. So
it's a challenge. A lot of ours goes into this.
All right.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The footprint this year there is some construction going on.
So what's changed? What do you still have the same
amount of infrastructure in for the states we do.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We have the fact that this fair to be larger
than last year. Exhibitors, exhibits, displays, food, concessions, everything's going
to be larger than last year. Now we have lost
the parking in the back of Freedom Hall because of construction. However,
we have a lot of new parking on the front side.
We paved some areas going all the way down to
the field Slane. So I encourage people to go to
(02:19):
the app or go to the website, look at the
map fere where they want to go, go which gates
they want to come in, choose their entrants, choose where
they want to go first, and plan their parking accordingly.
So all the gates are open. There's not a construction
blockage of one of those areas to all the ends
on deck, all gates, I would say, we got to
get that worked out for the State Fair, that's for sure.
(02:39):
And then we have people representing all one hundred and
twenty counties. Yes, you know, we'll have probably close to
six hundred thousand people that will attend the eleven day
Kentucky State Fair. We're one of the largest in the state,
in the country, and we're the largest indoor fare in
the country. And with that though, I look at the
numbers from Kentucky counties every year, and for the fast
(02:59):
five years we've had attendees from each of Kentucky's one
and twenty counties, And to me, that's important. It's the
Kentucky State Fair. So we look for attendees and exhibitors
from each of our counties participating. Okay, what is the
opening ceremony Tomorrow? Tomorrow at at ten point fifteen, we'll
have speakers, we'll have our governor, we'll have our commissioner Agriculture,
(03:20):
we'll have our mayor, we'll have a representive of our board,
and we'll have the opening ceremony. And this year instead
of cutting in a ribbon, we got something else planned instead. Oh,
nice little teas there, little teaes are Yeah. And then.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Is there there there's a fancy breakfast or something around it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yes, we have at seven am of people start gathering
for a commodity breakfast on the south side. All the
different commodity groups come together. A lot of elected officials
will be there with their aprons owned, serving the food,
shaking hands and seeing people. That's a tradition.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Now have you ever had to go up to like
a governor or a senator or somebody and say you're
doing a great job, but actually the late is the
other end of that. Do you turn that around?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
That's classified.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
There are some people that they don't really work a
feed line like that often, but it is. It's an
important place to be seen.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
It is. It's a it's a great tradition. It is.
And I get to ask a lot what's my favorite
part of the fair? Quite frankly at the people. It
really is. It's like a homecoming. When you've been around
a long as I have in Kentucky, you get to
know a lot of people. A lot of people are
involved with this fair. It's just like home week. So
it's a reunion for many people. You're talking about commodities
(04:35):
here in Kentucky. We're still big in a whole lot
of areas. We are.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
The people don't realize, like, for instance, we're meat producers
here too, and people think, well, that's that's Kansas, right
largest b state east of Mississippi. Right here in Kentucky.
Poetry is number one. Now, of course, you know about
a thoroughbred industry and the saddle red industry. We raise
a lot of grain in Kentucky, soy bean corn wat
a lot of a lot of products growing. So have
hogs and dairy in our state, and so it's a
(05:01):
very diversified agriculture. Probably the only California is more dorcified
because are larger than we are, of course, and have
a different seasons than we do, but we're pre diversified.
Stay with our agriculture. That's pretty exciting. Then that Ham
Breakfast isn't until a week later.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Right, Yes, the annual Ham Breakfast for the Ham is
sold for multi million dollars. As you've seen before, the
all goes of charity. That will be the second Thursday.
Tomorrow's the first Thursday of the fair. The second Thursday
is when we have the Ham Breakfast every year. I
was lucky enough to attend. I found it fascinating. Talk
to my buddy Alan Parnell from Prenell Sausages. He's just
(05:38):
he was my first guest on my show forty years
ago and he's still sound exactly the same.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Hey, let's go. So he's ready to come back on it.
You can claim key to his success then, I think.
So he got started, the Pernell's Empire didn't really blow
wide up until he became a guest on this radio show.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
What you Do.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You see a lot of great Kentucky characters from different
walks of life. You know, talented people, well known folks
in communities who are who all gather here and it's
just kind of fun to bring everybody together like that.
I remember Colonel Sanders being at the hand Breakfast in
nineteen seventy seven to see the colonel, I mean in
person and being there, so you have a lot of
(06:18):
people stopped by. I remember, well, I can tell you
too many stories, but I remember John Why when he
came to his first as governor and he wasn't sure
what the hand breakfast was. I tell him about in
his office. One day he shows up and he and
Larry Townson by the hand. Oh, those are two good
guys there.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And then there's opportunities for people to show off their skills.
You know, there's all kinds of little talent things that
you know, quilts and pies and other things that people
compete against each other. Right, what does all that start
immediately or is that move as we were moving along through.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
The state fair people already been interesting to watch the
people moving in and bringing their entries that they've worked.
Told mister Hall from Georgetown, Scott County has made ninety
some odded state fairs. He brought his pie this year. Again,
that's what a tradition to continue doing that. What kind
of pie is it? Con I believe, Oh yes, but
(07:18):
you know, people maintained that tradition. During COVID we had
a limited fair. There's a lady here in town that
I know that continue to have the tradition of her
children involved with making the products for the fair, and
she gave out her own ribbons to them in her
home since they come actually come to the fair. Those
kind of neat stories where people repay a lot of
attention to it. But that's one of the reasons I
(07:38):
like to see all the counties participate. I was a
young kid growing up in western Kentucky farm boy coming
into the safe Fair to compete, judging and all that
goes with that. I love seeing the livestock, the for
h and FFA kids there competing. It's educational, Yes, this
is all things Kentucky, and this is where Kentucky and
has come together. But it's one of the largest classrooms
in the Commonwealth. Young people and adults can learn something
(08:01):
at the state Fair. For example, this year, we're joining
all the other many the other states, including our nation's capital,
celebrating the two hundred and fifty years of our nations
and Kentucky's been a big part of the history of
this nation. So the Wilderness Road will have displays about
the role that Kentucky has played historically in building our nation.
(08:22):
So we've got that educational experience for people to come
in and see. As well. We have pride in the counties.
Where counties come in, they have a display. They highlight
their agriculture, they highlight their tourism, they highlight their industry
and those communities there in their displays. So all that
is important to people that have pride where they're from
and share information. I kind of like going through the
(08:43):
shopping area too, there in the south wing. You go
over there to that one side, and people have some
amazing things in those booths around there too. They do.
You'll be a yeah, there's lots of things for saying, well,
there's a lot of characters that are connected to those booths.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
You know, is fire eating swords or whatever it is.
I'm like, what, all right? You can get tickets on
the website Kystatefair dot org. You can just buy them there.
Does your ticket include parking or is that a separate
if you buy it online. I encourage that you buy
don't allow you to save money that expedite your process
through the gates. We have new gates and people can
(09:19):
come through the gates quicker. With that, you've already got
that transaction taking place, and so what do you do.
You're sticking your phone outter and it's QR code is really.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Scan and moving on through the gates, so move through
much faster. And also that allows you to plan your day.
As I said wile ago. One thing I want to
mention Texas Roadhouse sponsoring our concerts series at eight o'clock
every night on the property is free concerts. Quite a
lineup this time, and so that's something people would want
to participate in too. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah. I was looking at the lineup earlier and it's
it's pretty phenomenal. Some of the talents you have performing
at the Kentucky State Fair. And it's every night eight o'clock.
You say yes at eight pm? And then what what
area we talk about? That would be on the west
side of the property if you know where broad Being is,
oh over broad Bench, yes, west of Broadband between there
(10:09):
and Creton Lane. Tomorrow night is Sawyer Brown and he
gets Sister Sledge on Friday, Blue Oyster Colts on Saturday nights.
I need more Coyle bell We need have to come
out and say that Roots and Boots on Sunday, that's
the military Day. We the Kingdom on Monday. And then
the Happy Together, Happy Together Tour. That's the nineteen sixties
(10:31):
group Turtles, Jay and the Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Pucket
and Union Gap, the Vogues, Cowcills all in the same night.
That's pretty cool too. I enjoy the music and I
enjoy watching the people enjoy the music. Look at Grand
Funk Railroad rolling in here next Thursday. That's awesome. Frankie
Ballard is opening for him, Old Frankie Bellar. That's awesome.
You got a lot of great shows. And thanks to
(10:53):
Texas Roadhouse for that too. That company just keeps surgery.
They're a great corporate citizen, boy, they really are. That's
good people, and they're just growing. They're just they are,
by leaps and bounds. Number one leisure restaurant the nation,
I believe.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
The Kentucky State Fair opens tomorrow. Ten day run August
fourteenth through twenty four at the Kentucky Expo Center. That's
an eleven day run, isn't it eleven? I said that wrong?
Sorry about that. Full of Tails available at Kystatefair dot org.
Thank you, mister Beck, mister Myers, always good to see you,
my friend. If you need someone to fill in for
Freddy Farmber, oh yes yeah, just call me, text me
(11:27):
if the other guy gets laryngitis. We got you back
in a minute on news radio eight forty WHA s
All things Kentucky all in one place. That's not my slogan.
It should be, but they already took it at the
Kentucky State Fair as well. They should. It's perfect for
them starting tomorrow. David Beck is the CEO of Kentucky
Venues that is the Kentucky Expost Center and downtown's kick
Kentucky International Convention Center. Mister Beck, Happy State Fair Week,
(00:24):
Thank you, Good afternoon, Terry. You and your team work
on this all throughout the year. It's like Christmas, you know,
and parents are putting together things, and it's the night before,
and so I'm asking you, are we ready for Christmas?
We are, We're ready. We're already playing next year before
distance starts. That's how that works, doesn't it. I walked
(00:45):
the property last night. I left the probably about midnight
last night. I walked the floor, see exhibit, still things
to do today. I walk the parking lot, I look
at the exhibits. It's amazing how things come together, just
a matter of hours and a lot of work from
all Kentucky. A lot of people involved making this fair happen.
But you've got a heck of a team that has
to get all this set up and get this organized,
(01:07):
to get people in their proper places and make sure
that it's safe and accessible and all the other things,
and the air conditioning's working, all the other things that
come into play.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Here. It is and in a lot of states have
a state fair, maybe two or three of the events
on the property. The state Fair is one of many
our people have. So we have a very dedicated staff team.
We cannot do this without them. Somebody's moving in and
out every day with a show, and then we're doing
that while we're planning our own shows, the state Fair
being one of those. So it's a challenge for our people.
(01:39):
I appreciate their dedication. We encourage them to have balance
work and family and all that goes with that. So
it's a challenge. A lot of ours goes into this.
All right.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The footprint this year there is some construction going on.
So what's changed? What do you still have the same
amount of infrastructure in for the states we do.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We have the fact that this fair to be larger
than last year. Exhibitors, exhibits, displays, food, concessions, everything's going
to be larger than last year. Now we have lost
the parking in the back of Freedom Hall because of construction. However,
we have a lot of new parking on the front side.
We paved some areas going all the way down to
the field Slane. So I encourage people to go to
(02:19):
the app or go to the website, look at the
map fere where they want to go, go which gates
they want to come in, choose their entrants, choose where
they want to go first, and plan their parking accordingly.
So all the gates are open. There's not a construction
blockage of one of those areas to all the ends
on deck, all gates, I would say, we got to
get that worked out for the State Fair, that's for sure.
(02:39):
And then we have people representing all one hundred and
twenty counties. Yes, you know, we'll have probably close to
six hundred thousand people that will attend the eleven day
Kentucky State Fair. We're one of the largest in the state,
in the country, and we're the largest indoor fare in
the country. And with that though, I look at the
numbers from Kentucky counties every year, and for the fast
(02:59):
five years we've had attendees from each of Kentucky's one
and twenty counties, And to me, that's important. It's the
Kentucky State Fair. So we look for attendees and exhibitors
from each of our counties participating. Okay, what is the
opening ceremony Tomorrow? Tomorrow at at ten point fifteen, we'll
have speakers, we'll have our governor, we'll have our commissioner Agriculture,
(03:20):
we'll have our mayor, we'll have a representive of our board,
and we'll have the opening ceremony. And this year instead
of cutting in a ribbon, we got something else planned instead. Oh,
nice little teas there, little teaes are Yeah. And then.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Is there there there's a fancy breakfast or something around it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yes, we have at seven am of people start gathering
for a commodity breakfast on the south side. All the
different commodity groups come together. A lot of elected officials
will be there with their aprons owned, serving the food,
shaking hands and seeing people. That's a tradition.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Now have you ever had to go up to like
a governor or a senator or somebody and say you're
doing a great job, but actually the late is the
other end of that. Do you turn that around?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
That's classified.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
There are some people that they don't really work a
feed line like that often, but it is. It's an
important place to be seen.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
It is. It's a it's a great tradition. It is.
And I get to ask a lot what's my favorite
part of the fair? Quite frankly at the people. It
really is. It's like a homecoming. When you've been around
a long as I have in Kentucky, you get to
know a lot of people. A lot of people are
involved with this fair. It's just like home week. So
it's a reunion for many people. You're talking about commodities
(04:35):
here in Kentucky. We're still big in a whole lot
of areas. We are.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
The people don't realize, like, for instance, we're meat producers
here too, and people think, well, that's that's Kansas, right
largest b state east of Mississippi. Right here in Kentucky.
Poetry is number one. Now, of course, you know about
a thoroughbred industry and the saddle red industry. We raise
a lot of grain in Kentucky, soy bean corn wat
a lot of a lot of products growing. So have
hogs and dairy in our state, and so it's a
(05:01):
very diversified agriculture. Probably the only California is more dorcified
because are larger than we are, of course, and have
a different seasons than we do, but we're pre diversified.
Stay with our agriculture. That's pretty exciting. Then that Ham
Breakfast isn't until a week later.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Right, Yes, the annual Ham Breakfast for the Ham is
sold for multi million dollars. As you've seen before, the
all goes of charity. That will be the second Thursday.
Tomorrow's the first Thursday of the fair. The second Thursday
is when we have the Ham Breakfast every year. I
was lucky enough to attend. I found it fascinating. Talk
to my buddy Alan Parnell from Prenell Sausages. He's just
(05:38):
he was my first guest on my show forty years
ago and he's still sound exactly the same.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Hey, let's go. So he's ready to come back on it.
You can claim key to his success then, I think.
So he got started, the Pernell's Empire didn't really blow
wide up until he became a guest on this radio show.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
What you Do.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You see a lot of great Kentucky characters from different
walks of life. You know, talented people, well known folks
in communities who are who all gather here and it's
just kind of fun to bring everybody together like that.
I remember Colonel Sanders being at the hand Breakfast in
nineteen seventy seven to see the colonel, I mean in
person and being there, so you have a lot of
(06:18):
people stopped by. I remember, well, I can tell you
too many stories, but I remember John Why when he
came to his first as governor and he wasn't sure
what the hand breakfast was. I tell him about in
his office. One day he shows up and he and
Larry Townson by the hand. Oh, those are two good
guys there.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And then there's opportunities for people to show off their skills.
You know, there's all kinds of little talent things that
you know, quilts and pies and other things that people
compete against each other. Right, what does all that start
immediately or is that move as we were moving along through.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
The state fair people already been interesting to watch the
people moving in and bringing their entries that they've worked.
Told mister Hall from Georgetown, Scott County has made ninety
some odded state fairs. He brought his pie this year. Again,
that's what a tradition to continue doing that. What kind
of pie is it? Con I believe, Oh yes, but
(07:18):
you know, people maintained that tradition. During COVID we had
a limited fair. There's a lady here in town that
I know that continue to have the tradition of her
children involved with making the products for the fair, and
she gave out her own ribbons to them in her
home since they come actually come to the fair. Those
kind of neat stories where people repay a lot of
attention to it. But that's one of the reasons I
(07:38):
like to see all the counties participate. I was a
young kid growing up in western Kentucky farm boy coming
into the safe Fair to compete, judging and all that
goes with that. I love seeing the livestock, the for
h and FFA kids there competing. It's educational, Yes, this
is all things Kentucky, and this is where Kentucky and
has come together. But it's one of the largest classrooms
in the Commonwealth. Young people and adults can learn something
(08:01):
at the state Fair. For example, this year, we're joining
all the other many the other states, including our nation's capital,
celebrating the two hundred and fifty years of our nations
and Kentucky's been a big part of the history of
this nation. So the Wilderness Road will have displays about
the role that Kentucky has played historically in building our nation.
(08:22):
So we've got that educational experience for people to come
in and see. As well. We have pride in the counties.
Where counties come in, they have a display. They highlight
their agriculture, they highlight their tourism, they highlight their industry
and those communities there in their displays. So all that
is important to people that have pride where they're from
and share information. I kind of like going through the
(08:43):
shopping area too, there in the south wing. You go
over there to that one side, and people have some
amazing things in those booths around there too. They do.
You'll be a yeah, there's lots of things for saying, well,
there's a lot of characters that are connected to those booths.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
You know, is fire eating swords or whatever it is.
I'm like, what, all right? You can get tickets on
the website Kystatefair dot org. You can just buy them there.
Does your ticket include parking or is that a separate
if you buy it online. I encourage that you buy
don't allow you to save money that expedite your process
through the gates. We have new gates and people can
(09:19):
come through the gates quicker. With that, you've already got
that transaction taking place, and so what do you do.
You're sticking your phone outter and it's QR code is really.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Scan and moving on through the gates, so move through
much faster. And also that allows you to plan your day.
As I said wile ago. One thing I want to
mention Texas Roadhouse sponsoring our concerts series at eight o'clock
every night on the property is free concerts. Quite a
lineup this time, and so that's something people would want
to participate in too. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah. I was looking at the lineup earlier and it's
it's pretty phenomenal. Some of the talents you have performing
at the Kentucky State Fair. And it's every night eight o'clock.
You say yes at eight pm? And then what what
area we talk about? That would be on the west
side of the property if you know where broad Being is,
oh over broad Bench, yes, west of Broadband between there
(10:09):
and Creton Lane. Tomorrow night is Sawyer Brown and he
gets Sister Sledge on Friday, Blue Oyster Colts on Saturday nights.
I need more Coyle bell We need have to come
out and say that Roots and Boots on Sunday, that's
the military Day. We the Kingdom on Monday. And then
the Happy Together, Happy Together Tour. That's the nineteen sixties
(10:31):
group Turtles, Jay and the Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Pucket
and Union Gap, the Vogues, Cowcills all in the same night.
That's pretty cool too. I enjoy the music and I
enjoy watching the people enjoy the music. Look at Grand
Funk Railroad rolling in here next Thursday. That's awesome. Frankie
Ballard is opening for him, Old Frankie Bellar. That's awesome.
You got a lot of great shows. And thanks to
(10:53):
Texas Roadhouse for that too. That company just keeps surgery.
They're a great corporate citizen, boy, they really are. That's
good people, and they're just growing. They're just they are,
by leaps and bounds. Number one leisure restaurant the nation,
I believe.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
The Kentucky State Fair opens tomorrow. Ten day run August
fourteenth through twenty four at the Kentucky Expo Center. That's
an eleven day run, isn't it eleven? I said that wrong?
Sorry about that. Full of Tails available at Kystatefair dot org.
Thank you, mister Beck, mister Myers, always good to see you,
my friend. If you need someone to fill in for
Freddy Farmber, oh yes yeah, just call me, text me
(11:27):
if the other guy gets laryngitis. We got you back
in a minute on news radio eight forty WHA s
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