The Kentucky State Fair has changed a lot over its 120 years, but some traditions have become a pretty big deal.
Since 1958, a familiar figure has welcomed — and towered over — fair-goers at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Sitting atop a stack of hay bales and surrounded by a picket fence in front of Freedom Hall — aka the front porch — Freddy Farm Bureau has become a state fair staple. The “Grand Old Man of the Fair” chats with fair fans, offering a welcoming “Hello” to passers-by and “Cheese” to camera flashes.
There have been three different iterations of Freddy over the years. The current Freddy is 18 ft tall and wears size 31 shoes —basketball Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal is 7-ft-1-inch tall and wears size 22 kicks.
So, LOU, if you head to the Kentucky State Fair and see Freddy, say hello — Freddy will probably say it back.
