LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The 2023 edition of the Bluegrass Fair has kicked off in Lexington.
The event will go for 11 nights at Masterson Station Park along Leestown Road. The Lions Club has put on the event since 1961.
"Something for the whole family, from babies all the way up to moms and dads and grandma and grandpa," said Lions Club member Mac Ferguson.
Ferguson said they expect nearly 100,000 people to come to the fair over the course of those 11 days. He said the money they make from the event goes to charities around Kentucky. Last year, he said, they were able to make a lot of donations.
"$200,000 that we gave back to the community, people like Bluegrass Council of the Blind, Visually Impaired Preschoolers, Hunger Initiative," Ferguson said.
He said they were keeping a close eye on air quality in the days leading up to opening day as smoke from Canadian wildfires lingered. By Thursday night, the air quality had improved to the "moderate" range. The sunset had an orange haze surrounding it, but no one complained of any respiratory issues.
As a Central Kentucky tradition gets underway, Ferguson hopes it continues for generations.
"We hear from grandmas and grandpas who say, 'I used to bring my kids here,' so we want that tradition to continue," he said.
The Bluegrass Fair runs from June 8 to 18. For more information, visit TheBluegrassFair.com
