Fancy Farm 2008:
Pork, Pie and Politics
Every year since the early 1880s, St. Jerome Catholic Church in the small town of Fancy Farm, near Mayfield in Graves County, has hosted an annual community picnic. It was a local affair at first, where people gathered to eat Western Kentucky barbecue and enjoy some regional entertainment. But at some point, political candidates began to see the Fancy Farm Picnic as a good chance to meet, greet, and stump for votes. Soon a platform for speaking was added, and by the middle of the 20th century, Fancy Farm had become the unofficial kickoff event for the fall campaigns.
These days at Fancy Farm, picnic volunteers serve up tons of barbecue (pork and the regional favorite, mutton) while crowds gather at the speakers’ platform to cheer—or jeer—their chosen candidates. In this presidential and congressional election year, KET’s cameras were at the picnic site all weekend to bring you this uniquely American form of political theater both on the air and online:
- Ferrell Wellman hosted Comment on Kentucky live from Fancy Farm on Friday, August 1, previewing the fall election with a panel of journalists: Bill Bartleman of the Paducah Sun, Ronnie Ellis of CNHI, and Mark Hebert of WHAS-TV in Louisville. Watch Online
- In Fancy Farm 2008: Pork, Pie and Politics, Bill Goodman and Renee Shaw introduce excerpts from the speeches and give a little of the “flavor” that makes Fancy Farm unique. The program airs Wednesday, August 6 at 2:00/1:00 am CT on KET1. Watch Online
Webcast Video
On Saturday afternoon, August 2, KET presented a live webcast of the political speeches. You can watch it as it happened (approx. 1 hour 51 minutes), or choose a segment below. The speakers are listed in the order in which they spoke.
 Welcome |
 Beshear |
 Lunsford |
 McConnell |
 Bunning |
- Welcome: introduction by picnic chairman Mark Wilson; invocation by Fr. David Willett, pastor of St. Jerome, and Bishop John J. McRaith, Diocese of Owensboro; “My Old Kentucky Home” sung by Lacy Riddle, music director at St. Jerome; “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by Jacob Hein, choral director at Graves County High School; and notes on the ground rules by state Rep. Rocky Adkins (D-Sandy Hook), the master of ceremonies [24:08]
- Gov. Steve Beshear (D) [7:05]
- Bruce Lunsford, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate [8:12]
- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), who is running for reelection against Lunsford [5:52]
- U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R) [7:27]
 Ryan |
 Whitfield |
 Mongiardo |
 Grayson |
 Hollenbach |
- Heather Ryan, Democratic candidate for the 1st District U.S. House seat [6:56]
- U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-1st), who is running for reelection against Ryan [6:35]
- Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) [8:12]
- Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) [3:51]
- State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach (D) [2:59]
 Hubbard |
 Winters |
 Lawrence |
 Rudy |
 Nesler |
- Carroll Hubbard, Democratic candidate for the 1st District Kentucky Senate seat [7:30]
- State Sen. Ken Winters (R-1st), who is running for reelection against Hubbard [6:35]
- Mike Lawrence, Democratic candidate for the 1st District Kentucky House seat [4:49]
- State Rep. Steven Rudy (R), who is running for reelection against Lawrence [3:51]
- State Rep. Fred Nesler (D-2nd), who is unopposed in the fall election [4:25]
For more information on the picnic, see the Fancy Farm web site.