Organizers with the St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic announced Tuesday that longtime Lexington sports broadcaster Dave “Buzz” Baker will emcee for the 146th edition of the far western Kentucky political gathering.
The Graves County event – which takes place annually on the first Saturday in August – traditionally brings together politicians from both sides of the aisle who either hold elected office at the state, federal or local level in the area or are running for office in the upcoming general election.
During the political speaking portion of the picnic – which serves as a fundraiser for a local church – Republicans and Democrats traditionally trade barbs at each other’s expense over barbeque. The emcee serves as the master of ceremonies, and typically is given a few minutes to speak to make some zingers of their own toward the politicians on the Fancy Farm stage.
Baker has been with Lexington television station WKYT since 1982, currently serving as a special projects coordinator and sportscaster. He’s held a few different positions at the station over the past four decades, including sports anchor, reporter and account executive. He is also a member of the Kentucky Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame.
For 37 years, Baker was also the host of the University of Kentucky Sports Network’s “Countdown to Tip-off” show, which broadcasts before UK men’s basketball games. Baker hosted his last show with the network in April.
Outside of broadcasting, Baker has also worked with the Malt Beverage Education Corporation to educate people on the dangers of underage drinking, and was recognized for that work by both the state House and Senate. Under former Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, Baker was part of a task force addressing laws related to sex offenders – which led to the passage of a 2006 bill that toughened penalties for sex crimes in Kentucky.
In a release, Fancy Farm Political Chairman Steven Elder said he expects Baker to bring “professionalism, energy, and a deep love for Kentucky to the stage.”
“There’s no one better to help guide the day at the greatest political event in the state,” Elder said.
In the past, Fancy Farm organizers rotated between Democratic, Republican and politically neutral emcees. However, this will be the fourth year in a row that the picnic will have an emcee with no official political party representation. The last Republican to emcee the political speaking event was Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne in 2022. Bob Babbage, a former Kentucky state auditor and secretary of state, was the last Democrat to be a Fancy Farm emcee back in 2021.
This year’s picnic will come amid a hotly contested race to see who will replace longtime Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell. The lineup of speakers in Fancy Farm this year has yet to be set, with invitations to Kentucky politicians typically sent in the weeks running up to the event.
The 146th St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic will take place on Aug. 1.
