By Rick Howlett
Louisville, KY – The 106th Kentucky State Fair begins today in Louisville. Gates open at 7:00am daily through August 29th. Governor Steve Beshear and other officials will formally kick off the fair at a ceremony this afternoon. The fair typically draws about 600-thousand people during its ten-day run. This will be the first fair in about two decades that doesn't include the adjacent Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. It was shut down last winter amid bankruptcy proceedings with the Six Flags company, but is expected to re-open under new ownership next year. Fair board officials say the state fair midway is being expanded this year in response to the closing.