The 144th Fancy Farm Picnic takes place this weekend, bringing people from across the region together to eat barbecue and hear (and jeer) politicians. The function is well-known as the kickoff to Kentucky politics' general election period and frequently features statewide elected officials. The picnic's political chair, Steven Elder, speaks with WKMS Morning Edition host Daniel Hurt about this year's picnic, including who is slated to speak, issues the picnic faces as political realignment has led to partisanship concerns, and the history of the event.
"[The Fancy Farm Picnic] dates all the way back to 1880," Elder begins. "It started out as a homecoming. St. Jerome and Fancy Farm is a small Catholic community, and they tend to have had large families in the past. More and more people started coming to the picnics, and then, I think in the 1920s and 30s, politicians would travel throughout the country or state, and they would stop at these picnics because that's where a lot of people were. It was the old traditional speaking where people would stand up on a flatbed or a tarp or something." (This was before the modern roofed platform, complete with ceiling fans, that attendees enjoy now.)
"It was an all-day event," Elder continues. "That was entertainment. You had somebody come and speak at lunch, and then somebody would come after lunch. Somebody would come early in the afternoon. Travelers came through town. People sat there and listened to speeches all day. I don't know if it's just the age of where we're at — three-second videos and TikTok — if we were to speak for an hour and a half, two hours, that's about all anybody could take." Today, there is a timekeeper, and the speeches are kept on a set schedule.
The Fancy Farm Picnic is also a charity event. "Ultimately, the reason we have the picnic is for that fundraising component, charity for St. Jerome. It's a great fundraising event because people from throughout the state come to the picnic and enjoy it," Elder says. "This is one of the few times there will be people at the picnic that I either haven't seen for years or the last time I saw them was at the last Fancy Farm. We use the money for the good works of St. Jerome and the parish.
This year's event begins with local elected officials and candidates on the Graves County ballot. Historically, only candidates or officials who represent the Fancy Farm community are allowed to speak at the event. District 1 State Senator Jason Howell will speak first, followed by outgoing State Representative Richard Heath, who was defeated in May in the Republican Primary by challenger and political newcomer Kimberly Holloway. She will follow Heath, marking her first speech at Fancy Farm. "I know she's excited to speak," Elder adds. "It'll be interesting to see what she has to say."
"Usually, our local representatives turn it over to the governor. However, the governor and the lieutenant governor have both declined to come, so Governor Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman are not coming this year. I didn't get a response as to the reason why Governor Beshear isn't coming. Lieutenant Governor Coleman said that she is attending a Horses and Hope event, an event that raises money for cancer survivors. So, certainly, a great cause for her to go to. Both our governor lieutenant and governor tend to not come in off-year election years."
Elder stresses the event is "obviously nonpartisan. I welcome both sides to come and enjoy. I think that's what makes sense, and what I always tell people is that it is a picnic and a fundraiser. Beyond that, it's just bringing people to western Kentucky. And it's that one moment leading up to the day that politicians, elected leaders, and officials can be within your local communities here in the area — and this year, that includes incumbent Republican Congressman James Comer and challenger Erin Marshall, a Democrat. Elder says this is the only competitive race where both speakers will be in attendance.
U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul might attend, although they typically don't tell organizers whether they plan to come until a few days prior to the event. Elder says he hopes they do, adding that McConnell has been an important Republican player for the picnic for a long time. "Senator McConnell really got it going for the Republicans back in 1984. It used to be a very heavily Democrat-attended event. There were very few Republicans back then, and now it seems like the opposite is true. Whenever McConnell first started coming, he would speak, and there would be a little piece of the bleachers that Republicans were sitting in. Now, it's probably the opposite where Republicans outnumber the Democrats."
Nevertheless, Elder says, "As one of the organizers, I think that it is not a good idea to write Fancy Farm off as a partisan event. It's a wonderful opportunity to try to gain support for your side or the other. We always hope that it's going to continue to be a bipartisan event." Moreover, some partisan attributes are merely coincidences on the ballot. One reason more Republicans tend to speak than Democrats is that Democrats have not filed to be on the ballot in Graves County for legislative elections or higher office, and traditionally, only candidates with constituencies in the county would be allowed to speak. This might change, however, due to political realignment and the necessity to make the event nonpartisan."
"We have guidelines and rules," Elder explains. "Our ultimate goal is to build a roster where people are excited to listen to the speakers. We abide by our guidelines. But at the same time, it's open to discussion and certainly open for any candidate to give a reason why they think they should be able to speak. It typically will follow what is on the precinct there in Fancy Farm. The issue comes into play when you have a sixth congressional district person who wants to speak just because there's media coverage."
"We want to put on a great picnic in a bipartisan manner," Elder continues. "Because candidates start their process so early now, if there are Republican or Democratic potential candidates that would like to speak, that may be something that we have to adjust to and allow someone to get their name kind of out there if they're thinking about running for some type of local or statewide office. However, there's going to have to be some type of electability standard polling or something to say: 'This is going to be a slate of the expected people that are going to run.'"
This year's Fancy Farm Picnic also features a third-party presidential candidate, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver. Elder says that anytime a national figure wants to speak at Fancy Farm, they are welcome to. He adds that Kentucky doesn't have many registered Libertarians, and he hopes they will attend to hear Oliver speak. Other national figures who have attended in years past include Al Gore, George Wallace, and Lloyd Bentsen.
There is also a school choice amendment on the ballot, and Elder invited speakers in support and opposition to the amendment. A "yes" vote supports amending the constitution to enable the General Assembly to provide state funding to students outside of public schools. A "no" vote opposes amending the constitution to enable the General Assembly to provide state funding to students outside of public schools.
"We have Representative Suzanne Miles, who is for the amendment and its lead sponsor," Elder tells Hurt. "Anytime we have any type of amendment like that, we want people to understand what they're voting for. But also, we never want to allow one side or the other just to have a microphone. I'm very happy that Representative Cherlynn Stevenson will be speaking against the amendment. She's a Democrat from Lexington. So, that will be a good contrast of sharing with the voters what they should or maybe shouldn't do."
All other officials speaking at Fancy Farm are speaking unopposed, including Attorney General Russell Coleman, Secretary of State Michael Adams, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, State Treasurer Martin Metcalf, Kentucky Judge of the Court of Appeals Lisa Payne Jones, and Judge of Court of Appeals candidate Jason Shea Fleming. Elder also adds that in light of recent events, including the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the picnic organizers are placing a high priority on safety.
"We did meet with the sheriff's department and with the Kentucky State Police. It's obviously top of mind," he says. "They will do a few things different this year. We will as well. I think there's going to be more visible security there. Everybody is certainly being watched, and we want everybody to be on their best behavior. We want it to be a fun event, and we intend that to happen. I think that the police are in full force of supporting the needs that we have to keep everybody safe and secure."
Elder says it is a great political speaking opportunity for a good cause, and he hopes people will come out and enjoy the barbecue, games, and cheer on their political representatives. The Fancy Farm Picnic takes place at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Fancy Farm, Kentucky, on Saturday, August 3rd. More information about the picnic and a schedule of the speakers can be found at the picnic’s website.
