Fancy Farm, Kentucky

Fancy Farm is an unincorporated community in Graves County, Kentucky, United States, about ten miles west of the county seat, Mayfield on Kentucky Route 80, in the rural western portion of the state called the Jackson Purchase. Fancy Farm was settled by Roman Catholics starting in 1829, and is known for its strong Catholic community. The community grew around St. Jerome Church, built in 1836. The first post office opened in 1843. [cite web|title=Fancy Farm, Kentucky|url=http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/ky-fancy-farm.html|publisher=Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer|accessdate=2007-07-21] The colorful name was apparently chosen when the post office opened, by a man who was applying to be postmaster. [cite web|url=http://www.fancyfarm.net/history.html|title=The History of St. Jerome Perish|accessdate=2007-07-21]

The village is the site of the annual Fancy Farm Picnic, famous as a traditional political gathering attracting statewide and occasionally national candidates. The picnic began in 1880 as a purely local affair. It takes place mostly on the grounds of Fancy Farm Elementary School. Since 1956 it has been held on the first Saturday in August. It has come to represent the traditional starting point of the fall campaign season in Kentucky. [cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/NEWS01/707181145/1008/NEWS01|title=Bunning: Fancy Farm picnic 'out of control'|author=Schreiner, Bruce|publisher="The Courier-Journal"|date=2007-07-17]

The picnic was of purely local interest until A.B. "Happy" Chandler began making appearances, going for the first time in 1931 while running for Lieutenant Governor. [cite news|publisher=Courier-Journal|title=Lunsford, McConnell to match wits at Fancy Farm political picnic|author=Gerth, Joseph|date=2008-08-02|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080802/NEWS01/808020445/1008]

So many Kentucky politicians attend that it tends to only be news when a major politician decides not to make an appearance, such as senator Jim Bunning in 2007. National figures that have made speeches include George C. Wallace and Al Gore.Vice President (the Veep) Alben Barkley, known for his oratorical skills, spoke many times over the years before his death in 1956. He was born nearby in a little community called Wheel. [cite web|title=Local legacies: Fancy Farm Picnic|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/KY/200003048.html|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=2007-07-21]

In addition to the political appearances, the picnic offers traditional fair activities like bingo games and raffle prizes. [cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Kentucky|pages=308|editor=Kleber, John E.] Food includes barbecue, a Knights of Columbus fish fry and homemade baked goods.

The event was recognized in the 1985 Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Largest Picnic", for the consumption of 15,000 pounds of mutton, pork, and chicken at the 1982 picnic.cite web|url=http://www.kentuckyliving.com/article.asp?articleid=932&issueid=188|publisher=Kentucky Living|title=Mayfield: Pearl of the Purchase|accessdate=2007-07-21]

The picnic is profitable and proceeds are used to finance local improvements. No outside vendors participate, and about 12,000 to 15,000 people attend each year. [cite news|title=Big guns missing, but Fancy Farm will roll on|publisher="The Courier-Journal"|date=2006-08-03|author=Beardsley, Elizabeth]

References

External links

* [http://www.fancyfarm.net/ Official site]