Carnival rides, games, and food are just some of what the fair offers. (photo by Gage Wilson/Glasgow News 1)
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Barren County was one of the nine counties to receive a county fair grant from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Barren County will receive $100,000.
According to the press release, the department awarded approximately $749,051.80 in an effort to provide necessary funds for “infrastructure improvements for county fairgrounds.”
According to the release the money will be used for a speaker system, LED signs, a walk-in freezer and cooler, an ice machine and building construction.
William Myatt said the listed uses for the money was, in essence, their “wish list” with it being unlikely, at this time, that they could use the grant for the construction or the walk-in freezer but was, nevertheless, happy to receive the funds to improve the fair, which draws upwards of 9,000 people. Myatt is Fair Manager and the Temple Hill Lions Club Secretary.
Myatt said they are in the very early stages of deciding what improvement to allocate the grant money to and haven’t yet made a final decision.
The release further states “any incorporated fair board in Kentucky” was eligible to apply with the State Aid to Local Agricultural Fairs Program for grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 and that each grant would cover 75 percent of the total costs with the local board providing the other 25 percent.
Each grant recipient have to start 90 days from the date the project was awarded and must be completed within nine months.
Grants may be used for infrastructure or facility improvements, capital construction, or purchase of non-permanent tangible items such as bleachers or restaurant equipment, the release states.
“County fairs lie at the core of our agricultural communities,” Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell said. “I’m thrilled to announce a record-setting year for grant awards and to provide funding to nine local county fair boards for vital infrastructure improvements. These grants will allow county fair boards to enrich the fair experience for both their communities and agricultural partners.”
The other counties that receive funds were Anderson, Butler, Edmonson, Estill, Grayson, Fayette, Spencer and Union counties.
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