Longtime WKYT broadcaster Dave Baker selected as 146th Fancy Farm picnic emcee
Veteran WKYT broadcaster Dave Baker will be this year Fancy Farm’s emcee, according to a Tuesday press release from Fancy Farm Political Chairman Steven Elder.
Baker has been a sports anchor, reporter and account executive with WKYT since 1982. He earned the Kentucky’s Golden Mic Award in 2022 from the Kentucky Broadcasters Association and was inducted into the KBA Hall of Fame.
Elder said in the press release that Baker “brings 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.
The 146th Annual St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic will be held on August 1 in Fancy Farm, Kentucky. While the barbecue picnic serves as fundraiser for the church, it is also known for its political speaking portion where politicians take the stage to trade jokes with their opponents.
The annual picnic began in 1881, but it wasn’t until A.B. ‘Happy’ Chandler ran for lieutenant governor in 1931 that the event was popularized statewide. At the time, primaries took place in August, and the event took place closer to an important election.
After that, Fancy Farm grew in political relevance and overall size.
Other notable past emcees include President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Ashli Watts, conservative commentator Scott Jennings and state House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect.
The lineup of political speakers for this year’s event has not yet been announced.
