Your last-minute guide to the Kentucky State Fair 2025: Times, concert lineup & more
The 2025 Kentucky State Fair returns Thursday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 24 to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, and will feature agricultural exhibits, rides, live music, food vendors and more.
The Texas Roadhouse Concert Series will be through Saturday, Aug. 23, and performances include Sawyer Brown, Sister Sledge Ft. Sledgendary, Blue Oyster Cult, Roots & Boots, We the Kingdom, the Happy Together Tour, Parmalee, Grand Funk Railroad and others. The concerts are included in fair admission.
Along with the concert series and live music tents, the fair will offer contests and exhibits in livestock, antiques, textiles, photography, fine art, hobbies, plants and flowers, dairy products and more. You can also cast your ballot for the 2025 “I Voted” Sticker Contest at the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office booth.
After 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day Friday through Sunday, attendees younger than 18 entering the fair must be accompanied by a chaperone 21 years or older. Proof of age is required, and IDs will be verified at the gate.
You can bring in purses, backpacks, strollers and water bottles, although coolers are prohibited. Service dogs are allowed in all areas of the fair, and pet dogs are allowed in most areas, except the horse show and concert series. Dogs must be leashed.
Here’s what to know before heading out to the Kentucky State Fair this year, including information about ticketing pricing and schedules.
How much do Kentucky State Fair tickets cost?
If you purchase your Kentucky State Fair ticket online in advance, it costs $12 and includes parking. Admission costs $10 at the gate but does not include parking, which also costs $10. Children 5 years old and younger get free admission.
Additional activities at the fair carry their own fees, such as the $30 per person “Thrill Ville” add-on, which includes unlimited access to more than 50 rides.
You may also need to purchase an $8 add-on ticket if you plan to attend the World’s Championship Horse Show, depending on when you go. Free performances are held at noon Sunday, Aug. 17, as well as 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18 to Wednesday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 22 to Saturday, Aug. 23. There are no free performances Aug. 21.
“Beerfest” will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 23, and you can get a $30 ticket online for the event that includes the price of fair admission and parking. The door price is $35.
When will specials be offered, and what’s the schedule?
The Kentucky State Fair will offer specials on the following days:
- Aug. 17 is Military Sunday. Active military, veterans and their families can attend the fair for free, with a limit of four free tickets. Military ID is required, and parking is not included. Wristbands for Thrill Ville are available for purchase on-site and are discounted by 20%.
- Aug. 18 will have a $5 admission price which includes parking. Livestock changeover will occur on the west side of the property, but Discovery Farm in Agland will be open and there will be free morning and evening performances of the horse show.
- Aug. 19 is Senior Day. Fairgoers who are 55 or older can enjoy free admission, although parking is not included.
- Aug. 20 is Sensory Awareness Day. People who have “sensory processing differences” can enjoy free admission and free Thrill Ville tickets, and Thrill Ville will operate with minimal lights and music from 10 a.m. to noon. Limited tickets were available for the event, and the fair website reports they have all been distributed.
Here are the fair’s hours:
- Aug. 14 and 15: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 3 to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 16: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 1 to 11 p.m.
- Aug. 17: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 1 to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 18: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., barns are closed for livestock changeover, inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 3 to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 19 and 20: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 3 to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 21 and 22: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 3 to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 23: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 1 to 11 p.m.
- Aug. 24: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barns are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., inside building hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thrill Ville is open 1 to 10 p.m.
The Kentucky State Fair website offers visitor guides and full schedules of events for each day of the fair.
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