A Day in the Life of Freddy Farm Bureau

You can recognize me by the classic garb of a farmer. Faded blue jeans, a denim shirt and my Kentucky Farm Bureau patch compliments the red handkerchief around my neck. Some people have hiding sposts, while I have a come-out-and-see-me spot on top of a haystack surrounded by a white-picket fence. I look out as the fairgoers come in droves, they’re eating their funnel cakes and taking in the shows and then they spot me!

Not only am I one of the most famous Kentucky State Fair guests, but I’m also the largest.

Freddy Farm Bureau’s the name and I’m one of the first attractions visitors see when entering the Fair, sitting right outside of Freedom Hall. Each passerby gets a big smile and a “How are you folks doing?” Nobody has been able to resist my charms since my first appearance in the 1950s.

The kids are excited about visiting me, even if they are a little shy at first.

“Have you seen my animals in the West Hall?”

I get a curious nod from the tiniest of toddlers and a hesitant wave from very timid little ones.

Some of the older kids are a little baffled at how I can talk without moving my forever-grinning mouth.

“Do you see us?”
“Yes, you have a green shirt on and your pal has a yellow shirt on.”
“How do you see us?”
“With my eyes, of course! How do you see me?”

They also like joking with me once they know that I can respond to their comments.

“You have big feet,” a small redheaded girl says.
“They are a size 31, and my socks are a size 38,” I tease back.

The kids all wave and say goodbye as they head off on their adventures around the Fair. Parents and grandparents alike bring their little ones in strollers to say hello to me. You can tell the adults want face-time with me just as much as the children.

I’ve been adding magic to the Kentucky State Fair for more than 50 years from my perch and it never gets tiresome.

Familiar faces return year after year and I’ve watched as young children have children of their own. The adults who stop by to see me seem to reminisce, while I know the inquisitive children who cock their heads in wonderment will return 10, 20, even 30 years from now just to catch a glimpse of me.

The fair just wouldn’t be the same without me, Freddy Farm Bureau, the timeless tradition.

“Have fun, and come back and see me next year!”