Crowd listens to political speeches at Fancy Farm Picnic, Mayfield, Kentucky. |
Fancy Farm Picnic
For 120 consecutive years, picnickers and
politicians have been making their way to Fancy Farm for this
annual event, held the first Saturday of August at St. Jerome's
Parish in Mayfield. It grew out of a family reunion in the 1830s
held at Fancy Farm, 10 miles west of Mayfield, the county seat of
Graves County. For years the picnic was held down by the creek
where the water was clean and clear and the trees gave abundant
shade for a nice summer get-together. The men barbecued sheep and
the ladies brought the trimmings. Games were played, and everyone
had a great time. Gradually, the picnic evolved into an annual
homecoming. After a hiatus during the Civil War years, the picnic
resumed in 1880. Politicians began to attend the picnic early on,
since, at that time, elections were held one week later.
For years, political oratory was held under a massive
oak tree. When lightning struck the tree in 1974 and it died,
Kentucky Governor Louie Nunn quipped: "Too much fertilizer will
kill anything." Politicians who have attended over the years
include Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Kentucky Senators Wendell Ford
and Mitch McConnell, Governor "Happy" Chandler, Vice Presidents Al
Barkley and Al Gore. Over 18,000 pounds of pork and mutton are
served, along with some 1,400 pounds of chicken, hamburgers, hot
dogs, 400 pounds each of potato salad and cole slaw, and pies and
cakes homemade by ladies of the community. Fancy Farm is entirely a
community effort; there are no outside vendors at the picnic.
Senator Mitch McConnell hails the picnic as an event
when "those aspiring to office [made] their case directly (and I
mean directly) to the people." To McConnell, "Fancy Farm is, at
once, equal parts carnival, barbeque picnic, church social, and
political theater ... a grand Kentucky tradition."
Project documentation includes a three-page essay,
photographs, letters from state and national politicians, a
newspaper article, and several copies of the St. Jerome
newsletter.
Originally submitted by: Ed Whitfield, Representative (1st District).
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