Fancy Farm festivities carry on without key political figures, Democrats hold counter-event in Louisville

GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - The 141st Fancy Farm picnic took place in western Kentucky Saturday afternoon. The church fundraiser always attracts politicians from across the state with unique political speeches. But not all the usual suspects were in attendance this year.

“Let me begin by apologizing because for the first time in the history of the Fancy Farm, there are no democrats on the stage,” said U.S. Rep. James Comer Jr.

This year there will be no state-wide races on the ballot, so many politicians were not in attendance, like Governor Andy Beshear and Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Gov. Beshear instead attended a Farmers Market event in Frankfort, and Senators McConnell and Paul stayed in Washington to continue work on the infrastructure bill making its way through Congress.

Governor Beshear said he was worried the event could become a super-spreader event.

Democrats instead went to Louisville for a counter-event called “Fancy Vaxx,” which put the spotlight on the pandemic as opposed to politics.

“Louisville has less than 50% of people who have their full vaccinations,” said Virginia Woodward, chairwoman of the Louisville Democratic Party. “That is unacceptable. So, we pivoted within hours to doing this vaccination effort to get people out.”

Speeches were removed and a free vaccine clinic was the replacement. But Republicans weren’t pulling any punches for their opponents who spent the day promoting the jab.

″Andy Beshear couldn’t make it this year,” said Rep. Comer. “He decided to go to Louisville instead of beautiful west Kentucky. I really don’t blame him, Louisville is 20% of the population of Kentucky. Add Lexington, that’s another 10%, that makes 30%. And that’s about the percentage of voters he will get if he runs for reelection in 2023 - 30%.”

The Louisville Democratic Party made a donation to the St. Jerome church in Fancy Farm.