Barbecue & Politics:
History of the Fancy Farm Picnic
Written by Justin Lamb
On the first Saturday of August, politicians from all over Kentucky descend on the small town of Fancy Farm in nearby Graves County for one of the region’s oldest traditions, the Fancy Farm Picnic. From what started out as a local church picnic in the 1870s soon became a premier political event which marks the unofficial beginning of the Fall campaign.
The picnic gained statewide recognition when A.B. “Happy” Chandler visited in 1931 during his successful run for Lieutenant Governor. Chandler made the picnic a regular stop on his future campaigns and soon other office seekers began making appearances as well. Vice President Alben Barkley, who was born in the nearby community of Wheel, made several speeches at Fancy Farm throughout his long political career. Two Marshall County natives have spoken at Fancy Farm as candidates, Richard Lewis in 1979 during his unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor and Brian Roy during his unsuccessful bid for Congress. The late Marshall County Judge/Executive Mike Miller emceed the picnic in 2011 and Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham who has strong ties to Marshall County emceed in 2014.
Left: Governor George Wallace at Fancy Farm picnic in 1975.
Right: Richard Lewis speaking at Fancy Farm in 1979.
Many national figures have visited the picnic throughout the years including former Vice President Al Gore and former U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. George Wallace, former governor of Alabama and three-time presidential candidate, spoke at the event in 1975, a few years after surviving an assassination attempt. During his speech, a photographer’s flash bulb exploded twice during the misty rain prompting Wallace to tell the crowd he was still ‘a little gun-shy.”
The uniqueness of Fancy Farm is best summed up in the words of picnic organizer Mark Wilson, “The large crowds and extensive media coverage make the rich tradition of the Fancy Farm Picnic a must-attend stop for the first Saturday in August for any aspiring politician or office-holder. While each picnic brings something unique, they all have three things in common: hot weather, hot barbecue and hot politics.”