9 people arrested after disruption at Kentucky State Fair

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Authorities say nine people have been arrested following an incident that caused people to run out of the Kentucky State Fair.

Around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, Kentucky State Police received an initial report of a disturbance in front of the Midway Area on the Kentucky State Fair grounds.

KSP stated the Kentucky State Fair Board then initiated a soft close of the fair out of an abundance of caution for event attendees. According to authorities, a group of people caused panic with noise-making devices that sounded like guns going off in the fair. At this time, KSP says investigators have not found any physical evidence that a weapon was fired, but the investigation remains ongoing.

KSP arrested eight individuals and the Kentucky Fair Board Police arrested one individual. Authorities stated three of the arrests were adults and six were minors, who now face charges of disorderly conduct, menacing, possession of stolen property and possession of a handgun.

Upon completion of the investigation, KSP stated it will issue final details.

In 2019, the Kentucky State Fair Board revised the attendance policy requiring fairgoers under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older after 6 p.m. EST. To enter, all adults must show an ID at the gate. They also increased lighting throughout the fair grounds and law enforcement presence during peak hours.

The Kentucky State Fair is now open under normal operations, according to KSP.