LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky State Fair hosted one of its largest turnouts, Saturday, which also marked one week since an incident sent crowds into chaos.
“It was kind of startling,” fairgoer Karen Weathers said. “But, then when we found out it was just noise-makers, I felt a little more secure.”
Weathers was with her granddaughter at the fair, Saturday, and said she planned on leaving before it got dark, in the wake of what happened.
In the preliminary investigation, KSP said a group of individuals caused panic with noise-making devices which caused fair-goers to believe shots had been fired.
“Lots of talk about a shooting. Then later to find out that's not what happened but it definitely, I would say, raises some concern of course,” Danielle Brooks, a patron, said.
The crowds who attended Saturday had a different experience.
“I feel like there were a lot of extra measures put in place and because of those, it does give you a sense of security,” Weathers said.
“Really, I knew that we would be taken care of, and really, I felt like I've always felt safe coming here,” Brooks said.
She said even more so now with the heightened security measures.
Ian Cox, the executive director of communications for Kentucky Venues, the group that helps run the fair, said they added several security cameras to the front of the park as both a visual deterrent and for surveillance.
“We put these things [in place] in response to that unfortunate incident,” Cox said. “We feel like we're set up to conclude a strong weekend of the fair.”
Event organizers also added a boost in lighting around the Midway area for when it gets dark out.
Starting at 6 p.m., there also had to be an adult over the age of 21 for every six minors in a group, building off previous protocols enacted in 2019 after a similar incident.
The policy-change had been coupled with ID checks for every fairgoer at the entrance gates before entering the fair.
RELATED: KSP: 6 minors among 9 arrested after 'noise-making devices' cause panic at Kentucky State Fair
“You can't just send a bunch of kids with one adult,” fairgoer Raven Stikes said. “As a teacher, I know that there’s no way to supervise a huge group of kids at once. It just doesn’t work.”
“It's usually the kids whose parents let them be here by [themselves],” another fairgoer, Velise McElroy said. “But when you have parents who know where they kids is at, then it's fine.”
Fair leaders could not directly say if these protocols could carry over into future fairs but said they’re happy with how effective they’ve proven to be.
WHAS11 News did ask Kentucky State Fair officials about the number arrests made, in total at this year’s fair as well as if they could detail any specific instances within this past week those added security measures may have been put to the test.
They did not have that information readily available.
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