Kentucky State Fair Website Design

The Kentucky State Fair was established in 1816 and continues to be one of the regions largest yearly events.  From the concert calendar schedule to vendor registration and general attendance information, the new website serves the specific needs of each group of visitors, while continually expanding all the way up to the event.

The site underwent a complete top-to-bottom redesign.  From aesthetics to page flow to accessibility, the goal was to create a website which serves the needs of thousands of visitors who will visit our State Fair this year.  The site was conceived with a clear focus on combining the main elements of the Kentucky State Fair’s online presence with improved visual flow, curated content, community engagement, and an engaging user experience.  Importantly, the new site is fully-responsive and was conceptualized with a mobile-first approach.

The Kentucky State Fair was the first in a series of new sites extending the Kentucky Venues lucrative entertainment and venue model into nine high-engagement sites that are built on responsive frameworks. The site was conceived with a clear focus on combining the main elements of the Kentucky State Fair’s online presence with improved visual flow, curated content, community engagement, and an engaging user experience.

KY State Fair Blogs

Steve Clark, Lead Web Developer, noted the importance of responsive web design for mobile users. "We wanted a fresh start for the Kentucky State Fair website," said Clark. "Creating a modern, responsive site was important to our team; the goal was an easy-to-use site with a clean user experience.” On top of being mobile friendly and quick-loading, the Hatfield Media team looked to create a fun, upbeat vibe. Project Manager Christina Kuo knew that the site would receive visitors of all ages looking to learn more about the State Fair and how to compete and/or attend. “Large, bold text highlights the different pages of the site like a colorful map and the custom backgrounds give it the fun atmosphere that reflects the Fair's.”

The new Kentucky State Fair site offers visitors a window in to the excitement of walking through the midway or attending a show. The bright and bold color palette, sharp imagery, and clean design dreamed up by Graphic Designer Morgan Fletcher allows the key info to stand out.

“We wanted to make the site look fun and youthful and the use of the color really helped that.” said Fletcher. “I also wanted people to remember going to the fair as a kid and give it that nostalgia that so many people long for. Our main goal is for the website to be easy to navigate for vendors, exhibitors and fair-goers.”

The rebranding is part of a broader commitment Rittenberry made after he was first hired: to bring in more events and drive up the Kentucky State Fair Board’s revenue.

We’re proud of our team for all of the hard work that went into this bold new site, and are inspired and excited about what’s to come.