BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Bright lights, smells of cotton candy and popcorn fill the air in Edmonson County. For the first time since the pandemic, the Edmonson County Lions Club Fair is back in business. 

Although it took months to plan the fair, Donnie Turley, the fair board president, said it was well worth it to bring this beloved staple back into his community.

“We wanted to bring something large, and make a statement and this fair has done that in my opinion,” Turley said.

The task was difficult however, Turley banded with several others to make this bold decision happen.

“A group of three or four of us guys got together, and decided we were going to do everything we could to bring the carnival back,” Turley said. “We were gonna bring it back bigger and better [than] it’s ever been.”

The group worked tirelessly, soliciting carnival companies across the nation, eventually finding one in Florida, Paradise Amusements.

The company helped Turley bring in 17 different rides and a slew of carnival games.

The Edmonson County Fair is well-know to residents. Turley said, in the past, kids would take the day off from school to go to it, and parents would take off time from work. Since this is the first time it’s been back in three years, Turley wanted to come back with a bang.

“We’re really excited [about] what we brought back to this community,” Turley said. “We wanted to bring something back to the community, truly something that the kids can be proud of and parents can be reassured that these are safe rides,” he added.

Some rides include the Speed XL, a ride that spins fans in a circle up in the air and more traditional rides such as a Ferris wheel and slides.

The fair wouldn’t be complete without food and fair-goers will find food trucks serving up hamburgers, pretzels and pizzas.