The Kentucky State Fair kicks off with dedicated fans arriving early

At the Kentucky State Fair, everywhere people look there is something to see: Farm animals, bales of tobacco, prize-winning baked goods and more sprawling across the fairgrounds.

The Kentucky State Fair is open daily through Aug. 25 .

The typical livestock shows featuring cows, goats and sheep are ongoing . The World Championship Horse Show starts Saturday and lasts for a week.

There are demonstrations and concerts and for the not-so-faint of heart, Thrill Ville –the fair’s carnival ride section. Meanwhile, others are competing for a blue ribbon for their homemade baked and crafted goods.

Thursday morning Chris Bischoff of Shepherdsville sat fenceside for Miller's Border Collies & Katahdins show. They watched as Alan Miller commanded a group of border collies using whistles and calls to herd a flock of ducks around a ring.

Bischoff said it’s the first stop for the fair every year.

“Just to see how they can move the animals around, the dogs, how they got the accuracy, how the man works with the dogs and whistles it’s the neatest thing I’ve ever seen,” Bischoff said.

Bischoff said he’s been coming to see the border collies for 20 years, but the performance never gets old.

Animals are a big hit for many early-day fair-goers.

Four-year-old Optimus Morris was a bit scared of the animals last year. But this year, he could hardly contain his excitement.

“I can see some cows over there,” Morris said. “I can see some lying down too.”

Optimus’ mom, Erika Morris, was born and raised in Louisville. She said bringing Optimus to the state fair is nostalgic.

“And we actually wanted to come early before all the big kids get out of school,” Erika said.

Beating the crowds was a running theme for many first-day, morning fair attendees. Charles Mitchell came over to Charlestown, Ind.

“We always come to look at the tomatoes and the vegetables and the cows and the pigs,” Mitchell said. “It’s kind of a tradition, I’ve been coming for 50 years now.”

Mitchell’s first stop is usually the tomatoes. He grows tomatoes himself.

“I wanna see what the blue ribbon is,” Mitchell said.

The next thing on Mitchell’s fair to-do list is grabbing a corndog.

“And if it don’t make us sick we keep on going,” Mitchell said. “Then just walk around, people watch, see everybody… kind of take in the whole ambiance of the fair,” Mitchell said.

He sees the fair as a place where people can come together to be carefree for a bit.

“Everybody wants to have a good time once in a while and not be serious and just relax,” Mitchell said. “It’s one place where there’s not any stress.”