By Ellen R. Stapleton
The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE - Imagine pulling up at the Kentucky State Fair, ready for midway rides and deep-fried foods, in a horse-drawn carriage.

That's how the first fairgoers arrived - decked out in suits, dresses and hats - when the event debuted at the turn of the 20th century. Automobiles were some of the new gadgets displayed.

The fair's 100th birthday celebration began Thursday, featuring a trip into the past with a 22,000-square-foot, indoor exhibit showcasing memorabilia from the fair's history. The 11-day event runs through Aug. 29.

It's always been a blend of rural and urban culture, tradition and innovation, recreation and competition. That's made clear in the exhibit.

"No matter what age you look at, the food and the dress are different, but the people's motivation hasn't changed," said Joan Pate, a member of the Kentucky Historical Society, which provided several of the exhibit items.

An Arizona native, Pate said the Kentucky State Fair was one of her first stops after moving to Louisville to practice law in 1978. She said she went to find out what a tobacco plant looked like.

"Since I had never been here, I figured I better go to the state fair and learn what the state's all about," Pate said.

This year's visitors can learn about Kentucky and its history by touring the anniversary exhibit. They begin by walking through a replica of the archway entrance to the first permanent fairgrounds that opened in 1908, off Cecil Avenue in Louisville.

The exhibit features hundreds of black-and-white photographs: former Gov. Lawrence Wetherby winning a mule race, Kentucky native Rosemary Clooney singing at the 1959 fair, 13 barns smoldering from a fire after the 1939 fair, $2 million worth of tornado damage in 1974.

Stephanie Darst, the exhibit curator, compiled a 200-page hardcover book titled "One Hundred Kentucky There also are computer trivia games and a video produced by Kentucky Educational Television, which is making a two-hour documentary about the fair's history that will air in March.

KET is interviewing fairgoers about their memories for the project.