Friday’s Trigg County Country Ham Festival Committee meeting brought with it a large palette of topics to address, as the 50th Anniversary celebration draws ever nearer for Cadiz and the community.
More than half of the session was spent brainstorming ideas, and eventual merchandising, of this year’s theme.
Details are soon to come, but a T-shirt design contest is “in the works” for a pair of 50th anniversary taglines that have been loosely agreed upon by the committee. Once all minds are clear, all will be revealed — and likely on a morning show broadcast of 106.5 FM WKDZ’s “Country Club.”
Furthermore, this isn’t the only public input being sought for this year’s celebration.
At the suggestion of Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism Director and Ham Fest Committee Chair Beth Sumner, a short online questionnaire will soon be available for local citizens and visitors to offer thoughts, suggestions, concerns and successes from the previous festivals, with hopes of eventually turning perceptions into reality.
In order to really launch efforts, Sumner said a floating budget is already on paper — thanks to some collaborative efforts with City of Cadiz employees Susan Hyde and Amber Syester.
This includes, but is not limited to:
+ $130,000 in revenues from sponsors, carnival rides, Kentucky Department of Agriculture grants, merchandising and souvenirs, booth rentals and flag sales — with flags getting a “major update” this fall;
+ And at least $77,000 in expenditures, not yet accounting for city payroll, but already supporting golf cart rentals, contracted services, awards, decorations, signage, entertainment, staging and hospitality, maintenance, souvenir procurement, public relations and other related charges.
Sumner also noted that the Trigg County Country Ham Festival did win the Edge Media Group’s 2025 “Best of Western Kentucky” festival category again, and as such, the committee has agreed to split the price with the city for a $1,275 “Winners Package” in advertising. It includes 35 15-second commercials on WKDZ, WHVO, WPKY, WEKT and WFMW, a single E-mail blast to 15,000-plus subscribers, one 600×200 Edge Media entertainment ad, and 10 days’ worth of LED imaging on four video boards located in Cadiz, Princeton and Hopkinsville.
Food vendor fees also continue to be a major talking point for the committee, and the group has agreed to create a list of options for Cadiz City Council consideration — which could include proposals for an increased flat rate.
Sumner has reported that “about $1,500” in restaurant tax reported from vendors last October, far below realized food revenues, while City of Cadiz Administrative Officer Jack Lingenfelter simply stated “it’s not being reported.”
Even now, Lingenfelter said the Ham Festival’s general booth rental rates come in “way lower” than the rest of Kentucky’s typical celebrations.
In other Ham Festival news:
+ WKDZ’s Joshua Claussen confirmed that “Rewind” has inked its contract, and will be the headlining act for Friday night. A Saturday night show remains in planning stages.
+ Lingenfelter once again confirmed that the long-loved Renaissance Stage will “all but certainly” be off limits, or completely demolished, by the time mid-October arrives. As such, arrangements need to be made for a smaller staging area somewhere on the grounds, so that smaller musical acts, the biscuit-eating contest, the hog-callin’ contest and other major moments have a home.
For the time being, some have suggested the return of tobacco wagons near the Trigg County Justice Center.
+ City of Cadiz and its council will review the second reading of the new Cadiz-Trigg County Country Ham Festival governing ordinance at 5 PM Tuesday, permanently setting all language in stone.
Then, Sumner said, March is where all the proper elections will take place.
Also at a suggestion, look for the committee to likely select some Trigg County High School students to play a role. Shelley Crawford, Trigg County 4-H Extension agent, said three such kids are already a part of the 4-H Council, and that such a trio could be a strong annual voice for the festival — which regularly involves young adults.
