Banned From The Kentucky State Fair: The Spiteful Story Behind a Viral Sensation

The Kentucky State Fair is home to fried foods, country music concerts, multi-million dollar hams, and artisans’ creations from across the state. Inside the sprawling 520 acres in the heart of the city of Louisville, a controversy was created inside a tiny box. This is the story behind a spiteful, viral sensation.

The Bearded Miniaturist Pushes the Envelope

Preston Polling is a residential painter by trade. Like many others, during the COVID lockdowns, he was looking for something to stimulate his mind. He picked up a hobby creating miniatures, and quickly found out he was pretty good at the practice.

In the far corner of the South Wing, nestled between the quilts and fine art, the first display he entered into the Kentucky State Fair won a ribbon in 2021. The exhibits are typically themed dollhouses. Instead of creating Disney characters, he wanted to give men like him something that might pique their interest.

“Let’s face it, a lot of times our wives and girlfriends want to go look at those exhibits. As guys we sometimes don’t have a lot of interest in those things. I don’t want to wander around all day looking at quilts and macramé and crochet and all that other stuff. That’s just not my thing. It feels terrible,” he shared in a conversation with KSR.

“There’s gotta be other guys out there who aren’t really interested in miniatures, even though it’s something I’m really interested in. So I’m going to make something for them to see and say, “Oh my God, I can’t believe what I just saw.’ Maybe take a picture, send it to your friends, and maybe elevate their experience where otherwise they might be bored to death.”

The Bearded Miniaturist, Preston Polling, wins a ribbon at the Kentucky State Fair

A Spite Scene

His first attempt to push the envelope was what Polling described as The Stockholm Room. It was more adult-themed than other entries in the 2023 Kentucky State Fair, but “I was really careful to not put anything in it that would not be insanely inappropriate, but it was very suggestive. I was pushing the envelope a little bit, just to see what I could get away with.”

The miniature was accepted into the collection, but that was only temporary. He was volunteering at the Kentucky State Fair when he received a call, informing him that his entry needed to be removed.

“This person who’s on the fair board could’ve just said, ‘We can’t take this. You gotta take it down.’ Instead, they went behind my back and called the president of my club, told her to call me from Boston and say you gotta remove it,” he recalled.

“That was weak and that was lame. You should’ve just said something because we were literally standing shoulder to shoulder when I got the phone call. I just thought that was really lame.”

That’s when a thought entered his head, one not so different than when Larry David created Latte Larry’s right next to Mocha Joe’s in Curb Your Enthusiasm. “I got you next year.”

The Viral Casting Couch

Preston Polling’s Casting Couch won Third Prize at the 2024 Kentucky State Fair

The plan was ingenious in its simplicity. Polling designed a simple office space. There was a fine attention to detail in craftsmanship, albeit one packed with innuendo, referencing the infamous Casting Couch featured in adult films. “They would think it was a simple office, and they wouldn’t know until they knew,” Polling said.

His plan worked to perfection. The entry received a Third Place ribbon and was on display for a few days. He hoped a few guys might see it, take a picture, and send it to their friends. He had no idea what would happen next.

That Tik Tok video was viewed 1.3 million times. Once it caught the attention of the Kentucky State Fair Board, the display was removed. Fortunately, they did not cast it aside. Polling picked up his award-winning exhibit, then took it to the Whirling Tiger.

“They threw a big welcome home party for it, like it was released from prison. We had it in there on a pedestal, had a big party, and live music. We did a podcast on it. It was a really cool thing where hundreds of people showed up for it,” Polling said. “It was really quite awesome. I was surprised.”

Kentucky State Fair Bans The Bearded Miniaturist

Polling won round one. The Kentucky State Fair Board wasn’t going to let it happen again. He created two entries for the 2025 State Fair. One was a scene from Full Metal Jacket that was probably too graphic. That was going to be the Red Herring for another scene that poked fun at an adult-themed meme. Neither item was ever considered.

“They were prepared when I got there to turn me away without ever having seen any of them. They said that this year they had a new policy where professionals weren’t allowed to compete,” Polling said.

Polling operates a studio out of the Mellwood Arts Center. The Bearded Miniaturist Studio is a side hustle where he sells kits for other miniaturists and also creates full-sized dollhouses for customers. It’s just a side hustle, but the Kentucky State Fair Board used this studio to classify Polling as a professional and ban him from the event. It’s only adding more fuel to the feud.

“Everybody is having so much fun with this story, and the fair and fair board and the Louisville Miniature Club are looking like such Karens in this whole thing,” he said.

“I’m simultaneously the bad boy and the good guy at the same time. That’s a cool place to be. Anybody can get themselves kicked out for doing anything, but to try to maintain that public opinion on your side. These guys are a bunch of fuddy-duddies. You did something cool, and they’re idiots. That’s tricky. So there’s a certainly level of finesse so you don’t come off as an asshole. I’m trying to walk that line. It’s fun. It’s great. I love pointing out bullies and Karens. They just both happen to be working at the State Fair.”

The State Fair Story Creates a New Beer

You will not see any of his creations at the 2025 Kentucky State Fair, but you can celebrate this sensation on closing day. Awry Brewing in Louisville created an Irish Red called “Fair Warning.” The beverage will make its debut at the Barrett Avenue brewery on Sunday, where Polling will show off the miniatures the Kentucky State Fair didn’t want you to see.