The Midway Renaissance named the event for Colonel John Francisco, the original owner of the property on which the city of Midway now stands. In 1835, Francisco sold his farm to the Lexington and Ohio Railroad. The L&O planned and built Midway, Kentucky’s first railroad town, so named because it is halfway between Lexington and Frankfort, the state capital. The festival premiered on the campus of Midway University, in 2004. After appearances at Equus Run winery from 2011-2013, the Festival returned to the campus and has now become an annual festival in May. In 2018, the fair received new logo and a new name, Francisco’s Farm Art Fair. The committee contracted local graphic designers, Sara and Lee Busick (15United) to design a new logo, website and marketing materials. In 2020, the fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In 2021, the fair temporarily moved to the streets of Historic Downtown Midway and decided to stay there for 2022.