Kentucky has a multitude of things to see and do. Some are world famous, such as the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup and Mammoth Cave. Others are not as well know but are just as fascinating and fun. Here are 20 Kentucky destinations and events to get you started.
Mural Artist: Yu Baba
Murals Paint the Picture
The beautiful pieces of art found on the sides of buildings and floodwalls around the state are there to tell a story, make a statement or pay homage. You can find vibrant murals on buildings in Louisville. One standout is the “chicken king” NuLu mural. Lexington sports murals with funky, colorful art, as well as some with historical subjects, such as one dedicated to legendary Thoroughbred racehorse Man o’ War.
Frankfort boasts some impressive murals as well, including native Kentucky flowers that adorn the side of the Capital Cellars building, a steam train mural on a bridge spanning the Kentucky River, and a patriotic painting on a VFW post.
Kentucky floodwalls provide a canvas for visual stories of our history. You can find them in Paducah, Catlettsburg, Covington and Maysville.
Cynthiana also shows its history with three murals: one with bourbon bottles that represent four distilleries that once existed in Cynthiana and Harrison County, one of former University of Kentucky basketball coach and hometown hero Joe B. Hall, and one depicting characters from the television show The Walking Dead, as series creator Robert Kirkman hails from the city.
Kentucky’s Other Drink
A favorite of Kentuckians, Ale-8-One, is a ginger- and citrus-infused soft drink produced in Winchester since the 1920s. Diehard fans enjoy tours at the factory, where they can learn the drink’s history and watch those familiar green bottles being filled. Tour reservations are required.
859.744.3484 // ale8one.com
Kentucky Derby Festival 2020
Starting with the Macy’s Presents the Spring Fashion Show on March 26 and culminating on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby Festival encompasses a wide array of events to meet the interests of all ages. Highlights include Thunder Over Louisville, the Pegasus Parade, the Kentucky Proud WineFest, and the Humana miniMarathon and Marathon. There are so many fabulous events to see and participate in, all in celebration of “the most exciting two minutes in sports”—the Kentucky Derby.
502.636.4400 // kdf.org
Halloween Parade, Thriller and Variety Show Oct. 28, 2018. Photo by Parry Barrows
Lexington’s Halloween Festival + Thriller Parade
What could be more fun than hundreds of zombies dancing—well, actually, lumbering—the way the dead do, down Main Street, recreating Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video? It certainly is a frightful sight, as people of all ages don creepy costumes and makeup and enjoy a scary good time. There also is a Halloween-themed variety show and spooky art market.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 4-8 p.m.
859.425.2255 // lexingtonky.gov/Halloween
Concerts in Every Direction
See, hear and feel the music in all corners of Kentucky this year as, once again, major acts are scheduled to perform throughout the Commonwealth. Check out the lineup for big music festivals like Owensboro’s ROMP Fest, June 24-27; Somerset’s Master Musicians, July 17-18; and Lexington’s Railbird Festival, Aug. 22-23.
Louisville plays host to several music festivals: Forecastle, July 17-19; Hometown Rising, Sept. 12-13; Louder Than Life, Sept. 18-20; and Bourbon and Beyond, Sept. 25-27.
Looking for some oom-pah-pah? How about the Great American Brass Band Festival, June 4-7, in Danville? And it has been 40 years since legendary British rockers The Who performed in the area, so don’t miss their show at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University on April 23.
It’s BIG!
If you haven’t seen Mammoth Cave for yourself, you need to head underground in 2020. With almost 400 miles of surveyed passages, it is the longest cave system in the world. But you don’t have to navigate it all: The National Park Service has various tours available to introduce visitors to the amazing stalagmites, equally fascinating stalactites, and an area called Frozen Niagara, even though the temperature inside the cave remains constant, in the mid-50s.
270.758.2180 // nps.gov/maca
Chuggin’ Through the Mountains
Combining the beauty of a Kentucky mountain landscape with the historic charm of a train, the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Stearns offers an enjoyable experience. The three-hour tour through the mountains and along a river includes a stop at the historical Barthell Coal Camp, which dates back to 1902.
1.800.462.5664 // bsfsry.com
photo courtesy of Tianyu Arts and Culture, Inc.
Wild Lights: Asian Lantern Festival at Louisville Zoo
Of course, the animals are the main attraction at the zoo, but what about when the grounds are lit up by 65 giant lantern displays made from 50,000 light bulbs surrounded by 60,000 feet of luxurious silk? Stroll along the 1.4-mile trail and take in all that beauty! There also are acrobats, jugglers, Chinese handcrafted merchandise, food and traditional Sichuan opera.
March 5-April 25
502.459.2181 // wildlightslouisville.com
“Federation Gertie” by Hollis Chatelain, Deeds Not Words: Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage
Patchwork of Quilts
At the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, you will view exquisite works of art—but instead of canvas and paint, these are all made with needle and thread. As with other works of art, different pieces speak to the viewer in different ways, so it is a perfect destination for all ages and interests.
270.442.8856 // quiltmuseum.org
Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park
As winter approaches, the Kentucky Horse Park gets dressed up for the holiday season, creating a 3-mile driving tour that meanders past stunning light displays that are choreographed to seasonal music. After the drive, park and enjoy the Holiday Market, where you can see model trains, visit a petting zoo, and have a chat with Santa.
859.233.4303 // khpfoundation.org
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Sprawling over more than 3,000 acres of rich Kentucky farmland near Harrodsburg is the former home of the community of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearance, who lived there from 1805-1910. The religious congregation, known for its dancing and quivering during church services, became commonly known as the Shakers.
Today, visitors can enjoy touring original buildings that have been painstakingly restored. Not to be missed is the surrounding area made up of rolling hills, breathtaking Kentucky River Palisades and ecosystems that can be enjoyed over 12 trails spanning 36 miles—perfect for hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking.
859.734-5411 // shakervillageky.org
John S HockensmithFine Art Editi
Gorgeous Gorge
Kentucky never fails to delight in showing off the amazing colors of autumn. Although you can catch the brilliance of the changing leaves all around the state, the Red River Gorge in Wolfe County, located within the Daniel Boone National Forest, is a fabulous vantage point.
606.663.8100 // redrivergorge.com
John Stephen Hockensmith
Triple Crown Winners at Ashford Stud
It’s not every day you can hobnob with a Triple Crown winner. But at Ashford Stud in Versailles, you can meet American Pharoah, the 2015 winner of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes as well as the victor of that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Justify, winner of the 2018 Triple Crown. Although you can’t just show up unannounced, it is easy to book a tour on the Horse Country website.
Your visit will introduce you to the exquisite grounds and allow you to tour the working farm, and meet the regal and photogenic Pharoah or the flashy chestnut Justify—possibly both! But the stallions sometimes travel during the first six months of the year to visit the “ladies” (mares to which they are bred), so be sure to ask if they will be at the farm when you book your tour.
859.963.1004 // visithorsecountry.com
Amy Crowder Photography
The Yellowest of Yellow
Stroll through 20 acres of glorious sunflowers at Kalon’s Korner in Nicholasville. During Sunfest, the farm’s name for the peak season that runs mid-July to mid-August, visitors are invited to wander up and down rows of giant, sunny flowers in a picture-perfect setting. Follow Kalon’s Korner on Facebook to find out when these beauties are blooming.
859.885.4522 // facebook.com/Kalonfarms
Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispat
Sholten Singer/The Herald-DispatchFireworks are set off during the unveiling of Venus, Genesis and Vulcan, a sculpture installation by artist Gines Serran-Pagan, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, at Port of Ashland.
The Statues of Ashland
The Port of Ashland kicked off 2020 with the unveiling of Venus, Vulcan and Genesis, three beautiful, massive statues designed and sculpted by world-renowned Spanish artist Ginés Serrán-Pagán. Contributed by an anonymous donor, the trio is considered to be the largest group of bronze sculptures placed on a single site in the United States.
606.329.1007 // visitashlandky.com
Greg Eans
Simply Dazzling
If ever there was a sight to behold, it is hundreds of flowers blooming in unison. At the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden’s Dazzling Daylilies Festival, June 20-27, that is what you’ll see. The 14-acre plot has beautiful, themed gardens year-round, but every June, the garden’s giant collection of daylilies bloom, presenting a colorful wonderland.
270.993.1234 // wkbg.org
John Stephen Hockensmith
Breeders’ Cup 2020
The two-day, year-end championship for North American Thoroughbred racing, known as the Breeders’ Cup, got its start back in 1984. This annual racing weekend has been hosted by Churchill Downs in Louisville nine times and once by Lexington’s Keeneland Race Course in 2015. This year’s racing extravaganza will make its way back to Lexington. Check out the fashions, spot a celeb, and participate in this one-of-a-kind racing event at Keeneland, Nov. 6-7.
859.254.3412 // breederscup.com // keeneland.com
LauraDin Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Yawning lionfish
Shipwreck Realm of the Eels at Newport Aquarium
Ahoy, mateys! The Newport Aquarium has created a sunken pirate vessel, where you can learn about the animals that moved in after the pirates jumped ship. Eels, colorful fish, lobsters and even abandoned treasures are there for you to explore without ever getting wet. The exhibit opens this spring.
1.800.406.3474 // newportaquarium.com
Garden with a Skyline View
The newest attraction to the Louisville riverfront is the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, which opened last fall. The 23-acre urban oasis sits atop what used to be known as the Ohio Street Dump. Yes, in a real-life rags-to-riches story, the former putrid landfill has been transformed into a glorious garden with paved walking trails meandering through flower gardens.
Also on site is the Graeser Family Education Center, which offers lectures, classes and workshops covering topics such as gardening, horticulture, art and history. The garden has been in the works for decades, with new areas and attractions rolling out in stages. Stay tuned for each new, beautiful phase.
502.276.5404 // waterfrontgardens.org
Moonbow?
A moonbow, sometimes referred to as a lunar rainbow or white rainbow, is produced by the light of the moon as opposed to direct sunlight. At Cumberland Falls, for a few hours each cloudless evening of a full moon, if the conditions are right, you just might see a beautiful moonbow.
This is the only place in the Western Hemisphere where you can see a moonbow, so it’s certainly worth a try. Visit the website for full-moon dates, and, don’t forget, Cumberland Falls is amazing in the daytime, too.
606.528.4121 // parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/cumberland-falls