Plenty of Oohs, Ahhs and Wows at Kentucky State Fair
Our state fair IS a great state fair and provides ample reason to set your travel compass on Louisville for August 20-30. The Kentucky State Fair is a sensory celebration of concerts, food, competitions, horse and livestock shows and miles of exhibits at the largest indoor fair in the world. It’s 11 days of non-stop entertainment including king-sized names in the music world like Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson and a Heart/Journey double bill. Names like Peter Frampton, the Commodores, Pam and Mel Tillis and the Oak Ridge Boys round out part of the free musical line up.
There’s plenty of excitement for the entire family at one of Kentucky’s largest tourist draws. You won’t want to miss out on the thrills of the Thrillway--a two-for-one deal that packages the spectacular rides on the midway with those at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park. The World’s Championship Horse Show, held during the fair, is the world’s richest and most prestigious saddlebred show on the globe.
This year spirits compete at the fair’s commercial wine contest along with homebrew beers and homemade wine. Sure, Kentucky is all about bourbon but the market and fame for Kentucky wines is expanding. See which ones take the titles on August 15 among over 70 classes of wines. Then Kentucky’s signature libation takes to the stove as no Kentucky cooking contest would be complete without a bourbon category. Winners of the competition on Friday, Aug. 21 will be featured in an upcoming Evan Williams/Heaven Hill “Cooking with Bourbon” recipe booklet.
For more information on other exciting fair entertainment and events, visit www.kystatefair.org. Advance discount gate admission to the Kentucky State Fair is available at the checkout lanes of all Kroger stores in Kentucky and Southern Indiana until midnight on Wednesday, August 19.
For more visitor information for travel, lodging and restaurants, go to www.kentuckytourism.com 1-800-255-8747 or www.gotolouisville.com or call 1-888-Louisville (568-4784).
Visit Kentucky and See How Our Unbridled Abundance Grows and Grows
Your travel plans to Kentucky won’t be complete unless you include a sampling of locally prepared eats made with home grown goods. Add in an opportunity to “pick your own” fruits and veggies or watch them be assembled and produced into delicious Kentucky Proud products and you’ll be enjoying a full scale Agritourism experience! Kentucky’s Unbridled Abundance is present in every area of the state! Check out our e-guide online to get your travel plans rollin’ .
We offer you endless opportunities to get back to the land by visiting the many and varied destinations located here. Tempting tastes, aromas, the “angels share”, outdoor sites and sounds and interesting places to stay create unlimited temptation to meander through Kentucky countryside. Orchards, pumpkin patch mazes, dairy (ice cream!) and llama farms, wineries and distilleries are just a few of the many “green” attractions throughout the commonwealth. Set your sites on the Chipotle Chicks Pepper Farm of the Greenhouse in Gertrude. The Mennonite, Amish and Shaker communities have a presence here and all share their age-old reverence for the Bluegrass State by welcoming visitors.
Kentucky bourbon has a history and tradition as long and strong as the nation itself and it is truly Kentucky’s own. Bourbon has to be made with at least 51 percent corn and aged in new, white oak barrels and aged a minimum of two years to become “straight.” It’s absolutely a Kentucky homegrown product and process.
Eight distilleries now make up our Kentucky Bourbon Trail and nearly 5 million barrels of the libation are always aging along the rolling hills of the Bluegrass State. The U.S. Congress has designated bourbon as “America’s Official Native Spirit.”
The Bluegrass may be best known for bourbon and horses but there’s a growing wine industry here, and our vineyards and wineries possess distinct characters—well worth the visit! Nearly 35 wineries and vineyards have sprouted up all over Kentucky, which was home to the nation’s first commercial vineyard in 1798. Concerts, gift shops, dining and more have become an addition to the tasting experience. Our wineries are located in nearly every region of the state so add one or more to your travel plans today!
For more details about the trail, go to:
www.kybourbontrail.com
www.kyproud.com
www.kentuckywine.com
www.Kentuckytourism.com
Annual Kentucky State Fair Ugly Lamp Competition
One-of-a-Kind Lights to Light up Your Life
State fairs have a lot of competitions—jams and jellies, quilts, pies, art, cows—you name it, fairs have it. But only at the Kentucky State Fair will you find the Lynn’s Paradise Café Ugly Lamp Contest. Contest categories include “Made Ugly Lamps” and “Born Ugly Lamps.” This year a new category has been added to the line up and is sponsored by world renowned Actors Theatre of Louisville. The “Ugly Leg Lamp” contest is is sure to generate a whole new buzz and thoughts about the movie “A Christmas Story”.
Lamps are on display throughout the fair and winners will be announced on the Blue Ribbon State in the Kentucky Exposition Center South Wing B at 3 p.m. on August 22. Lynn’s restaurant, with a wacky décor of its own, will display the winners
So join in the fun and enter your lamp or be sure to take in all the entries when you visit the fair. You’ll be amazed, delighted and perplexed by the creativity that it will light up your life!
For more information about the contest, contact Patty Schnatter at Patty@lynnsparadisecafe.com or call her at 502-821-8888.