As the leaves begin to turn and the temps begin to cool, towns in Kentucky roll out the welcome mat inviting all to celebrate the season change at a fall festival. These events offer entertainment, artisan creations and food. Plus, we love a good theme—apple festival, anyone? Here are some of the festivals taking place around the state this fall.
September
Breathitt County Honey Festival
Jackson
Sept. 4-7
They say nothing is sweeter than honey, so check out this festival celebrating the hard work of all those bees! All kinds of food will be available, and the weekend includes a parade, car show, quilt show and fun for the kids.
On Facebook: Breathitt County Honey Festival
Zach Sinclair
Kentucky Bourbon Festival
Bardstown
Sept. 10-13
Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, pays homage to America’s native spirit each year with a weekend full of talks, tastings and tantalizing cocktails.
Trail of Tears Pow Wow
Hopkinsville
Sept. 12-13
This event will celebrate Native American culture through dance, music, food, storytelling and traditional arts. The Pow Wow will take place on the site of the 1830s Cherokee encampment, which also is the burial site for two Cherokee chiefs.
Jessamine Fall Festival
Sept. 18-19
Nicholasville
Kicking off fall, festival goers will be treated to artists and vendors lining the streets, along with live music all day, food trucks and inflatables for the kids.
Cow Days
Sept. 18-19
Greensburg
The Greensburg Rotary Club has hosted the annual Cow Days celebration for decades. The family-friendly weekend will include live music, a car and tractor show, a 5K run and hundreds of booths for arts and crafts, antiques and agricultural displays.
Gaslight Festival
Jeffersontown
Sept. 18-20
J-town welcomes more than 200,000 visitors to its downtown festival each year. The weekend will feature vendor booths, live entertainment, a car show, a parade and a playground for the kids.
Morehead Arts & Eats Festival
Sept. 19
Morehead
Celebrating local talent and Appalachian pride, the city will welcome visitors downtown to enjoy live music while browsing booths filled with homegrown talent and the unique work of artists and artisans.
Marion County Country Ham Days
Sept. 25-27
Lebanon
This festival serves up more than 2,000 pounds of country ham each year and will include the Pokey Pig 5K Run/Walk; a car, truck and motorcycle show; a hot-air balloon glow; and the iconic Pigasus Parade. Visitors will enjoy carnival games, arts and crafts vendors, and live entertainment!
marioncountykychamber.com/ham-days
World Chicken Festival
Sept. 25-28
London
London has ties to both KFC and Lee’s Famous Recipe chicken. With a lineage like that, no other location is worthy of hosting the World Chicken Festival. It features music, carnival rides, craft vendors and the famous 700-pound skillet that will be used to fry up chicken dinners all weekend. Don’t miss the Colonel Harland Sanders Look-A-Like Contest.
Bowling Green International Festival
Sept. 26
Bowling Green
Circus Square Park is the site of this festival celebrating the beauty of diversity. The entire family can enjoy authentic music, dance and food, along with “edutainment” demonstrations to learn about other cultures.
Harvest Festival at Shaker Village
Sept. 26-27
Harrodsburg
Celebrate the harvest like the Shakers did by pressing apples for cider, enjoying a hayride, and spending time with farm animals. Visitors can shop the Harvest Market, enjoy treats from a variety of food trucks, and watch demonstrations such as sorghum processing. Live music rounds out the fun.
October
Paintsville Apple Festival
Oct. 1-3
Paintsville has celebrated the apple since 1963. Festival weekend will feature pageants, local crafts, live entertainment and a parade. Be sure to come hungry, because in addition to festival-style food, you’ll find vendors selling apple pies, apple jelly, caramel apples and more!
Millstone Festival
Oct. 3
Richmond
Main Street is the site of this annual festival that pays homage to Madison County’s long history in the milling industry. Enjoy live music, kids’ activities and craft vendors. While you are there, stroll through Millstone Park to see the collection of historic millstones on permanent display.
Mammoth Music and Arts Festival
Oct. 4
Newport
Several streets in the river city will be closed to allow festival-goers to enjoy live music from stages placed a few blocks apart. There will be an area for kids, craftspeople offering handmade arts and crafts, and an large array of local food, spirits and craft beer vendors.
Anderson County Burgoo Festival
Oct. 16-18
Lawrenceburg
Burgoo—the hearty meat-and-vegetable, slow-cooked stew that Kentuckians claim as our own—gets its own weekend in Lawrenceburg. Come for the food trucks, carnival rides for the kids, vendor booths filled with locally made treasures, and live music, but don’t leave without dining on a bowl (or two) of tasty burgoo.
November
Fenrir Viking Festival
Nov. 6-8
Eminence
Celebrating all things Viking, this festival will take place at the Renaissance Fairgrounds. Along with the live armored combat re-enactments and archery demonstrations, the festival offers live music, artisan booths and plenty of food options.
Bernheim Forest ColorFest
Nov. 7-8
Clermont
Bernheim Forest and Arboretum celebrates the magnificent changing leaves of autumn with its annual ColorFest. This family weekend will include pumpkin rolling and mud pie making, along with live music and hands-on nature activities.