festivals & events Barrels of fine Kentucky bourbon, kegs of locally brewed beer, a ginormous skillet sizzling up thousands of pieces of chicken. Festival-goers twinning with Colonel Sanders and Abraham Lincoln — on Main Street and on riverbanks, in historical downtowns and in the rural countryside. From one day to a full week. And so many fairs and festivals free. All ages, all welcome. Kentucky knows how to festival. Somernites Cruise , Somerset (April–October) : Headlined by the Saturday Show & Shine with muscle, custom and classic cars, these free-admission events in the Car Cruise Capital of Kentucky are all about fun, food, fellowship and fab cars. Old Mulkey Knap-In & Artifact Show , Tompkinsville: Bring a lawn chair and watch primitive-skill practitioners demonstrate their craft and artistry in making arrowheads, marbles, baskets and more. Bring your own artifacts to display. MAY BBQ & Barrels , Owensboro: Two tastes delicious on their own and even better together — bourbon and barbecue. Add live bluegrass for one over-the-top celebration of Kentucky traditions. The Great American Brass Band , Danville: Three days featuring legendary horn players and nonstop music, including wind bands, brass bands, jazz bands, mariachi and New Orleans-style brass bands. JUNE Beattyville Bourbon & Moonshine Festival , Beattyville: Bourbon and moonshine cocktail tastings, moonshiners’ country games, festival grub and live music. Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals , Bowling Green: Held at Beech Bend Raceway, this three-day festival revs with nostalgic drag racing, the Show ‘N Shine Car Show, Cacklefest (celebrating dragsters’ glory days), vendors, the Swap Meet and more. Laurel Cove Music Festival , Pineville: Live music performed in a shady mountain holler at the 1,400-seat Laurel Cove Amphitheater against a rock-cliff backdrop in Pine Mountain State Resort Park. Maysville Uncorked Wine and Art Festival , Maysville: A summer Salut! to regional wineries, with some beer and bourbon thrown in for fun, on brick-lined Market Street. NKY Pride Parade and Festival , Covington: “Y'all means all” at this celebra-tion of the LGBTQ+ community in MainStrasse Village, with local performers, 100-plus vendors and family-friendly activities. APRIL Tater Day , Benton: In celebration of the spud — a parade, carnival rides, a flea market, a classic car show, a demolition derby and fireworks. AQS Quilt Week , Paducah: It’s all about the quilt with workshops, lectures, special events and tours. Hillbilly Days , Pikeville: Live music, clogging and square dancing, a parade and carnival, the Hillbilly Car Show and Kin Calling Contest and even pickers garbed in wild hillbilly outfits. Mountain Mushroom Festival , Irvine: Free family fun includes live performances, morel-cooking demonstrations, pie throwing, a quilt show, the Grand Ole Parade and Agate, Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show. Bluegrass, Brew & BBQ Festival , Grand Rivers: A full-blown hootenanny with outstanding bluegrass bands, local breweries, a winery and a distillery, plus lots of barbecue. Kentucky Derby Festival , Louisville (April/May) : Hang onto your hats at Thunder Over Louisville, Great BalloonFest, Pegasus® Parade, WineFest, the Great Steamboat Race — and those are just a few of the highlights leading up to the big race. Sleeping in the Woods Festival , Monticello: Three days in celebration of songwriting at Lake Cumberland’s Hidden Ridge Camping. Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival , Eminence (Late May–July) : Eight weekends. Additional experiences held in September (Celtic Festival & Highland Games) and November (Fenrir Viking Festival). All events take place at the Kentucky Renaissance Fair. Railbird Festival , Lexington (May/June) : Two days, three stages, world-class artists like Lainey Wilson, Luke Grimes and Jelly Roll — all steeped in seriously curated bourbon experiences. Photos from top: St. James Court Art Show, Louisville; Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Bardstown 44 #TravelKY
The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2026: Page 44
