Carter Caves State Resort Park is celebrating the 40th anniversary of a musical tradition with the,  Sept. 8-11, 2010.

The festival that began as a family reunion honors old-time music and eastern Kentucky traditions as well as master fiddler J.P. Fraley. He’ll be performing with professional and beginning musicians on stage, jamming in parking lots and sharing music around the campfires of Carter Caves. Musical instruments such as dulcimer, fiddle and guitar are used to tell stories about life long ago along the foothills of eastern Kentucky.

On Wednesday evening there will be a free “Jamming in the Round” get together in the campground starting at 8 p.m.  On Thursday starting at 7 p.m., enjoy an open stage concert in the park’s amphitheater.

On Friday afternoon at 1 p.m., the amphitheater will come to life with an open stage, a banjo gatherin’ and a dulcimer gatherin’.  Friday’s activities will be capped with an evening concert in the amphitheater at 7 p.m.

Starting Saturday morning, the amphitheater will resound with sessions devoted to ballads, storytelling, and Carter Family songs, and conclude with a fiddle gatherin’ and guitar gatherin’.  Saturday night’s concert in the amphitheater begins at 7 p.m

Paid admission is required for concert and jam sessions Friday afternoon through Saturday night. Fees range from $4 to $10. A festival pass for all programs costs just $25 per person.

For more information, including a list of invited musicians, contact Coy Ainsley at 606-286-4411 x2543 or email festival organizer Barb Kuhns at  bkuhnsfiddle@yahoo.com. Visit the festival web site at www.fraleyfestival.com The schedule of events can be found at: http://www.parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/cc/naturalist/

Carter Caves State Resort Park features a lodge, vacation cottages, RV campsites and primitive campsites. The lodge restaurant offers a variety of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. There’s also hiking, golf, mini-golf, fishing, horseback riding and swimming. The park is located in northeastern Kentucky, 4 miles off of I-64 between Grayson and Olive Hill (exit 161).

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Owensboro, Kentucky is gearing up for one of its favorite festivals.   The 2010 Big O Music Fest will be held on Friday August 13th and Saturday August 14th.  Check out the 2010 Artist Lineup page on the Big O Music Festival’s website – complete with pics and bios.

Friday’s Lineup:

• Randy Houser
• Mark Wills
• Josh Gracin
• Mountain Heart

Saturday’s Lineup:

• Gary Allan
• Jamey Johnson
• Phil Vassar
• Colt Ford
• Brian Davis
• Jaclyn Graves

NEW: Camping Offered for 2010!

Space is limited, so get your request in early to reserve your tent camping spot.  You can come out and camp Friday night, or Saturday night after the show.  Or, you can stay and camp both nights.  Click Here for more information and camping rules or Click Here to reserve your Tent or RV camp site now!

The Big O Music Fest Will Be Held At:

Reid’s Orchard (Directions)
4812 State Route 144
Owensboro, KY 42303

Owensboro Lodging:

Hampton Inn – Owensboro
Comfort Suites – Owensboro
Fairfield Inn-Owensboro
Days Inn – Owensboro
Ramada Inn – Owensboro
Holiday Inn Express – Owensboro
Super 8 Motel – Owensboro
Motel 6  – Owensboro

Henderson Lodging:

Holiday Inn Express Henderson Hotel
Sleep Inn Henderson
Comfort Inn Henderson
Ramada Henderson
Ramada Inn Henderson
Super 8 Henderson / Evansville In Area

Bowling Green Lodging:

Holiday Inn University Plaza-Bowling Green Hotel
Courtyard Bowling Green Convention Center
Red Roof Inn Discount Hotel
Days Inn Hotels: Bowling Green
Days Inn Hotels: Bowling Green
Sleep Inn Bowling Green
Ramada Bowling Green-Scottsville Rd
Drury Inn – Bowling Green

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Pine Mountain State Resort Park is offering a great weekend opportunity for anyone interested in fall colors and wildlife viewing with its Hawktoberfest Oct. 1-3.

The weekend is co-sponsored by Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Guests can immerse themselves in the changing array of fall foliage and watchable wildlife during the peak of autumn raptor migration. The weekend features a wide variety of family activities, programs and presentations offered concurrently at both Pine Mountain State Resort Park and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, just 10 miles south of Pine Mountain. Participation in all activities and programs at both parks is free.

Offerings will include observation techniques, raptor identification, morning birding walks, live birds of prey shows, a guided hawk watch from atop lofty Pinnacle Overlook, children’s activities and much more.  Don’t miss this opportunity for fall fun in the mountains!

Pine Mountain State Resort Park encompasses more than 1,500 acres with more than half dedicated as a state nature preserve.  The park features scenic landscapes, old growth forest and generous wildlife viewing opportunities.  Enjoy a panoramic mountain view while dining in the First Frontier Restaurant.  Lodging is also available in the Herndon J. Evans Lodge, contemporary cottages or rustic log cabins.  Pine Mountain was established as the state’s first state park in 1924 and is regarded as one of Kentucky’s last great natural places.

Pine Mountain State Resort is located one mile south of Pineville, Ky. on US 25E and 10 miles north of Middlesboro, Ky.  From I-75 South or North, take exit 29 at Corbin onto US 25E. 25E is a four-lane road to Pineville.

For more information or to make reservations, call 1-800-325-1712.

Click HERE for the Hawktoberfest agenda (pdf).  For more information about Pine Mountain State Resort Park (as well as Kentucky’s other outstanding stat parks), see the Pine Mountain State Resort Page section on Kentucky State Parks’ website.

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The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky

Kentuckians have so much fun with Halloween – no one seems to celebrate the fun of autumn quite like we do.

Below is a news release from Kentucky’s Department of Tourism all about a ghostly tour that’ll have you shaking in your sneakers.

Fall, the best time of year for stories of ghosts and other haunting, is upon us. From now through early November, take a trip to where your spine gets tingled by tales of paranormal activity throughout Kentucky.

A new ghostly tour gets underway this weekend in Newport, where accounts of the city’s racy and mobster past come together to raise your fright quotient. The new “Ghosts and Gangsters Tour,” developed by the group that started the Newport Gangster Tours last spring, is an hour-long exploration of haunted sites in downtown Newport. The tour, which costs $20 per person, starts and ends at The Syndicate night club, whose violent past as a casino and speakeasy during Prohibition has led to tales of haunting by the spirits of slain gangsters. For more information, visit www.newportishaunted.com. The Syndicate night club is nothing like when you play casino online. We recommend you experience the real deal.

Uncanny sights and sounds are the subject of a jaunt through the historic Old Louisville neighborhood, where several of the impressive Victorian mansions are said to be haunted. The 90-minute tours, based on author David Domine’s books on the neighborhood’s ghostly history, depart Fridays from the Old Louisville Visitors Center at 7:30 p.m. and cost $25 per person. For reservations, call 502-637-2922 or visit www.ghostsofoldlouisville.com.

The otherworldly residents of Bardstown are the subject of the Bardstown Ghost Trek Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. The $15 tours, led by paranormal expert Patti Starr, start outside the Old Stable Restaurant.  For more information, go to www.ghosthunter.com/ghosttrek2.htm. Starr is also organizing a Ghost Hunting Getaway Weekend Nov. 6-8, 2009. Call 859-576-5517 for info and reservations.

Experience the Haunted Frontier at Old Fort Harrod State Park, where you will be guided  through the graveyard, hear a ghost story and then navigate a large maze, where spirits of long-ago residents of the fort in Harrodsburg may still linger. The volunteer-led tour of the fort’s otherworldly side is $5 per person. For more information, call 859-734-3314 or visit the park’s web site at www.parks.ky.gov.

One of the reputedly most haunted sites in Kentucky is the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville. Although the former tuberculosis hospital closed in 1980, the spirit world remains rampant. The Waverly Hills Historical Society hosts a haunted house every Friday and Saturday in October from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. To learn more, visit www.ghosteyes.com/waverly-hills-sanatorium.

Get in touch with the spirits at Camp Nelson, a Civil War training facility just south of Lexington, with the help of a mother-daughter ghost-hunting team from Nicholasville, Jessi and Starr Chaney. Friday and Saturday tours for $15 per person provide hands-on experience on how to use ghost-hunting equipment and communicate with spirits from the other side. For more info, go to www.ghosthunter.com.

Wide-ranging information about ghost tales and legends throughout Kentucky can be found at www.prairieghosts.com/hauntky.html.

For more information on the Kentucky Department of Travel, visit their Web site at www.kentuckytourism.com.

*** To Read more about The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, click the link.  I dare you.

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Great food and Bluegrass music? Come on, does it get any better?!

Kings Highway and Men of the Week will be performing in Owensboro on October 24th. Each of these bands is currently playing at the Jerusalem Bluegrass Celebration in Rosine.

Kings highway (pictured above) is a band from Henderson Ky, Men of the week (pictured below) hails from the home of the next World Series champions (from my lips to God’s ears, hopefully!) St. Louis Cardinals, St Louis Missouri. (www.myspace.com/menoftheweek)

Both bands are closely followed in the Kentuckiana area, playing festivals in Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro, Louisville as well as performances in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri , Ky, Georgia ,Florida and Tennessee. Men of the week are currently performing at IBMA music showcase in Nashville, Tennessee.

These bands will start performing at 5pm Saturday Oct 24th outdoors at Reds Fish House in Owensboro, Kentucky.

From an e-mail sent to me by Reds Fish House: This is the second performance Kings Highway has done at Reds Fish House, By request from all our friends that enjoyed the first performance Reds Fish House will have this as an annual event for the Owensboro community

Reds will be serving dinner, our own fried fish meals as well as a louisiann crawfish boil ,during the performances, making this a fun night of entertainment and dinner for the Owensboro community. Admittance for both shows and dinner will be $25.00

This event will be an outdoor event seating is not available so attendees will want to bring their lawn chairs. Space is limited reservations are highly suggested in advance, Reservations can be made thru our comment page on Reds fish house web page, www.redsfishhouse.com

Reds Fish House is located at 7056 Highway 56.  For directions, see the website.

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Music Born in Kentucky is Center Stage this Fall

There’s a profusion of bluegrass music festivals throughout the state of Kentucky this autumn. Seems appropriate, since this is its birthplace, after all.   Make it a point to get out and enjoy the music we should all be proud of.  Choose from the events highlighted below, courtesy of  http://www.kytourism.com/

The sixth annual Franklin Music Festival will be held the following weekend near I-65 close to the Tennessee border. Set for Sept. 11-12, the Franklin fest will feature the Lonesome River Band, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and many more outstanding performers. For info, check www.franklinkymusicfestival.com.

Bluegrass faithful will be making an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem Ridge at Rosine, Ky. near Owensboro the first weekend in October. From Oct. 1-4, the home place of the “Father of Bluegrass,” Bill Monroe, will resound with music by some of the genre’s leading artists. Visitors can tour the Monroe family’s carefully restored 1918 home filled with mementoes from Monroe’s illustrious 70-year music career. More information about campgrounds and other accommodations nearby can be found at www.jerusalemridgefestival.org.

Combine attendance at Jerusalem Ridge with a visit to the nearby International Bluegrass Music Museum (www.bluegrass-museum.org), a fascinating institution in Owensboro devoted to preserving all things bluegrass. The IBMM is also home to the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame, recognizing noteworthy individuals for outstanding contributions to bluegrass music. New members are inducted each year.

The IBMM hosts its own annual mega-festival, the River of Music Party (ROMP), each June in Owensboro. This festival includes stellar bands from North America, Europe and the Far East, the Bluegrass Masters Film Festival, instrument workshops, juried arts and crafts, clogging and camping. For more info, visit www.www.bluegrass-museum.org/riverofmusic.

Many other smaller festivals provide opportunities to experience bluegrass music outdoors while enjoying Kentucky’s beautiful scenery. For more info, consult the Kentucky Department of Travel’s web site, www.kytourism.com, and click on “Festivals and Events.”

Be sure to check out Owensboro’s Bluegrass Musuem’s Web Site.  Lots of fun!

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This Saturday is Marina Day in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Click HERE to learn more about the festivities.

The video above includes footage from last year’s Marina Day. Don’t miss the fun this year!

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Owensboro, Kentucky (I just call it home) is gearing up for a special guest who’s coming to pay us a visit on August 1. Jason Aldean (Hicktown, Johnny Cash, She’s Country, Big Green Tractor…) is headlining Big O Music Fest and this part of the state couldn’t be more excited.

Jason Aldean has, as they say, hit it big with his unique blend of country rock. He’s winning new fans to country music and giving old fans even more of a reason to dance. He’s having a lot of success on CMT with his videos as well as on the radio with his music. I guess that makes the young man a double threat!

The 2009 Big O Music Fest will be held on Saturday, August 1st at Reid’s Orchard in Owensboro, Kentucky (4812 State Route 144, Owensboro).   Click HERE to purchase tickets at TicketMaster.  Other performers will include Colt Ford, Chris Young, Brian Davis, Tabor Dame, Aubrey Collins, and Scott Lindsey (from Beaver Dam, Kentucky).

Gates open at noon with the music starting at 1:00 with Aubrey Collins, former lead singer for Trick Pony, and ending with Jason Aldean.  There will be food and beverage booths, t-shirts, and souvenirs.  Come join the fun as Owensboro throws its annual party.

Fellow Jason Aldean fans: Watch Brian Adams (love him too) and Jason Aldean perform some of their songs together on CMT Crossroads on cmt.com. Great stuff!

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Enjoy Homegrown Bluegrass Music and Arts Activities at Audubon Festivals May 15-16

Beautiful John James Audubon State Park in Henderson Kentucky will come alive with Bluegrass music on May 15-16, 2009.

The Homegrown Bluegrass Festival, presenting nearly a dozen music groups from the tri-state area, will kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday May 15 and continue from noon until 9 p.m. on Saturday. Among the groups who hail from Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois will be Bold Witness, Sassafrass, Keith and Gary Vincent, Highway 41, Suzuki Fiddlers, Fields of Home, River Bottom, Brush Fire, Kings Highway, and Phillip Steinmetz.

The Creative Arts Festival will kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday May 16 with visual art booths and crafters selling  their work in addition to showing how it’s done. Woodworking, glass blowing, stained glass, watercolors, soap-making, weaving, jewelry, acrylics and pottery are just a few of the booths at this year’s festival.

A special section just for kids, called Creation Station, will include face painting, art classes, balloon creations, a potter’s wheel, bertha bubbles, inflatables, a petting zoo, magicians and more.

There is a parking fee of $3 per car, but admission to the festivals is free. For more information about the arts and music festivals, contact Kim McGrew at 270-827-1893 or Mark Kellen at 270-826-2247.

Audubon State Park is located at 3100 U.S. Hwy. 41 in Henderson Kentucky.

John James Audubon State Park

This beautiful park boasts the world’s largest collection of John James Audubon’s art and also features exhibits about the painter’s life in Henderson.   John James Audubon moved to Henderson with his family to operate a small mercantile business and devote himself to exploring the surrounding wilderness.  He found countless birds and captured them in his wonderful art work.

The park offers overnight accommodations in six cottages and a campground and hiking, fishing golf, tennis and other outdoor activities.

There are 6.5 miles of trails at Audubon State Park, winding through the nature preserve,  including 2.7 miles of back-country hiking. These trails provide an opportunity unlike any other for those of us who love birds and bird watching.   The Eagle Glen Pet Trail is a one-mile trail where dogs on leashes are allowed with their owners. View trail information.

Click the following link for more information about the John James Audubon State Park.

If you make a weekend of it, I can vouch for the friendliness of Henderson Kentucky’s residents.  They don’t know the meaning of the word “stranger.”   You can also rest assured that Henderson has many places to eat including one of the best Cracker Barrels in the area.  Their Grandy’s is also one of the best (I often wish our Grandy’s in Owensboro was as good!)  Another great place to eat in Henderson Kentucky is Golden Corral.  Delicious.

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Children will have a chance to have their picture taken with Santa as well as Mrs. Claus, visit with Big Red (who should be in especially high spirits after the big U of L win…), make ornaments, and even join in a scavenger hunt throughout the museum!

Last year, over 1,000 people participated during the events and they’re expecting another great turn out.

This year’s theme is centered around the 1860s to coordinate with the new Civil War exhibit, “A Star in Each Flag: Conflict in Kentucky.” There will be individuals dressed in both Victorian and Civil War attire. Related activities will include carolers, open hearth cooking in the log cabin, storytelling and a magician making balloon animals.

“Christmas in Kentucky” is sponsored by University Libraries and free to the entire community. The Kentucky Library & Museum is located at 1400 Kentucky St. with plenty of free parking on any of the parking lots directly across the street.

For information, contact Christy Spurlock at (270) 745-6082.

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