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Kentucky Crafted: The Market is Number One Again

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For the Third Year in a Row!

Kentucky Crafted: The MarketKentucky Crafted: The Market, which is coming to the Lexington Convention Center this weekend, has been voted as No. 1 in the nation for the third consecutive year by the readers of AmericanStyle magazine. No other American craft fair can make that claim. This is AmericanStyle’s eighth annual Fairs and Festivals competition, and Kentucky Crafted: The Market has been in the top spot four of the past five years.

“Kentucky Crafted maintains a lock on the top spot for the third year in a row, proving you can’t beat its ‘bluegrass blend’ of traditional and contemporary fine craft,” writes Kat McKerrow of AmericanStyle magazine, the leading journal for fine craft collectors in North America.

Kentucky Crafted: The Market – where tradition meets cutting edge – features more than 150 artists offering shoppers jewelry, wearable art, home decor, furniture, paintings, prints, photographs and artisan foods along with Kentucky-related books, CDs and DVDs. The Market also brings an exciting lineup of hourly performances by musicians to the Kentucky Stage and offers workshops and hands-on activities.
Kentucky Crafted: The Market
Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, Ky.

Saturday, March 3, 2012 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. EST
Sunday, March 4, 2012

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

One-day ticket: $10
Two-day ticket: $15

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Filed Under: Featured, Lexington, New, News

Spring Keeneland Race Meet

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Kentucky Horse Racing Trots into 2012

Keeneland Thoroughbred Racing

I hope wherever you are today is as gorgeous as it is here in Owensboro. I’m having a difficult time staying indoors, but carrying my desk, computer, monitor, and chair out to my patio seems a little extreme. So, here I am. Sigh.

I would say that Spring is just around the corner, but today feels like it’s here already – so I’m just going to say, “Isn’t it lovely?!”

The spring Keeneland Race Meet is just around the corner, so horse racing fans might want to grab a pen and mark their calendars. Live Thoroughbred racing gets underway at Keeneland Race Course Friday, April 6th and continues through Friday, April 27th. Racing is scheduled Wednesday through Sunday with post time daily at 1:05 p.m. The gates open at 11:00 a.m. General admission is just $5. The annual Kentucky Derby prep race, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, is Saturday, April 14th.

Seiously? There are actually still places with $5 admission prices? Good on them.

In addition to a full line-up of graded stakes races throughout the meet, there are a variety of special events you won’t want to miss. Each Saturday morning, head out to the track for Breakfast with the Works. This family-friendly activity begins at 7 a.m. with breakfast served in the Equestrian Dining Room, paddock demonstrations at 8:45 a.m., and a free handicapping session at 11:30 a.m.

Still looking for the perfect Kentucky Derby hat? Visit the Christine Moore Hat Trunk Show Wednesday, April 11 at the Keeneland Gift Shop.

See Keeneland’s Website for more information.  Also, you might want to check out Keeneland’s Online Gift Shop. You won’t believe the hats!

Filed Under: Featured, Horse Racing, Lexington, Springtime in Kentucky Tagged With: , ,

The Kentucky Horse Park: New Attractions Help Celebrate 34th Season!

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Kentucky Horse Park

The gorgeous Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington, Kentucky celebrates its 34th season with new attractions.

Those of us touched by the kindness of God (or those of us fortunate enough to have been born in Kentucky) are understandably proud of our state. We’re proud of our college basketball teams, great southern food,  breathtaking scenery, beautiful birds,  our friendly reputation, and we’re most definitely proud of our horses!

The Kentucky Horse Park is probably the best place in all of Kentucky to see this pride up close and personal.  Did you know nearly one million tourists, horse enthusiasts and school children visit the Kentucky Horse Park every year? That’s pretty incredible.

If you aren’t counted among the millions from previous years, make certain you’re amongst them this year.

The Kentucky Horse Park’s 34th season is set to begin Thursday, March 15, when the park returns to its regular hours of 9am to 5pm daily through November 4. Visitors will be entertained and delighted as the park features special events and themed weekends throughout the season.

Highlights of this season will include the park’s newest attraction, the Kids Barn, which features interactive exhibits, while the park’s education department staff will host daily hands-on activities with the park’s resident horses in the Kids Barn each day.

Also new this season is a daily show called “Horses of the World,” which is an updated and energized version of the traditional Parade of Breeds show. It’s a perfect opportunity for park visitors to watch and learn about some of the horse breeds that may not be familiar and will include horses representing some of the park’s many different breeds from as far away as India, Turkmenistan, Egypt, and Europe.

The park’s latest blockbuster, “The Horse,” will be in its final weeks of exhibition in the International Museum of the Horse. It can be viewed through April 6, at which time it will move to San Diego, CA.

Another museum exhibit, “Where were you in ’62? Saddlebreds, the Museum and the Sixties” will be on view through the end of the year in the Showplace for Saddlebreds at the American Saddlebred Museum & Gift Shop at the park.

In addition, the Kentucky Horse Park will host literally dozens of horse shows, dog shows, special breeds weekends, and other events, most of which are included with park admission.

Educational classes and youth riding programs will be offered once again through the park’s education department.

Daily equine presentations will also include the Hall of Champions, where visitors can meet Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin and Funny Cide. The always-popular Mare and Foal Show will be offered Memorial Day through July 31.

Events are scheduled every weekend at the park, and a full listing of these events and their dates is available at www.KyHorsePark.com.

Admission is $16 for adults and $8 for children 7-12. Children six and under are always admitted free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult. Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse – a Smithsonian Affiliate – and the American Saddlebred Museum & Gift Shop.

The Kentucky Horse Park  is a working horse farm/theme park and equine competition facility dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse. The park is an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and hosted more than 825,000 visitors and campers, as well as 15,000 competition horses in more than 200 special events and horse shows in 2011. The Kentucky Horse Park is home to the National Horse Center which comprises more than 30 national and regional equine organizations. Located at Exit 120, Interstate 75, just north of Lexington, the Kentucky Horse Park is The place to get close to horses. Open daily March 15 to Nov. 4, and Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 5 to March 15.

Filed Under: Featured, Kentucky Horses, Lexington Tagged With: ,

Bryans’ Costume Ball Set for Sept. 23 at Bell House in Lexington

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Bell House in Lexington Kentucky

The Bryans’ Costume Ball will be held Sept. 23 to benefit Waveland State Historic Site in Lexington.

The ball will start at 6:30 p.m. at Bell House in Lexington. Music, dancing, food, costumes and more will fill this nostalgic evening. Bell House, a grand antebellum reception house on Bell Court just off East Main Street, provides the perfect setting. Guests are invited to gather from 6 to 6:30 for appetizers and costume change. At 6:30, the Lexington English Country Dancers will teach easy dances, Jane Austen style (if you can walk, you can do them). No need to bring a partner.
The Capital City Country Dance Orchestra from Frankfort will provide dance tunes, striking up the first dance at 7 p.m. Featured will be a Grand March – a procession to music, guided by a leader – for everyone.

The admission fee of $20 per person covers dancing and lessons; gourmet hors d’oeuvres; a chance to see Bell House, and a new exhibition of decorative arts from Waveland’s huge collection of donated artifacts. Proceeds go to the Friends of Waveland to help preserve and enhance the beauty of Waveland State Historic Site.

Waveland, home of Joseph Bryan, and Bell House, built by the Bell family, are both historic residences. Waveland was built in the 1840s at what is now a state park near Man O’ War Boulevard and Nicholasville Road, but it has no ballroom. Bell House, which burned and was rebuilt in the lavish style of the late 19th century, has space for dancing and mingling.

The costume theme is inspired by the late 19th-century social whirl of Bell House. Imagine a fancy dress party in the 1890s. Guests at such parties loved to wear Victorian versions of historic dress such as Medieval, Renaissance, Colonial or Regency styles. They also liked to dress as European peasants, ancient Greeks, fairy tale and Shakespeare characters, even concepts such as “Summertime” or “The Man in the Moon.” (Dressing rooms for men and women are available at the Bryans’ Ball). The range of costume possibilities is wide open, and modern formal wear is also appropriate. Costumes are not required.

Advance registration is requested by Sept. 15. Reserve tickets through Waveland, 225 Waveland Museum Lane, Lexington, 859-272-3611.

Filed Under: Autumn Fun, Lexington Tagged With: , ,

Blue Licks Battlefield Hosting Re-enactment Aug. 20-21

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Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park

If you’re a history buff, like I am, you live for re-enactments. Well, that and chocolate. Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park (near Lexington, Kentucky) is approaching their celebration of the 2229th anniversary of the Battle of Blue Licks. They’re going to celebrate in a very fitting way!

The 229th anniversary of the Battle of Blue Licks, the last Revolutionary War battle in Kentucky, will be commemorated Aug. 20-21 at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park.

The park will host a variety of special programs throughout the entire weekend, including special exhibits at the Pioneer Museum of original powder horns and shooting bags.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Aug. 20, visitors can enjoy a variety of programs designed for the whole family. Live music, hands-on pottery making, living history performances including Albert Robert, the gentleman physician, and Maggie Delaney, the indentured servant, are just a few of the special programs scheduled for the weekend.

A re-enactment of the Battle of Blue Licks will be held at 3 p.m. each day. Programs will continue on Sunday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Admission to the event is $5 for ages 13 and above; ages 12 and under are FREE with a special entry fee of $15 per carload. The special $15 carload fee will grant access to all individuals in the vehicle. Admission includes parking and access to all pay facilities such as the public pool, mini golf, Pioneer Museum and all of the special programs.

Food and craft vendors will also be set up on the park, so load up your van and bring the entire family out for a full day of special programs and activities. For more information, call 859-289-5507, or toll free at 800-443-7008.

Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, Hidden Waters Restaurant, Pioneer Museum and Store, gift shop, miniature golf, picnic areas and hiking trails. The resort is located 45 miles northeast of Lexington off historic Highway 68.

Filed Under: Blue Licks Battlefield State Park, Kentucky's History, Lexington, Summertime in Kentucky Tagged With:

Waveland State Historic Sites Celebrates 40 Years In State Parks

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Here’s an idea for you and your family: Visit each and every one of Kentucky’s State Parks.  A personal goal is to see, enjoy, and photograph each and every single one of our beautiful state parks. Trips can be planned to “take in” several state parks within one trip.  They’re educational, beautiful, and always a lot of fun for people of all ages.  Visit the Kentucky State Parks website to plan your course of attack.

Remember, when you support your state parks, you support your state and fellow Kentuckians. Everyone’s a winner.

Waveland State Historic Site in Lexington will celebrate the 40th anniversary of joining the Kentucky State Park system June 24-26.

The celebration will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 24, with the first Waveland Music Festival. Country, folk, and alternative music will be preformed by local groups. The Waveland Music Festival will be an annual event with more types of music being added each year. There is a $10 admission fee for the Friday event, sponsored by the Friends of Waveland. Proceeds will be used to support the historic site.

On Sunday June 26, at 3 p.m., a ceremony will be held on the grounds of Waveland dedicating a monument marking the site of the old Bryan family cemetery. The remains of some members of the family and their slaves are buried there. The monument will have the names of the founders of Waveland and the names of their slaves engraved on the stone.

An exhibit on Kentucky slavery will be installed in one of the rooms of the slave quarters at the historic site. This exhibit will have copies of documents pertaining to slavery at Waveland, and throughout the commonwealth, as well as photographs and artifacts. The exhibit will be opened to the public June 26. The date of the formal opening will be announced at a later date.

Waveland Plantation belonged to the Bryan family who established Bryans Station in 1779. At one time the plantation consisted of 2,000 acres. During the 19th century, Waveland became a center of the horse industry, with two race tracks located on the estate.

Today, the Waveland mansion and slave quarters are museums depicting life in antebellum Kentucky. Tours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tours begin on the hour.

For more information, call 859-272-3611.

Filed Under: Kentucky State Parks, Lexington, Waveland State Historic Site Tagged With: , ,
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