Land Between the Lakes Activity Calendar for June

The Land Between the Lakes is THE place to be for lovers of nature and wildlife. This is never more true than in the month of June.  In addition to ongoing activities and year-round splendor, the Land Between the Lakes region offers the following special events for the month of June: 

June 1-3  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (10 am-5 pm).  Drag Boat Races at Pisgah Bay.  Blown alcohol, hydros, jets, and flat bottom boats go in excess of 150 miles per hour! Test and tune on Friday, with time trials on Saturday and racing on Sunday. For more information, contact George or Chris Onnybecker. Kentucky Drag Boat Association at 1-800-732-0088 or www.kdba.net.  Pre-registration and medical release require for racers.

June 2 Saturday (9 am-4 pm).  National Trails Day.   All across the country, people will celebrate the great outdoors on National Trails Day, America’s largest annual single-day trails and outdoor celebration.  At LBL, celebrating the great outdoors takes on a whole new meaning!  Contact Kristy Jobe at 270-924-2007 for more information.

In honor of National Trails Day, The Nature Station will offer a staff-led, 1-mile hike on one of the park’s favorite nature trails. Program free to all LBL visitors. Meet at Nature Station.

June 2  Saturday (10 am-12 pm; 1-4 pm).  The Blacksmith visits the Farm at The Homeplace.   Invited Artist: Layne Hendrickson - Blacksmith.   From the LBL website:  At a time when most things were made from iron, blacksmiths were one of the most important tradesmen in the community. In the 1850s, blacksmiths made everything from fireplace tools to plow shares to horseshoes, many specializing in specific products. Although iron is rarely used in modern products, the art of blacksmithing is kept alive by modern blacksmiths like Layne Hendrickson. Visit with Mr. Hendrickson as he demonstrates age-old blacksmithing techniques. Mr. Hendrickson’s handmade iron creations will be available for purchase.  Program free with Homeplace admission.

June 9 - 10  Saturday, Sunday (9:30 am -5 pm).  Pickin’ Party at The Homeplace!  A weekend that all music lovers will want to circle on the calendar, the Pickin’ Party offers workshops, pickin’ sessions, and performances of old-time fiddle, banjo, and bluegrass music. Musicians can even bring their own banjo, guitar, fiddle, or harmonica and join in on the fun during open mic sessions. Everyone will enjoy the weekend performances of Mark Dvorak, specializing in banjo, guitar and timeless folk songs, and The Dixie Volunteers, a traditional string band.

On Saturday, enjoy the bluegrass band Carefree Highway and the always exciting and entertaining Dan Knowles. Sunday’s line up features bluegrass band, The McKendrees and Celtic band, Red River Breeze. The weekend includes demonstrations of handmade hammered and mountain dulcimers and psalteries by Amsden Handcrafted Instruments. These handcrafted instruments will be available for purchase. You can realize a life-long dream by learning to play a traditional instrument during one of the mini workshops: Saturday, Banjo and Sunday, the mountain dulcimer.

Join in the fun and we’ll all make beautiful (mountain) music together!

Of course, during the hours when music isn’t being made, you can stroll through the historic buildings, fields and gardens, and talk with the 1850 farm family as they go about their daily chores.  We’ve learned so much about this particular time in history simply by talking to the actors/actresses playing these roles.  1850-themed children’s activities will be provided throughout the weekend, meaning they’ll learn while thinking they’re just having a great time!  Amazing Festival food and ice-cold drinks will be available for purchase.   $4/$5.50. Includes same day HP admission. For more information, call 931-232-6457.

Pack your lawn chairs, picnic blankets and come make some beautiful memories….all set to music!

June 9  Saturday (7:30 - 9:30 pm).  A Night to “Hoot” About  at the Nature Station.   Get up close and personal with one of the Nature Station’s most mysterious residents, a gorgeous owl.  Discover the secret night world of owls and go for a guided night walk to listen for owls and other nocturnal wildlife. Bring a flashlight!  $2/$3. Evening program only. Reservations and full deposits required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.

June 12  Tuesday (2 pm).  Creature Feature:  Deer at the Nature Station.   Get to know the two types of deer found in Land Between the Lakes.  Discover how the exotic fallow deer came to live in LBL and why hardly any whitetails lived here when the fallows first arrived.  Program free with NS admission.

June 16  Saturday (1:30 pm).  Slithery Snakes at the Nature Station!  Even people  who are scared senseless of snakes can’t help being fascinated with them.  Take it from me, I should know! 

On June 16th, you can get to know these mysterious creatures much better by meeting a few of LBL’s resident slippery sliders.  Program free with Nature Station admission.

June 19  Saturday (10:00 - 11:30 am).  Shoreline Birding Walk at the Nature Station.  How does a morning walk along the water’s edge as you watch for birds sound?  It sounds like a Bird Lover’s paradise, right?!  Visit a beautiful scenic shoreline area that offers countless opportunities to see an amazing variety of birds.  Dress for getting off the beaten path and, by all means, bring your binoculars. $3 per person. Program only. Reservations requested because space is limited. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.

June 23  Saturday (6:00 - 8:00 pm).   Hundreds of Herons Canoe Trip at Kuttawa Landing.  You’ll never forget the sights and sounds of  the night herons and cattle egrets. You’ll see these birds as well as other wildlife as you paddle down beautiful Lake Barkley. Bring binoculars, cameras, and drinking water!  Needless to say, this activity goes under the heading, Weather permitting.  $25 per canoe. Includes same day Nature Station admission. (Fortunately, this day also happens to be Nature Arts Day at the Nature Station.  See Below.) Registration limited. Reservations and full deposits required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space. Meet at Kuttawa Landing Lake Access Area.

June 23  Saturday (10:00 am - 4:00 pm).   Nature Arts Day at the Nature Station.  Come join in the backyard fun at this very popular annual event, Nature Arts Day. You’ll see how local artists and craftspeople use nature as inspiration for their unique creations. Visit with local artists and craftspeople as they display, demonstrate, and discuss their work. Art and crafts will be available for purchase.  Program free with Nature Station admission.

June 24  Sunday (11:00 am - 2:00 pm).   Puttin’ by the Garden at The Homeplace.  Visit The Homeplace as we “put-by” summer’s harvest.   You’ll see fruits and vegetables you won’t believe!  Program free with Homeplace admission.

June 24  Sunday (4:00 pm).   Busy as Bees at The Nature Station.  Learn all about bees, their life cycle, and how a hive works through activities and games. Also check out an impressive honey bee colony and see if you can find the Queen.  Program free with Nature Station admission.  

June 26  Tuesday (10:30 am).   Woodland Walk at The Nature Station.  Enjoy a 1-mile guided hike as you take in the breathtaking beauty of this part of Kentucky.  Program free to all Land Between the Lake’s visitors. Meet at Nature Station.

June 26  Tuesday (2:00 pm).   Creature Feature:  Red Wolf at The Nature Station.   The beautiful red wolf - an endagered animal that we all hope is on its way to recovery.  This viewing opportunity will allow you to get a good look at these elusive animals.  Learn how these animals are fighting back from the brink of extinction!   Program free with Nature Station admission.

  Useful Links:

Land Between the Lakes - http://www.lbl.org

Kentucky Drag Boat Association - www.kdba.net

Layne Hendrickson, Blacksmith - http://oaklevelforge.com/

The Dixie Volunteers - http://turtleservices.com/The%20Dixie%20Volunteers.htm

Carefree Highway Bluegrass Band - http://www.carefreehighwayband.net/

Mark Dvorak - http://www.markdvorak.com/

Dan Knowles - http://www.danknowles.net/

The McKendrees - http://www.themckendrees.com/

Red River Breeze - http://www.redriverbreeze.com/

Trails and Hiking - http://www.trails.com/