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Things to Do in Kentucky!

On the following pages you'll find many fun things to do in Kentucky. Whether it's fishing on one of Kentucky's many lakes, exploring caves, visiting a Kentucky State Park, hiking, or golfing a great Kentucky golf course, there are plenty of fun things to do in Kentucky. Just remember to bring your camera! If you're unsure of a date for an event, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or contact me on Twitter (@GenuineKentucky).

Things to Do in Lexington, Kentucky!

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Waveland State Historic Site
Waveland State Historic Site

One of my personal favorite cities in Kentucky is beautiful Lexington. When I was a little girl we lived in Lexington for a little over a year. I loved it then and I still love it. With the pandemic, we haven’t been to Lexington in a while (or anywhere else for that matter!) but I just read an article that makes me very anxious to pay the beautiful city a visit!

30 Best Things to Do in Lexington, Ky. will make you anxious for your own visit as soon as possible. Visit the article and then, more importantly, visit Lexington!

Woodlands Nature Station to host 25th Annual Hummingbird Festival

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Hummingbird at the Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes

Hummingbird at Woodlands Nature Station

Woodlands Nature Station is one of my favorite places, not just in the Land Between the Lakes, but in all of Kentucky! The Nature Station celebrates the migration of hummingbirds during the annual Hummingbird Festival, scheduled for August 7 and 8, 2021.

If you love hummingbirds like I do, the Nature Station is a dream come true. It’s hummingbird paradise!

The weekend of August 7-August 8 marks the beginning of the great hummingbird migration through Land Between the Lakes. I hope you’ll mark your calendar and join in the celebration with the 25th annual Hummingbird Festival.

TIME: 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, 2021

PLACE: Woodlands Nature Station, 3146 Silver Trail Road in the Land Between the Lakes

PRICE: Special admission price is $9 for ages 18 and up, $7 for ages 5 – 17 and free for ages 4 and under.

If you love hummingbirds, this is the event for you! August brings hundreds of hummingbirds to the Woodlands Nature Station as they migrate south to Central America. You can see as many as 200 in a single day!

Special programming includes:

Saturday, August 7

  • 10 am – 4:30 pm | Hummingbird Banding and Release Demonstrations – licensed banders Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. and Mark Monroe
  • 11am | 2019/2020 Photo Contest Awards
  • 12pm | Attracting Bluebirds – Bob Peak, The North American Bluebird Society
  • 1pm | The Buzz on Beekeeping – Scott Sutton, Houston-Stewart County Beekeepers Association
  • 2pm | Social Eco-art: Igniting Conversation and Invoking Social Change – Shannon Roberts, The New South Arts Initiative
  • 3pm | Rest Stops for Ruby-Throats: Landscaping for Migrating Birds and Butterflies -Botanist Alicia Bosela, owner of Ironweed Native Plant Nursery
  • 4pm | Build a Hummingbird
  • 4:30 pm – Parade of Raptors

Sunday, August 8

  • 10 am – 4:30 pm | Hummingbird Banding and Release Demonstrations – Licensed banders Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. and Mark Monroe
  • 11am | Bringing Nature Home: Creating a Haven for Wildlife
  • 12pm | Rest Stops for the Ruby-Throats: Landscaping for Migrating Birds and Butterflies-Botanist Alicia Bosela, owner of Ironweed Native Plant Nursery
  • 1pm | Build a Hummingbird
  • 2pm | Attracting Bluebirds – Bob Peak, The North American Bluebird Society
  • 3pm | Pollinators: Beyond the Bees
  • 4pm | Attracting Purple Martins
  • 4:30 pm – Parade of Raptors

Ongoing activities include:

  • Hummingbird Photo Gallery
  • Hummingbird Gift Shop
  • Kids’ Crafts and Games
  • Local Craftsmen and Artists
  • Attracting Bluebirds
  • Kentucky Wildlife
  • Garden Friend or Foe? – Live Animals
  • Attracting Native Bees
  • Monarch Magic
  • Beekeeping Basics
  • Native Plant Sale
  • and more!

For more information, call 270.924.2299 or visit www.landbetweenthelakes.us.

Fourth grade students can go to https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/every-kid-outdoors to get their free Every Kid Outdoors pass, and get their family in for free.
For more information, please call the Nature Station at 270-924-2299.
If you love birds, you’ll love The Birds o Kentucky by Burt L. Monroe, Jr. Click the link to learn more about this wonderful guide to Kentucky’s beautiful birds.
Hummingbirds at The Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)
Hummingbirds at The Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)

Ale-8-One Has Brought Back a Favorite Drink This Summer: Orange Cream Ale-8-One

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Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soda
Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soft Drink

If you’re a Kentuckian, you know all too well how delicious Ale-8-One soft drinks are. While the original is the “go to” drink for a lot of Kentuckians, the Cherry Zero is my personal obsession. OBSESSION. It’s unbelievably delicious.

The iconic Kentucky soda is bringing back the summer fan favorite, Orange Cream Ale-8-One, while supplies last. This popular seasonal addition to the current Ale-8-One family
of products delivers a dreamsicle inspired flavor that evokes a sweet sense of nostalgia, just in time to kick off the brand’s 95-year anniversary this summer! Orange Cream Ale-8-One made its debut on June 8th in the Bluegrass region along with expanded footprints in, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pikeville, and most of Western Kentucky in Kroger, Walmart, and Meijer retailers.

I found this particular box of smooth deliciousness at one of the Kroger stores here in Owensboro. It was on a display near the meat and deli, so when you’re looking for this iconic seasonal drink,  be sure to tour your store. They get creative with product placement sometimes.

Continued Below….

Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soda

Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soda

“The tremendous positive response from our first two summer launches of Orange Cream Ale-8-One has been overwhelming. We are delighted to be able to return this summertime classic to the shelves this year. Consumers had plenty of time last summer to experiment with recipes at home; we are excited for them to share their float and cocktail creations with friends this time around.” –  Chris Doyle, Marketing Director for Ale8-One

Orange Cream Ale-8-One will be available as a limited edition 4-pack. The small batch seasonal soda is crafted with an all-natural orange and vanilla blend combined with the Ale-8-One secret formula.

About Ale-8-One

Ale-8-One Bottling Company was founded in 1902 by G.L. Wainscott in Winchester, Kentucky, and remains the oldest, privately held bottler in the United States still owned and operated by the founding family. Ale-8-One soft drink has been bottled in green glass in Winchester since 1926. The only soft drink invented in Kentucky still in existence, Ale-8’s proprietary blend is flavored with ginger and citrus and contains less carbonation and fewer calories than conventional sodas. The company’s founder and inventor, G.L. Wainscott, developed the recipe, and to this day, his great-great-nephew, Fielding Rogers, personally blends every batch of Ale-8-One. Ale-8-One is widely available in Kentucky, available nationwide online, available in Kroger stores throughout
the Southeast, and can be found at most Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores and Fresh Market. For more information, visit ale8one.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soda

Ale-8-One Orange Cream Soft Drink

Memorial Day Weekend at Woodlands Nature Station in the LBL

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Gorgeous Owl Nature Station

Great Horned Owl: One of the Gorgeous Residents at Woodlands Nature Station

One of my favorite places in all of Kentucky (and beyond) is Woodlands Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes. In fact, as soon as the weather allowed this year, it was the first place we visited in the region. I told the bobcat, owls, groundhog, eagle, possum, turtles, deer, turkeys, and other birds how much I had missed them.

I did not give the snakes the same greeting. They understand – they know a walking phobia when they see it.

This Memorial Day weekend, for “River Days,” The Woodlands Nature Station will have extended hours and will be open until 7:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, May 29 & 30.

There will be many great programs throughout the weekend to celebrate the area’s rivers and to welcome back the season. For most of us, Memorial Day Weekend just feels like the whole world is coming back to life. And with so many things opening back up and mandates being lifted soon… I don’t know about you, but it makes me so happy, I can feel happy tears building up, threatening to flow like the rivers that’ll be celebrated!

Fourth grade students can go to https://everykidinapark.gov/, for their free Every Kid in a Park pass, and get their family in for free! For more information, call the Nature Station at 270.924.2299.

Woodlands Nature Station is located at 3146 Silver Trail Road (a beautifully scenic road you’ll most definitely enjoy).

Beautiful Turtle at Woodlands Nature Station

One of the Turtles at the Nature Station

The Kentucky Indiana All-Star Game to Return to the Owensboro Sportscenter

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Kentucky Indiana Game

Spectra, the providers of Venue Management to the Owensboro Sportscenter, is excited to announce the return of the Kentucky Indiana All-Star Game to Owensboro!

The Kentucky Indiana All-Star Game is the oldest continuing high school all-star game in the U.S.  Since 1940, with the exception of two years during WWII and last year during the pandemic, the game has showcased the best high school seniors in the two states.  Beginning in 1953, a home-and-home series takes place with one game in each state.  This year the game in Kentucky will be played on Friday, June 11 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, KY.  The game in Indiana will take place the following day on Saturday, June 12 at Southport Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.

Prior to those games, each state will name their top high school senior player for both boys and girls who will be recognized as Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball.

“The Kentucky Indiana All Star Game has a rich history of being in Owensboro, and we are thrilled to welcome them back to the Owensboro Sportscenter after all these years,” stated Laura Alexander, General Manager with Spectra Venue Management at the Owensboro Sportscenter.

The complete lineups for the 2021 Kentucky and Indiana All-Stars and ticket information will be coming soon.

About the Owensboro Sportscenter
The Owensboro Sportscenter, one of the city’s most historic buildings, opened in 1949.  It is a multi-purpose 5,000 seat arena that hosts graduations, concerts, sporting events, trade shows, meetings, and receptions. The Owensboro Sportscenter is home to the Owensboro Thoroughbreds of the TBL (The Basketball League), Division II Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers Men’s and Women’s Basketball of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and the Owensboro Catholic High School Aces Basketball.  Learn more at OwensboroSportscenter.com.

About Spectra   
Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

Fraley Music Festival
Maddox
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Trail Through the Forest