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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).

Salt Festival at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site October 18-20, 2019

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Big Bone Lick State Historic Site Salt Festival.Big Bone Lick State Historic Site wants to take you back in time during the 37th annual Salt Festival next weekend (Oct. 18-20, 2019).

The festival features live demonstrations of pioneer lifeways and frontier skills. Enjoy folk and Bluegrass music, listen to a storyteller, view prehistoric Ice Age artifacts, and observe a blacksmith working red-hot iron. See how salt was extracted from the waters of Big Bone, watch a flintknapper make a stone point, and discover how bison hair was spun into yarn. Browse the crafters corner to see the many local, handcrafted items for sale, and take advantage of the good eats at the food court.

This year’s festival entertainment will feature “The Journey of York,” the story of William Clark’s slave along the transcontinental expedition of the Corps of Discovery. Big Bone Lick was recently added to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Also returning to the festival field is All Nation’s Drum, an Intertribal Native American group showcasing traditional song and dance.

While visiting the park, be sure to drop by the park’s museum and visitors center to see some of the “big bones.” A shuttle van will transport event-goers to and from the festival field, museum, and campground at regular intervals.

Don’t miss seeing the bison herd, the park’s living link to Kentucky’s early history.

On Friday, Oct. 18, the park will host school groups. Schools interested in bringing classes to the festival should call the park at 859-384-3522 as pre-registration is required to receive the discounted school admission rate. Deadline to register is October 9. Regular festival admission is $5 per person; children 5 and under are free. Admission is open to the public all three days of the festival. The festival is cash only.

For information about the park, visit http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/big-bone-lick/. ; Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is recognized as the birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology for its significant role in the development of scientific thought regarding extinction and the relationship between geology and paleontology the world over. The park is located 22 miles southwest of Covington on KY 338, off US 42/127 and I-71 & I-75.  From I-75 north or south, take exit 175 to KY 338.  From I-71 north or south, take exit 62 to 127N/42E to KY 338.

Photo Credit: Kentucky State Parks

Wolf Week at Woodlands Nature Station October 5 -11!

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Red Wolf at Woodlands Nature Station

Woodlands Nature Station, in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, will celebrate Wolf Week October 5 – 11, 2019.

The Friends of Land Between the Lakes would love for your family to join them at Woodlands Nature Station during fall break for Wolf Week! The fun will run from 10 am – 5 pm, October 5 – 11, 2019 at the Nature Station.  Admission is $5 for ages 13 and up, $3 for ages 5 – 12 and free for ages 4 and under.

You’ll see the beautiful endangered red wolves who call the Nature Station home.  Special wolf programs are offered each day, including feeding time (daily at 2:30 pm). You can even become a werewolf! Discover what makes this beautiful animal so very special.

As an animal lover, I LOVE opportunities like this, for several reasons:

  • Any time spent with animals makes my heart soar.
  • Learning more about animals helps us to be able to help them more – to keep species alive and thriving.
  • Aside from my family (including cats who are like family), animals and birds are my favorite things to photograph – so opportunities like this make me AND my camera extra happy.
  • The Nature Station is exceptional at putting on programs that help teach children to respect (and to help in any way they can) wildlife. We need more children growing up to be men and women who appreciate, love, respect, and want to preserve animals and birds who are counting on us. Their future depends on us as well as those who come after us.

Woodlands Nature Station will also be naming the resident female red wolf to go along with the male wolf that is already named, and you get to help! Join them during Wolf Week or on Facebook @woodlandsnaturestation to provide appropriate and educational name suggestions from September 30 – October 6, 2019, and then again to vote on the final names from October 7-12, 2019, with the winning name being announced during the Nature Station’s Woolly Bear Festival on October 13, 2019.

Programming includes:

Saturday, October 5
11 am – 1 pm – Wolf Origami
11:30 am – 12 pm – Club Tooth and Claw
12:30 – 2 pm – The True Story of the Three Little Pigs: A Puppet Show
1 – 3 pm – DIY Canine Track Books
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 4 pm – Bites for Bobcat

Sunday, October 6
11 am – 1 pm – Playdough Puppies
11:30 am – 12 pm – Eat, Prey, Love
1 – 3 pm – DIY Canine Track Books
2:30 – 3:15 pm – Happy Wolf Day Party
3:30 – 4 pm – Sunday Funday – Crafty Coyotes

Monday, October 7
1:30 – 2 pm – The Rare Red: A Look Ahead
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 4 pm – The Awesome Opossum

Tuesday, October 8
1:30 – 2 pm – I Wish I Were a Werewolf
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 4 pm – Dinner Time for Bald Eagle

Wednesday, October 9
1:30 – 2:30 pm – Crafty Coyotes
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 4 pm – For Goodness Snakes

Thursday, October 10
1:30 – 3 pm – The Art of the Wolf Paint by Number Workshop – $15 fee, registration required, call 270.924.2020
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 4 pm – Vulture Culture

Friday, October 11
1:30 – 2 pm – Back With the Pack
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time
3:30 – 3:50 pm – Red Wolf Treat Time, Second Helpings!

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

Red Wolf at Woodlands Nature Station LBL

Civil War Days Weekend at Columbus-Belmont State Park (Oct. 11-13)

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Civil War Days

If you’re a Civil War buff, you’ll want to be at Columbus-Belmont State Park during the weekend of October 11-13!

The Park’s popular Civil War Days returns to the banks of the Mississippi River and will feature battle re-enactments, history and museum tours, soldier camps, entertainment, food and more. (Admission is free.)

This marks the 29th year of Civil War Days at Columbus-Belmont.

From the Kentucky State Parks:

This three-day event begins with an Education Day on Friday, featuring cannon and rifle demonstrations, life of a soldier, camp cooking and medical procedures.  Students, scouts, and groups are encouraged to participate, but everyone is invited to attend and take a closer look at our history by taking a step back in time.

The opening ceremony begins Friday evening at 5 p.m. with food and entertainment.  Cannons will fire from the bluffs to end the ceremony, followed by a Ghost Walk through the Confederate earthworks with lanterns lighting the way.

Saturday features a full schedule of events, including music and the Ladies Tea at 11 a.m.Civil War Days

The Civil War Ball on Saturday night will feature music by The 52nd Regimental String Band, along with dance instruction so you don’t have to be experienced to participate.

If you want to shop, you can find everything you need on “Sutler Row” where there will be tents set up with period clothing and accessories. There will be a Beautiful Belle and Handsome Gent contest before the dance and a Best Beard and Scraggly Beard contest during intermission.

Sunday begins with a period morning service at 8:30 a.m. as well as a memorial service in Columbus Cemetery at 10 a.m.

The battles are at 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. They will feature guns firing, swords swinging, horses charging, and cannons blasting.

The Civil War Days event is co-sponsored by Columbus-Belmont State Park, Civil War Days Committee, and the Hickman County Judge Executive’s office/Hickman County Fiscal Court.  The park is located on the Mississippi River in far western Kentucky at the junction of highways 58, 80, and 123.

For more information, contact the park office at 270-677-2327, email cindy.lynch@ky.gov or visit www.parks.ky.gov.

Homeplace Pickin’ Party at Land Between the Lakes 2019

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There’s going to be a Pickin’ Party at the Homeplace and you’re invited!

Philip Steinmetz, great nephew of Grandpa Jones, is among the artists scheduled to perform at this year’s Pickin’ Party. Given his musical roots, he’s ideal for this annual musical celebration of Old Time Music!

Did you know that Louis Marshall “Grandpa” Jones was born in Niagra, Kentucky?

The Pickin’ Party will take place at the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm (4512 The Trace in the Land Between the Lakes) on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9, 2019 from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Special admission price for the day is $7 for ages 13 and up and $5 for ages 5-12. Admission includes entry to the farm and doors open at 9 am.

From the Land Between the Lakes:

Enjoy the best in Old Time Music as it echoes through the hills, hollows and the river valleys of the Homeplace. Old Time Music represents the oral traditions of our ancestors brought with them from the old world, then changed to reflect experiences in their new homeland. Today Old Time Music is our connection to the past; we can hear their voices telling stories of hardships, sorrows and celebrations of good times.

Bring your banjo, guitar, fiddle or harmonica and join in on the fun during open mic and the jamming sessions. Take a stroll around the farm and visit with the farm family and the farm animals about their daily work and enjoy daily programs throughout the farm. Festival food will be available for purchase. Bring lawn chairs or ground blankets.

Artists scheduled to perform include:

  • Phillip Steinmetz, great nephew of Grandpa Jones
  • Fret-less banjo picker and blues guitar performer Mark Dvorak
  • Paducah’s own Wheelhouse Rousters
  • 21st anniversary Pickin Party performance of Dixie Volunteers String Band
  • Common Thread, talented women who perform old time favorites
  • Nathan Blake Lynn and Josh Coffey return as masters of ceremonies

Sponsors for the event are Kentucky Machine & Engineering, Inc. Cadiz, Kentucky; Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, Kentucky; and WKMS, Murray, Kentucky.

Other programming includes:

  • Saturday, June 8
    1-3 pm – Strong as an Ox
    1 -3 pm – Get Your Homeplace “Driver’s” License
    3:30 pm – Piggin’ Party
  • Sunday, June 9
    1– 3 pm – Sweet Jamming at the Single Pen
    1– 3 pm – Game of Graces

Fourth grade students can go to https://everykidinapark.gov/ to receive a free Every Kid in a Park pass, and get their family in for free. For more information, call the Homeplace at 931.232.6457 .

Woodlands Nature Station will celebrate Harry Potter Appreciation Day on March 30, 2019

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Gorgeous owl at the Nature Station

I can remember (years and years ago) when the first Harry Potter book came out. I had ran into Kroger to grab something (story of my life) and saw the books on display. Figuring it was a big deal, I grabbed a copy to take home to my girls. Their reaction let me know it was a very big deal, indeed, and I could do no wrong in their eyes for weeks on end!

The Nature Station is having an especially fun event for the Harry Potter fans in your life… heck, you may even be one, yourself! They’re calling it Harry Potter Appreciation Day and it sounds like a lot of fun. After enjoying the fun at Woodlands Nature Station, head over to the 1850 Homeplace for a special night of storytelling!

There are two special story-based events coming up this month. Harry Potter Appreciation Day will include multiple events at the Woodlands Nature Station and the 1850 Homeplace will host a special night of storytelling, both on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Programming for Harry Potter Appreciation Day at the Woodlands Nature Station includes:

10am-4pm – Seeker of the Snitch
The Golden Snitch is flitting around somewhere in the backyard! Brush-up on your seeker skills and see if you can find it! When you find it, snap a photo and report back to the Quidditch Referee for a prize!

10am-4pm – The Triwizard Tournament Training Course
Think you have what it takes to compete in the Triwizard Tournament? Test your skills in this rigorous training course, available one day only! Test your magical ability, intelligence and courage to see if you could handle the real deal!

11am-4pm –Make Your Own Wand
Expelliarmus! Let’s have some fun and create our own magic wands using native wood and natural materials! Turn an ordinary stick into a wand with a little crafty magic!

11am-4pm – Potions
Turn to page 394! Attend this year’s Potions demonstration and take home a “potion” sample of your very own! Which will you make? Felix Felicis for luck? Amortentia for love? Polyjuice potion for trickery? You decide!

11am-12:30pm – Fantastic Beasts of LBL and Where to Find Them Hike
Join guest instructor “Mudpuppy Scamander” (distant relative of the famous Newt) in learning how to find the fantastic beasts that live deep in the woods and waters in Land Between the Lakes. Go on a ½ mile hike to check out a variety of habitats and see if you can locate any fantastic beasts’ homes!

12pm-2pm – Herbology
Plants are truly magical! Using just sunlight, water and soil they create energy, grow and make beautiful flowers! Join Professor Gillyweed to learn what plants need to grow and plant your own niffler-attracting mariGOLD!

12:30-1:15pm – Outstanding O.W.L.s
It’s time to earn your O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) in owls! Test your owlish knowledge with a fun game and see if you earn an Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations or Troll!

1:30-2:15pm – Defense Against the Dark Arts
Aspiring wizards need to know practical techniques of defending themselves against dark charms, creatures, and spells. We will study how some of the fantastic beasts of Land Between the Lakes defend themselves using tricks such as camouflage, poison and mimicry, and how we can use their methods in our magical adventures!

2:30-3:15pm – Care of Magical Creatures
How do you care for an owl? What do bowtruckles eat? These topics and more will be covered in your very first Care of Magical Creatures class! In this course, we will learn about magical creatures from the world of Harry Potter and also how to care for creatures from our world. Hippogriffs not included (advanced classes only).

All activities are included in Nature Station admission fees, which are $5, ages 13 and up; $3 ages 5-12; and free for ages 4 and under.

Evening Storytelling at the Homeplace is scheduled for March 30, 2019.

Want to hear tall tales from years ago? Don’t miss the Evening Storytelling at the Homeplace, 5:30-7:30pm. Cost is $5 per person, a separate fee from Homeplace admission. Be sure to note that this fee for the storytelling is in addition to the admission fee.

Reservations are required and space is limited. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space. Pre-registered participants will meet at The Homeplace Interpretive Center at 5:30pm, storytelling begins at 6pm;

Traditional refreshments will be served during the break. Be prepared to laugh and have a great time as you enjoy this rare evening experience in 1850.

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