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Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ at Carter Caves State Resort Park

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Kentuckians love music festivals and music-centered events – they’re among the most popular activities in the entire state. Beautiful Carter Caves State Resort Park has a musical tradition that’s coming up in September. Read on for the details!

Carter Caves State Resort Park will host the 47th annual Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ Sept. 7-10.

The festival that began as a family reunion honors old-time music and eastern Kentucky traditions as well as the late master fiddler J.P. Fraley. Musicians will be jamming in parking lots and sharing music around the campfires of Carter Caves State Resort Park. Musical instruments such as the dulcimer, fiddle and guitar are used to tell stories about life long ago in the eastern Kentucky foothills.

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

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, the amphitheater will come to life with an open stage, a banjo gathering and a dulcimer gathering. Friday’s activities will be capped with a 7 p.m. concert in the amphitheater. Carter Caves Music

Saturday morning, Sept. 10, there will be a kid’s jam session in front of the lodge. Late morning into the afternoon the amphitheater will resound with sessions devoted to ballads, storytelling, and Carter Family songs, and conclude with a fiddle gathering and guitar gathering. Saturday night’s concert in the amphitheater begins at 7 p.m.

Paid admission is required for concerts and jam sessions Friday afternoon through Saturday night. Fees range from $4 to $10. A festival pass for all programs costs $25 per person. The Friends of Carter Caves will provide refreshments during the event.

For more information, including a list of invited musicians, contact Paul Tierney at paul.tierney@ky.gov or festival organizer Barb Kuhns at bkuhnsfiddle@yahoo.com. Visit the festival website atwww.fraleyfestival.com.

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 Interstate 64 between Grayson and Olive Hill (exit 161).

Winter Adventure Weekend at Carter Caves State Resort Park: January 28-31, 2016

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Carter Caves State Resort Park Sign
Carter Caves State Resort Park
 

There’s nothing about this that doesn’t sound like fun!

Carter Caves State Resort Park will present a weekend of outdoor adventure with its seventh annual Winter Adventure Weekend Jan. 28-31, 2016.

Guests will be able to enjoy hiking, kayaking, recreational tree climbing, cave tours including wild cave trips, winter survival, rappelling, archaeological field trips, ice climbing a zip line and other adventures.

Guests can select from a list of trips they want to take – for beginners and advanced winter adventurers alike. All of the trips and events are led by guides.

Each trip level is based on the difficulty and skills required. The higher the level, the more skills and special equipment are needed. Guests will be responsible for appropriate dress, water, snacks and other items.

The list of the trips, along with registration information and other details for the 2016 event are available at www.winteradventureweekend.com. All participants must register online at this site. The site can be viewed now and registration starts Dec. 16.

The nonrefundable fee for adults (age 18 and older) is $40, teenagers (age 13-17) is $30, and the nonrefundable fee for children ages 6-12 is $20.  Some of the trips have additional fees.  (All participants must be at least 6 years old. Some trips have additional age requirements.)

Some new trips have been added for this year’s event, including a series of beginner wild cave trips called Caving: Do it Right.  Another favorite past Crawlathon trip, Carter City Connection, comes back to the table.   Other wild cave trips being offered include a Cascade Gone Wild Trip, a Lantern Trip, and a 5-hour trek into Tar Kiln Cave.

The weekend will start with programs and workshops on Thursday afternoon.

Evening programs and entertainment each night includes a self-defense workshop on Thursday night and campfire social along with local Bluegrass music on Friday night. On Saturday night, there will be a silent and live auction by the Friends of Carter Caves, a squeezebox competition and Kentucky’s own Heath & Molly will perform.

Participants will be able to submit photos in the Winter Photo Salon competition. Categories include winter adventure, caving and local nature-adventure photos. The images will be shown during the Saturday night program, and winners will be awarded ribbons.

 Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, swimming, boating and fishing.

The park is off Interstate 64 at exit 161. Take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately two miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is three miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0059.

Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ at Carter Caves State Resort Park

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Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater

Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater: Beautiful Setting!

Carter Caves State Resort Park will host the annual Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ for the 46th year from Sept. 9-12.  Any reason to visit this beautiful park is a good one, but a music festival is pretty darn hard to beat.

The festival that began as a family reunion honors old-time music and eastern Kentucky traditions as well as the late master fiddler J.P. Fraley. Musicians will be jamming in parking lots and sharing music around the campfires of Carter Caves State Resort Park. Musical instruments such as dulcimer, fiddle and guitar are used to tell stories about life long ago in the eastern Kentucky foothills.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, there will be a free “Jamming in the Round” get-together in the campground starting at 8 p.m. On Thursday, Sept. 10, starting at 7 p.m., enjoy an open stage concert in the park’s amphitheater.

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, the amphitheater will come to life with an open stage, a banjo gathering and a dulcimer gathering.  Friday’s activities will be capped with a 7 p.m. concert in the amphitheater.

Starting Saturday morning, Sept. 12, there will be a kid’s jam session in front of the lodge.  Late morning into the afternoon the amphitheater will resound with sessions devoted to ballads, storytelling, and Carter Family songs, and conclude with a fiddle gathering and guitar gathering. Saturday night’s concert in the amphitheater begins at 7 p.m.

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Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater

Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater 

Paid admission is required for concerts and jam sessions Friday afternoon through Saturday night. Fees range from $4 to $10. A festival pass for all programs costs $25 per person. The Friends of Carter Caves will be providing refreshments during the event.

For more information, including a list of invited musicians, contact Coy Ainsley at 606-286-4411 x2543 or festival organizer Barb Kuhns at  bkuhnsfiddle@yahoo.com. Visit the festival website at www.fraleyfestival.com.

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 Interstate 64 between Grayson and Olive Hill (exit 161).

See more pictures of Carter Caves State Resort Park on Genuine Kentucky.

Carter Caves Wildflower Pilgrimage Weekend is April 17-19

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Deer at Carter Caves State Resort Park
I associate certain things with Kentucky’s different state parks – people, sights, food, animals, etc that I identify with each beautiful park. One of the things I think of when I hear the words Carter Caves State Resort Park is the picture above. It’s actually one of my favorite photographs that I’ve ever taken. The fact that this beautiful deer showed up, so poignantly, beside the “Prevent Forest Fires” sign could be considered a major stroke of luck.

The fact that she stayed in place, posing, for several minutes (not even flinching when I dropped my camera), reminded me that God is always with me… even when I’m super clumsy.

In addition to this picture, I also think of the gorgeous scenery at Carter Caves. Absolutely stunning.

The following event has passed, but you can find up-to-the-minute Kentucky Events on our Events Page. Also, check out some of the best things to do in Kentucky… most importantly, just get out there and enjoy our beautiful state!

Beautiful Carter Caves State Resort Park will host its Wildflower Pilgrimage Weekend April 17-19, 2015.

I can only imagine the beautiful show Carter Caves (with its blooms of many shapes and colors decorating the forest floor) puts on each Spring!

From the Kentucky State Parks: Guests can experience the beauty of the area during wildflower and wildlife walks, van tours and canoe trips throughout the weekend.

Admission to field trips and workshops is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 6-12). Guests will sign up for programs at the park Friday night or Saturday morning. Evening programs will also be scheduled. Registration is required since space is limited.

There will be trips focusing on wildflowers, birds, ferns and tree identification, a canoe trip on Smoky Lake and more. Whether you are an experienced wildflower enthusiast, a beginner bloomer or just someone who enjoys being in the woods, this is the perfect weekend to get outside and experience the natural beauty of spring.

For a detailed agenda, click here.

An overnight package including two nights’ lodging and registration for two is $169.95 (plus tax).  The campground also will be open. Call the park at 606-286-4411 to register.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill, Kentucky. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, horseback riding, swimming, boating and fishing.

Directions: From Interstate 64, Exit 161, take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately 2 miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is 3 miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

Crested Dwarf Iris at Carter Caves

A Crested Dwarf Iris at Carter Caves

(Iris Photo Courtesy of the Kentucky State Parks)

Also on Genuine Kentucky:

Picture of the Day from Gorgeous Carter Caves State Resort Park

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Deer at Carter Caves State Resort Park

I just added a photo album for Carter Caves State Resort Park pictures  to the Kentucky Pictures gallery.  The one above is probably my favorite one of the group. The fragile, beautiful deer beside the “PREVENT FOREST FIRES” sign is, as far as I’m concerned, a clear case of a picture saying a thousand words.

Given the fact that we live in Western Kentucky and Carter Caves State Park is in Eastern Kentucky, we don’t spend a lot of time at Carter Caves.  Hopefully we’ll make our way back there soon, though, and I’ll add  a lot more pictures.

Unfortunately, when we were there, it was beginning to get late, so we didn’t have a lot of time.  We did have long enough to realize that this is yet another ridiculously beautiful Kentucky State Park.

I hope you’ll visit the Kentucky State Park’s Carter Caves State Resort Park pages and read all about this beautiful park. You’ll realize that there are at least 101 reasons you need to plan your visit as soon as possible.

Things to Do at Carter Caves State Resort Park

  • Gem Mining
  • Cave Tours
  • Birding
  • Golfing
  • Camping
  • Canoeing
  • Caving
  • Equine Camping
  • Fishing
  • Read More!

 

 

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Flowering Tree in Bowling Green
Fraley Music Festival
Maddox