Events & Entertainment
January
Keeneland Horse Sales
Held in mid January
Location: Keeneland Race Course
800-456-3412
Horses of all ages are
available for purchase.
February
Kentucky Sport, Boat and
Recreation Show
Held in early February
Location: Rupp Arena
859-233-4567
A complete selection for the
enthusiast.
March
Danville Heritage Festival
Held in early March
Location: Danville High School
800-755-0076
An event that celebrates the
heritages of the many ethnic groups in the Boyle County area; among them
Japanese, Native American, and African American, as well as European. Enjoy
ethnic food, plays, music and creative dance, children's arts and crafts.
Lexington Antiques & Garden
Show
Held in mid March
Location: Keene Barn @
Keeneland
859-253-0362
The Blue Grass for Historic
Preservation sponsors this show featuring over 40 distinguished antique dealers
and garden specialists.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Held in mid March
Location: Downtown Lexington
859-278-7349
Leprechauns and shamrocks can
be spotted on Lexington's Main Street during this parade through downtown.
Bluegrass State Winter Games
Held in mid March
Location: Varies throughout the
county
859-255-0336
Flag football, indoor soccer
and volleyball are played at various Lexington locations.
Central Kentucky Home & Garden
Show
Held in late March
Location: Lexington Center
859-233-4567
Everything for the home as well
as the garden.
April
International Kite and Cultural
Festival
Held in mid April
Location: Georgetown
502-863-1575
Kite competitions, classes and
nonstop cultural entertainment.
Keeneland Two – Year Olds in
Training Sale
Held in mid April
859-254-3412
The April Two-Year-Olds in
Training Sale was inaugurated in 1993 to meet the growing demand of owners
wishing to purchase racehorses already in training.
Rolex Kentucky Three – Day
Event
Held in late April
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
Featuring the only Four Star
Three-Day Event in the Americas. The weekend additionally offers an
international trade fair, various demonstrations and exhibitions.
May
Kentucky Derby Simulcast
Held in early May
Location: Keeneland Race Course
800-456-3412
Festivities include live music,
pony rides, free popcorn, and much more.
Mayfest Art Fair
Held in mid May
Location: Gratz
Park/Transylvania University
859-231-7335
Celebration performing, visual
and literary arts.
Kentucky Guild of Artists &
Craftsmen Spring Fair
Held in mid May
Location: Memorial Park/Berea
859-986-3192
Exquisite works by over 100
regional artists and craftsmen, live music, dance and demonstrations. Memorial
Park is located at the corner of Jefferson and South Broadway, Berea.
High Hope Steeplechase
Held in mid May
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-255-5727
Sanctioned races over brush and
timber.
Kentucky High School
Invitational Rodeo
Held in late May
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-484-2214
Some of the best athletes in
America compete over three days.
June
Highway 68-80 Sale
Held in early June
Location: Paducah to Maysville
800-755-0076
400 miles (across Kentucky's
historic 68/80) of antiques, collectibles & stuff.
Annual Egyptian Event
Held in early June
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-231-0771
Featuring Egyptian Arabians in
performance, halter, dressage and native costume competitions.
Festival of the Bluegrass
Held in early – mid June
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
Campground
859-846-4995
Annual jamboree featuring some
of the best Bluegrass music in Kentucky and top national performers.
Suburban Woman’s Club Horse
Farm Tours
Held in mid June
Location: Keeneland Sales
Pavilion
859-243-0338
Four-hour bus tour takes in a
number of well known thoroughbred horse farms.
Great American Brass and
Festival
Held in mid June
Location: Centre
College/Danville
800-755-0076
July
Lexington Shakespeare Festival
Held in early – mid July
Location: U.K. Arboretum
859-257-4829
Berea Craft Festival
Held in early July
Location: Indian Ft. Theater
800-598-5263
A national showcase in
celebration of handcrafted heritage.
Woodland Jubilee
Held in early July
Location: Woodland Park
859-288-2925
Known as one of the region’s
great music festivals.
Lexington Junior League Horse
Show
Held in mid July
Location: Red Mile Harness
Track
859-252-1893
One of the nation’s largest
outdoor Saddle bred horse shows.
Lexington Lions’ Club Bluegrass
Fair
Held in mid – late July
Location: Masterson Station
Park
859-233-1465
Grandstand shows include
demolition derbies, motocross races, petting farm, truck and tractor pulls and
more. Over 50 carnival rides, games and shows.
Keeneland July Selected
Yearling Sales
Held in mid July
Location: Keeneland Sales
Pavilion
800-456-3412
The annual event attracts
buyers from all over the world and spectators are welcome.
Bluegrass State Summer Games
Held in late July
Location: Various locations
throughout the city
859-255-0336
From water sports to bowling,
chess to gymnastics. This is one of Kentucky’s largest amateur sports events.
BreyerFest
Held in late July
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
973-633-5090
Discover the world of Breyer
model horses including competitions, clinics and a trade fair.
August
Ballet Under the Stars
Held in early August
Location: Woodland Park
859-288-2925
Stretch out under the stars for
an evening of dance presented by professional quality dancers.
Highway 127 Corridor Sale
Held in early August
Location: Covington, Kentucky
to Gadsden, Alabama
931-879-9948
Enjoy a 450-mile adventure.
Covington, KY is the starting point...and the roadside bargains extend south to
Alabama.
Woodland Arts Fair
Held in mid August
Location: Woodland Park
859-254-7024
More than 150 artists and
crafts people participate in this fresh air art fair.
September
Keeneland September Yearling
Sale
Held in mid – late September
Location: Keeneland Race Course
859-254-3412
This sale attracts buyers from
all over the world. Spectators welcome.
Historic Constitution Square
Festival
Held in mid September
Location: Constitution
Square/Danville
800-755-0076
Admission Free
Kentucky's historic past, circa
1780-1820, can be seen at this quality arts and craft festival which features 75
exhibitors showcasing the best of local and Kentucky culture with living history
encampments and regional entertainers.
Museum Go-Round
Held in late September
Location: Short Street,
downtown Lexington
859-258-3256
Art festival for and by young
people.
October
Forkland Heritage Festival
Held in early October
Location: Gravel Switch,
Kentucky
859-332-7839
Termed "the only true folk
festival in Kentucky", this is an opportunity to experience the folksy
atmosphere of the "Fork" and its people.
Kentucky Guild of Artists and
Craftsmen Fall Fair
Held in early October
Location: Indian Ft. Theater,
Berea
859-986-2540
Regional artists display their
works and wares at this outdoor festival.
Perryville Battlefield
Re-enactment and Commemoration
Held in early October
Location: Perryville
Battlefield
800-755-0076
The re-enactment events are
held on 600 acres of pristine Battlefield site, as well as in the historic town
of Perryville, where Merchants Row stands much as it did in 1862 when the
Confederate and Union armies clashed on October 8, 1862.
November
Farmers’ Market
Held in early November
Location: West Vine Street
859-548-3516
Fruits and vegetables, herbs,
flowers, jams and jellies, honey, Kentucky specialties and more.
Annual Pouring for the Pantry
Open House
Held in early November
Location: Equus Run Vineyards
859-846-9463
Bring two or more nonperishable
food items to be donated to God's Pantry Food Bank and receive a complimentary
wine tasting. Taste the newest wine releases, sample scrumptious nibbles and
enjoy live music.
Snowbird Dressage
Held in early November
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
850-846-4889
Winter series of indoor
dressage competition.
Southern Lights Stroll/5K Run
Held in mid November
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-259-4219
Walk, run or stroll through 3.1
miles the dazzling Southern Lights display.
Candlelight Tour
Held in mid November
Location: Kentucky History
Center
859-564-1792
The Kentucky History Center
comes alive with seasonal sights and sounds for this annual event.
Downtown Holiday Magic
Held in mid November
Location: Georgetown, Kentucky
502-863-5424
Kick off the holiday season in
the heart of Georgetown with open houses, in-store specials, caroling, and
lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. Photos and visits with Santa, book
signing, storytelling, and children's activities.
Southern Lights
Held mid – late November
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-255-5727
A Southeast Tourism Top 20
Events Winner. Animated light displays are arranged along a drive-at-your-own
pace 4-mile route through the Park.
Lexington Christmas Tree
Lighting
Held in late November
Location: Triangle Park
859-258-3123
Annual tree lighting with
activities beginning at 5:45 p.m. After the event, downtown hosts live music,
ice sculptures, carriage rides, holiday and storybook characters and more.
Jewelry, Christmas decorations,
clothing, crafts, pottery, Santa and much more.
Kenny Woods Gun and Knife Show
Held in late November
Location: Lexington Convention
Center
859-233-4567
Winter Trade Days at the Fort
Held in late November
Location: Fort Boonesborough
859-527-3131
Eighteenth century merchants
and traders again "set up shops" in the cabins and blockhouses of the Fort. A
perfect opportunity for 18th Century Christmas shopping while learning about the
material culture of the Kentucky Frontier.
Keeneland Arts Fair
Held in late November
Location: Keene Barn @
Keeneland
859-288-2925
This juried arts fair will
feature 90 of the area's finest artists and craftsmen. Shoppers can expect to
see the highest quality, handcrafted items consisting of pottery, painting,
metal works, glass works, fiber, weaving, photography and much more.
December
Amerson Farm Christmas Tree
Festival
Held most of December
Location: Amerson Farm,
Georgetown, Kentucky
502-863-3799
Wreath making demonstrations,
photo opportunities, gift baskets, drawing for free wreath and Christmas tree.
Southern Lights
Held all of December
Location: Kentucky Horse Park
859-255-5727
A Southeast Tourism Top 20
Events Winner. Animated light displays are arranged along a drive-at-your-own
pace 4-mile route through the Park.
Lexington Christmas Parade
Held in early December
Location: Downtown Lexington
850-231-7335
One of the largest Christmas
parades in the Commonwealth.
Holiday Express
Held in early December
Location: Woodford County Park
859-873-2476
Climb aboard the Bluegrass
Scenic Railway for a scenic holiday train excursion past holiday scenes, elves
and Bluegrass countryside. The 45-minute excursions leave from Woodford County
Park at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Candlelight Tour of Ashland and
Ashland Park Neighborhood Homes
Held in mid December
Location: Ashland, the Henry
Clay Estate
859-266-8581
The mansion is beautifully
backlit with candles and lanterns. Five beautiful homes all within walking
distance of Ashland, in the surrounding historic Ashland Park Neighborhood, will
be open for touring as well. Hot cider and sweets are served in the charming
circa 1846 Grounds Keeper's Cottage on the grounds of the estate.
Entertainment
The Lexington Ballet
161 North Mill Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859-233-3925
The Lexington Ballet is a
not-for-profit organization celebrating the highest quality ballet performances
in the region and operating Central Kentucky's only pre-professional ballet
school.
Lexington Opera House
430 West Vine Street
Lexington, KY 40507
859-233-4567
Enjoy Broadway and more at
this historic theater. Originally built in 1886 and renovated in 1976, The
Lexington Opera House is naturally an ideal setting for all kinds of performing
arts events with complete technical services available. The theater house seats
approximately 1,000 (depending on technical needs) with orchestra level (main
floor) and two balconies.
Lexington Opera Company
1010 McClain Dr
Lexington, KY 40505
859-231-6994
Experience opera at its
best.
Lexington Philharmonic
161 North Mill Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
859-233-4226
Experience all that classical
music represents. The term "classical music" can represent anything from
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony to a Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto. Hear wonderful
music played by a symphonic ensemble comprised of strings (violins, violas,
cellos and basses), woodwinds (clarinets, oboes, flutes and bassoons), brass
(trumpets, French horns, trombones and tubas) and percussion (drums, xylophones
and bells).
The Kentucky Theatre
214 East Main St.
Lexington,
KY 40507
859-231-6997
The Kentucky Theater,
constructed in 1921-22, was designed and constructed prior to the influences of
the "exotic" styles popularized by prestigious theater architects George and C.W.
Rapp, John Eberson and Thomas Lamb for their movie palaces and houses
constructed after 1925. Though never a movie palace by national standards, the
Kentucky Theater remains as Lexington's largest and only surviving grand movie
theater from the Golden Age.
Sports
University of Kentucky
740 S Limestone
Lexington, KY 40536
859-323-5694
Virtually every major sport is
played at the University. Call for complete schedule.
