Western Kentucky

Get away to Western Kentucky for fall adventure. Visit sites like John James Audubon State Park and the Western Kentucky Botanical Gardens, both filled with spectacular fall colors. The weather is always nice underground – Kentucky’s Cave City and Mammoth Cave National Park are ideal for a visit in fall or any time of  year. Bowling Green, off Interstate 65, is about 30-miles from Cave City. Home of Western Kentucky University, Hilltopper Athletics and the National Corvette Museum offer entertainment for everyone - be sure to see 100 years of Chevrolet at the National Corvette Museum before it ends on December 31st. Or head west to Paducah, the thriving arts and cultural hub anchoring far western Kentucky.

Paducah, the county seat of McCracken County, is located on the Illinois state line at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River. Don’t miss the 3rd Annual Downtown Paducah Zombie Walk, Saturday October 29th. This community event begins at 9th Street and Broadway with a walk toward the river. Paducah's Zombie Walk is a fun way to get in the spirit of Halloween and enjoy fall in Western Kentucky.

For more traditional fall celebrations, check out Wurth Farms on South Friendship Road or Schmidt Farms on Cairo Road during October. Bring friends and family for hayrides and choose those perfect pumpkins at the local pumpkin patches. Through early November visit Paducah’s Downtown Farmers’ Market for fall's biggest selection of locally produced agriculture and homemade products.

Bowling Green is home to the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, which hosts the Hobo Times Exhibit through the end of 2011. Highlighting the subculture of Hobo’s, the exhibit features Hobo Quilts and Hobo Nickels along with hands-on exhibits and activities for visitors. Fall and winter brings the Museum’s Goblin Fest in October, and in December, the Festival of Trains and Polar Express Story Time. Bring the kids dressed in their PJ’s for Polar Express Story Time followed by a mug of hot chocolate with cookies.

Fall and winter are the time to enjoy WKU Hilltopper athletics in Bowling Green. Catch the excitement of football at Houchens Industries – LT Smith Stadium through Saturday, November 26th when the Hilltoppers meet Troy in the 2011 regular season’s last game. Men’s and Women’s basketball begins in November at EA Diddle Arena, which also hosts Lady Topper fall volleyball. Grab a red towel and come out to cheer for your favorite Western Kentucky University athletic team.

Madisonville hosts Kentucky’s largest Veteran’s Parade. The 2011 celebration is November 6th featuring music, exhibits, fun and food with the downhome hospitality of the Madisonville and Hopkins County community. Join the 47th annual parade themed “Freedom is not Free” in Madisonville - about an hour and a half drive northwest of Bowling Green.

Kentucky Derby
Louisville, KY

Louisville and North Central Kentucky - all about horses, history and bourbon, and downtown Louisville is at the epicenter. Home of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, it’s not too early to start planning for the 138th run for the roses on May 5th, 2012. Escape the buzz of metro Louisville to smaller towns like Shepherdsville, south on Interstate 65. Twenty minutes from downtown Louisville puts travelers well down Kentucky’s bourbon trail and near Bullitt County’s wineries. Thirty minutes south from Shepherdsville to Bardstown and you’ve arrived in the Bourbon Capital of the World. In Shelbyville, east of Louisville 30-miles, travelers find themselves at the gateway of Kentucky bluegrass country.

Leaving Louisville, all roads lead to outstanding Kentucky countryside and destinations. However, before you leave the city, stop for a delightful lunch or dinner at Lilly’s on Bardstown Road, one of Louisville’s popular eateries. If you are traveling south, be sure to stop at the Jim Beam American Outpost and Homestead to learn about the traditions of Kentucky bourbon production.

Art lovers don’t miss this winter’s exhibits at Louisville’s Speed Art Museum. The Kentucky Antiques from the Noe Collection: A Gift to the Commonwealth, closes February 5th. The antiques exhibit features an amazing collection of early Kentucky furniture, paintings and accessories. Sacred Air Breath of Life features selections from the Speed’s Native American collection. This exhibit showcases the life of Native American tribes in the central Great Plains region portrayed  with a selection of artifacts, historic documents and photographs. Catch the Speeds Native American exhibit before it closes on February 12th.

The Louisville Zoo is open during winter, and currently is home to two polar bear cubs. Make your way to the Zoo’s Glacier Run Exhibit to spot Qannik and Siku. The cubs love winter, so now is the time for a visit to the Louisville Zoo.

You may have stopped at Kentucky’s historic Jim Beam outpost for an introduction to the state’s bourbon history, however, when you arrive in Bardstown, you are in the Bourbon Capital of the World. Visit March 30 through April 1st for the 2012 Bardstown Colonial Days. Old Bardstown Village is filled with the 18th Century Market Fair, complete with period artisans and entertainers. Relive history at Bardstown Colonial Days.

Elizabethtown, 45-miles south of Louisville, is also in the heart of Kentucky’s bourbon trail. Elizabethtown is a central location for visits to Maker’s Mark distillery, Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center and he Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Elizabethtown is ideal for a taste of authentic Kentucky Hospitality as well as it’s bourbon.

The State Theater in Elizabethtown is a must see for visitors. The original theater has been carefully restored and continues to serve as a focal point of entertainment for the Elizabethtown community. Check the calendar for the schedule of classic movies, or have some laughs February 4th when the State Theater Comedy Series begins.

Cumberland Falls

Kentucky’s Blue Grass Country is all about horses, however with cool weather and holidays the calendar fills with a diversity of events. Fall brings the excitement of University of Kentucky basketball to Lexington. The excitement of University of Kentucky Wildcat athletics fills Lexington. Special holiday performances are on schedule at the Lexington Opera House. Blessed with rich natural resources, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the last of season recreation in Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest and Appalachian Mountains. Cool fall weather soon brings winter, with all the excitement of the holidays and another fantastic New Year for Kentucky. Visit and enjoy Eastern Kentucky this season.

November brings the end of Kentucky Wildcats Football with the final game against Tennessee at UK’s Commonwealth Stadium. Rupp Arena now becomes Lexington’s destination as the home of men’s Wildcat basketball, while the Lady Wildcats heat up the court at Memorial Coliseum. Lexington’s University of Kentucky Wildcat Athletics are a must for sports fan’s visiting Kentucky.

The holiday season is a treat for Lexington residents and visitors. The Lexington Opera House hosts a variety of special events for the season. One of the premier performing arts centers in the region, the Lexington Opera House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic opera house is the ideal setting for performances of The Nutcracker and Lexington Children’s Theatre’s performances of Madeline’s Christmas.

Lexington Children’s Theatre takes the stage performing Madeline’s Christmas. A wonderful family event to begin the holiday season. Performances of Madeline’s Christmas are November 26th, and December 3rd and 4th. The Kentucky Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Opera House over two December weekends. Make your holiday complete December 9th through the 11th or the 16th through the 18th, taking in a performance of The Nutcracker performed by Kentucky Ballet Theatre. Enjoy the magic of the season at the Lexington Opera House.

Corbin, on the east of the Daniel Boone Forest, is 100-miles south of Lexington. Gateway to Cumberland Falls and birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, visit Corbin for an authentic Kentucky experience. In the Heart of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone Country, this is the time for last-of-the-season hikes and paddles down the Cumberland River. Enjoy fall’s amazing colors and crisp days as you take advantage of Corbin’s fall Indian summer days. Cumberland and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park are about 50 miles to the south of Corbin.

West of Corbin and the Daniel Boone Forest is Somerset. Nestled in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains, Somerset is the County seat of Pulaski County. This charming small Kentucky city serves as a gateway to Lake Cumberland and its endless recreational opportunities. Somerset kicks off the holiday season with the 2011 Christmas Parade through the streets of downtown and around the historic town square – with the theme “It’s A Wonderful Life in Pulaski County”. Join the festivities downtown, including Christmas on the Square and the annual Lighting of Somerset’s Christmas Tree. Be sure to take the family to the Center for Rural Development for Children’s Prime Time Theatre’s performance of the Gift of the Magi or the new holiday musical Mooseltos: A New Moosical – Enjoy the holidays in Somerset.