June/July 2019 | Kentucky Monthly Magazine by Kentucky Monthly Magazine

KENTUCKY DAYTRIPS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

THE

ChrysaCliTs PR OJE

hibit Photogra phy ex in need benefits women

plus

Birding in Kentucky

Display until 8/13/2019

Berea Festival of Learnshops Pioneer Playhouse Celebrates 70 Years www.kentuckymonthly.com

™

in this issue

Featured 16 John James Audubon Walked Here Birding trail carries on the tradition of the great naturalist

26 Express Yourself

Explore your creative side at Berea’s Festival of Learnshops

30 Summer Fun

Travel to the past, to the track, to the water, to a train, and more— all right here in Kentucky

34 Transformation

A traveling photography exhibit helps change the lives of women suffering from substance abuse

38 Summer Showtime

Pioneer Playhouse gears up for its 70th season

42 Small Town, Big Sound

Beaver Dam builds its own ‘Field of Dreams’

Departments 2 Kentucky Kwiz 4 Mag on the Move 8 Across Kentucky 10 Cooking 45 Kentucky Travel Industry Assn. Signature Summer Events 46 Off the Shelf 50 Gardening 51 Field Notes 52 Calendar

34 Voices 3 Readers Write 48 Past Tense/Present Tense 64 Vested Interest

ON THE COVER A print from John Stephen Hockensmith’s exhibit, The Chyrsalis Project (see page 34)

KENTUCKY

Kwiz

Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest or take the Kwiz online at kentuckymonthly.com.

1. In a Leon Redbone tune, a bully known as “Big Bad Bill”—a man as strong as Sampson who spends his evenings looking for fights—gets married and transforms himself into a gentleman known as “Sweet William.” Avoiding the fate of Chicago’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and New York’s “Big Jim Walker, a pool-shootin’ son of a gun,” Bill lives happily ever after in which Kentucky town?

6. The “Golden Triangle” of Louisville, Lexington and northern Kentucky makes up 51.5 percent of the Commonwealth’s population, but how much of its land mass?

A. Russellville

7. The Louisville & Nashville No. 152, the official state locomotive, pulled the campaign car of which presidential candidate from Louisville to Cincinnati in 1912?

B. Salyersville C. Louisville

2. The Henderson County town of Spottsville is named for Maj. Samuel Spotts, who fired the first shot in the Battle of New Orleans, a key engagement in which war? A. Revolutionary War B. Civil War C. War of 1812

3. Located near the Ohio and Green rivers, Spottsville was the spot where the Kashinampo and/or Quizqui tribes battled which Spanish explorer some 271 years earlier than the Battle of New Orleans? A. Hernando de Soto B. Juan Valdez C. Simon Bolivar

4. The alternative rock band Cage the Elephant traces its roots to the day when founders/brothers Matt and Brad Shultz found what in a Bowling Green dumpster? A. The Beatles’ White Album

B. 25 percent C. 19 percent

A. Theodore Roosevelt

Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Madelynn Coldiron + Ted Sloan Contributing Editors Cait A. Smith Copy Editor

Senior Kentributors

C. Henry Cabot Lodge

Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Rachael Guadagni, Jesse Hendrix-Inman, Kristy Robinson Horine, Abby Laub, Lindsey McClave, Brent Owen, Ken Snyder, Walt Reichert, Gary P. West

8. John Long Routt, the first and seventh governor of Colorado, was born in which Kentucky town best known for housing the state penitentiary? A. Buckner B. Pewee Valley C. Eddyville

Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist

Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator Lara Fannin Account Executive John Laswell Account Executive

9. Known as the Texas town “where everybody is somebody,” including a man claiming to be Billy the Kid, was founded by a group of somebodies from this county on the KentuckyTennessee border: A. Graves B. Calloway C. Trigg

A. Isaac Shelby

B. It’s just days until the KY Derby

B. George Rogers Clark

C. Summer vacation is winding down

C. William Whitley

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Patricia Ranft Associate Editor Rebecca Redding Creative Director

B. William Howard Taft

A. Spring has finally arrived

Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

Editorial

5. The blooming of Kentucky’s state flower indicates what?

C. An entire drum kit

A. 33 percent

10. While many sources claim Richard Mentor Johnson, the ninth vice president of the United States, killed Tecumseh in the Battle of the Thames (Oct. 5, 1813), others propose the Shawnee leader and this 64-year-old, best known for his backyard racetrack, killed each other simultaneously.

B. A guitar with two strings

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth

For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Wayne Gaunce, Frank Martin, Lori Hahn, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Dr. A. Bennett Jenson, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan.

Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.

Kentucky Monthly is printed and distributed by Publishers Press, Lebanon Junction, Ky.

www.kentuckymonthly.com

VOICES WEATHER MATTERS

Bill Ellis’ article in the April issue (page 58) brought back memories. I remember well the 1937 flood. I was living in Evansville, Indiana, at that time, and the basement of my high school was flooded along with a lot of Evansville. We lived in the north end of town and had no water in our area. If my memory serves me right, Henderson was the only city on the Ohio that did not flood. Bernice Schwerdtfeger Hays, a Corncracker born in McLean County but now living in Winter Garden, Florida Editor’s note: Henderson is known by the slogan, “On the river, but never in it.”

the 1974 tornados hit Stamping Ground. I remember trying to get my car out to Stamping Ground with a load of fraternity boys from Georgetown College on board to see if we could help immediately after the storms. It was just a heavy dusk at that time, and we were stopped on the road by ememgency personnel and told that there was no way to get to Stamping Ground, so we could not go on. We returned to Georgetown to await any other news. My memory is that news in the aftermath was that of the 42 houses then in Stamping Ground, 38 of them sustained significant damage from the

Readers Write storms—an amazing percentage. I also remember driving through the town on Main Street a couple of days later and seeing a house that had a dining room table set for supper with dishes and glasses in place. The front of the house was completely gone, but the set table remained in place in the back half of the house, with no apparent damage at all—like a cutaway view of a normal house. The devastation in the town was incredible. Almost every barn in the farms surrounding Stamping Ground was reduced to a pile of broken boards. John Blackburn, Georgetown

I was living in Georgetown and teaching at Georgetown College when

We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly. com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be Museumy.pdf 1 5/6/2019 12:00:54 PM editedFrazier for clarification and brevity.

n Counties featured in this issue

CMY

EXPERIENCE THE SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY

AT THE

& The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center R N p N

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY. .

Even when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you. And when you do, we want to see it!

Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your highresolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly. com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.

MAG ON THE MOVE

Paris in Springtime Paris, France From left, Audie Stewart and Chuck Rapier from Port St. Lucie, Florida (formerly from Corbin) and Sarah and Terry Pugh from Somerset spent some time touring London and Paris.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY â&#x20AC;˘ J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

The Burden Family Dominican Republic

Tommy and Melissa Glutz Niagara Falls

Mark and Liz Cheatham

Cynthiana residents Jeremy and Stephanie Burden are pictured with daughters Makenzie and Molly on vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The Elsmere couple visited Niagara Falls. In this photo, Canada is on the left, and New York is on the right.

The Cheathams of Campbellsville traveled to Puerto Rico and cruised to the islands of St. Croix, Barbados, Martinique, St. Martin and Grenada.

Puerto Rico

May 29–August 4

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9

• K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

MAG ON THE MOVE

Helen and Ben Clark Alaska The Clarks of Ashland spent two exciting weeks exploring the state of Alaska.

Loretta and Ed Burke Ireland This California couple is pictured at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, in the area where the film The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne, was filmed. Loretta is a Louisville native.

Merilyn and Ralph Kern Rome, Italy This Mount Sterling couple toured the Colosseum in the Eternal City.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY â&#x20AC;˘ J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

FOR SALE

THE MEETING HOUSE 5 1 9 A N N S T , F R A N K F O R T K Y 40601

Incredibly rare opportunity to own a working Bed and Breakfast, The Meeting House, that operates out of a pre-Civil War home built 1837 located downtown Frankfort. Walking distance to parks, restaurants, government offices and the State Capitol! Just a short drive to Buffalo Trace Distillery to start a Bourbon Trail expedition. twenty minutes to Keeneland/Lexington Airport and forty minutes to Louisville airport and Churchhill Downs! B&B has four guest rooms, owners quarter, two dining rooms & library. Well known regionally, The Meeting House hosts many lunch/dinner/holiday/work parties too. This B&B also offers a Cafe with indoor seating & outdoor patio complemented by a gift shop as another business opportunity.* Speaking of income producing options, this property also has 3 duplexes offering six 1-bed separate rental units. Offered for $725,000, turn key operation for an additional $75,000.

859-379-8285 pratherteam.com * cafe/gift shop currently not in operation but fully equipped ready to p. go 24

thepratherteam @thepratherteamkw

BRIEFS

Across Kentucky

POET FEATURED IN FILM University English professor Maurice Manning is featured in a new documentary that is part of the “Matter Is a Relative Matter” series. The Tfilmransylvania debuted online in May on Lush Player. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and Danville native, Manning pens poetry that reflects the Appalachian landscape and is inspired by the Commonwealth’s rich heritage and folklore. “Kentucky is the state that divides the South and the North,” said Manning, who is a writer in residence at Transylvania. “A tight swirl of pain and hope, promise and compromise, it’s a place of profound ambiguity. It so happens that poetry deals in ambiguity, and those of us who write about Kentucky are fortunate because the ambiguity continues.” The film delves into the influences for Manning’s poetry and takes a look at his work in helping to transform coal-mining sites to their original wild state. It also explores the related enironmental initiatives of Green Forests Work and includes exerpts from John James Audubon manuscripts that are a part of Transylvania’s Special Collection Archive. Manning has published six volumes of poetry, with a new book, Railsplitter—a collection of poems written in the voice of Abraham Lincoln—to be released in mid-October by Copper Canyon Press. Produced and directed by Tim Plester and Rob Curry, the documentary is a follow-up to the their film, The Ballad of Shirley Collins, which was screened at Transylvania last fall. To view the documentary, visit player.lush.com.

WINNING FATHER, SON AND BEAGLE avid and Richard Sawyer, a father-and-son owner-handler duo from Frankfort, are first-time recipients of a prestigious Purina Award. The D Sawyers trained “Moe” to become the 2018 Purina Outstanding SPO (Small Pack Option) Beagle. Moe earned an impressive 256 points during a yearlong competition. Moe and the Sawyers traveled across the country to compete and win in field trials against some of the nation’s top Beagles and their handlers. These wins translated into points that would be tallied for the award. “In the 30 years that I’ve been competing and working with Beagles, I’ve never owned or handled a dog like Moe,” said David Sawyer. “I am delighted to win this with my dad and with Moe. He and Moe have made this a one-of-a-kind experience.” At an April ceremony, the Sawyers were presented with an oil painting of Moe by artist Valerie Dolan, a satin award banner, an engraved award plaque and a cash award. 8

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

BIRTHDAYS JUNE 6 Phillip Allen Sharp (1944), Falmouth-born and Union Collegeeducated Nobel Prize winning geneticist and molecular biologist 6 Darrell Griffith (1958), basketball player known as Dr. Dunkenstein who led the University of Louisville to the 1980 NCAA Championship 9 Johnny Depp (1963), Owensboroborn actor best known for offbeat characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films 13 DeVore Ledridge (2001) actress and social media influencer from Lexington, best known as Amelia Duckworth on Disney’s Bizaardvark 27 Brereton C. Jones (1939), 58th governor of Kentucky (1991-95), who chairs the Kentucky Equine Education Project 28 Sena Jeter Naslund (1942), bestselling author who served as Kentucky’s poet laureate for 2005-06 30 Desi Lydic (1981) Louisvilleborn comedian and actress who is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

JULY 5 James Morris (1952), retired professional wrestler from Bowling Green, known to his fans as “Hillbilly Jim” 6 Ned Beatty (1937), actor with credits in more than 100 films 8 Jim Gifford (1944), author/ publisher, executive director of the Jesse Stuart Foundation 8 Joan Osborne (1962), singersongwriter best known for her 1995 hit “One of Us” 8 Mark Stoops (1967), head football coach at the University of Kentucky 9 Linda Bruckheimer (1945), author and editor from Bloomfield 12 Shannon Lee Lawson (1973), country singer-songwriter from Taylorsville 22 Gurney Norman (1937), Kentucky’s poet laureate for 2009-10 24 Crystal Wilkinson (1962), a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets 28 Sara Stewart Holland (1981), Paducah councilwoman who co-hosts Pantsuits Politics, a popular podcast

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FOOD

Cooking

PHOTOS BY

Jesse Hendrix Inman

Going Green

Whether you are growing your own fresh herbs and colorful salad mixes in your garden, or purchasing from your favorite farmers markets, herbs and greens are a great way to add interest and a punch of flavor to your summer salads, soups and even desserts. When storing fresh herbs, treat them like a floral bouquet. Cut the stem ends and place in a jar filled with water, then put in the refrigerator. If the humidity in the refrigerator isn’t high, wrap several damp paper towels over the leaves. Dampen as needed. Fresh herbs last for about a week and a half this way. To ensure you actually use the fresh lettuce or greens you just harvested or bought, take a few minutes to prep before storing in the refrigerator. Break away the leaves from the stem, and wash each leaf to remove any clinging dirt, then tear the leaves into bitesize pieces. Don’t cut or chop the lettuce, as this will bruise the leaf and promote quicker deterioration. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. You’ll be more likely to use the lettuce in meals, since the work has already been done. — JANINE WASHLE

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Basil-Cantaloupe Tart RICH TART PASTRY

RICH TART PASTRY

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes ½ cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse butter, sugar, egg yolk and salt in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add flour and pulse until crumbly. Add cream and water and pulse several times or until dough just forms a ball. 2. Using a large piece of plastic wrap as an aid, dump dough in center of plastic, then press together into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes until firm, or 15 minutes in the freezer. 3. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 10-inch tart pan. Press into pan without stretching. Trim off edges and discard. If dough becomes too warm, return to refrigerator and chill until manageable. 4. Lightly press a piece of aluminum foil into pan over top of dough. Let the foil edges extend beyond the tart pan. Fill to the top with beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Pull from oven and remove foil and weights. 5. Prick bottom of pie shell all over with a fork. Turn down oven heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

1 large egg yolk Pinch of sea salt 1½ cups all-purpose flour

PASTRY CREAM

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Warm milk with basil leaves in a large saucepan over medium heat. When tiny bubbles form along sides of pan, turn off heat and let infuse for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain off leaves and discard them. 2. Whisk egg yolks into milk. In a clean, medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Put pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in milk mixture. Continue whisking until mixture comes to a simmer, 5-7 minutes. Continue to simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla extract. 3. Pour into cooled tart shell. Smooth top. Press plastic wrap onto surface and refrigerate until completely chilled. 4. Just before serving, strain any accumulated liquid off of diced or sliced cantaloupe. Cover entire top surface of tart with the cantaloupe. Garnish with purple opal basil sprig. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

2 tablespoons cold water PASTRY CREAM

3 cups whole milk 1 cup whole, fresh basil leaves 3 large egg yolks ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup cornstarch 1/8

teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes ½ teaspoon vanilla extract TOPPING

2 cups finely diced or sliced fresh cantaloupe Garnish: Purple opal basil sprig

Recipes provided by Janine Washle of CloverFields Farm & Kitchen and prepared at Sullivan University by Ann Currie, with the assistance of Chef David Moeller.

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

FOOD

Cooking

Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli Soup) 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves 1 bay leaf

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. 2. Add the thyme, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, pepper, broth and beans. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. 3. Turn heat to medium high. Add the macaroni, then cover pot. Continue to boil until pasta is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in chopped basil and Parmesan cheese. Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers.

½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 16-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 16-ounce can white butter beans, drained and rinsed ¾ cup whole-wheat elbow macaroni ¼ cup fresh basil leaves or Italian parsley, chopped 1/3

cup freshly grated Parmesan

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Note: This is a good recipe to incomporate a variety of herbs. It is a light, summery soup, but to make it more substantial, remove casings from two Italian sausages, crumble into the onion and garlic, and sauté along with the vegetables until the meat is no longer pink. Proceed with recipe as directed. Vegetarian option: Add 1 cup veggie crumbles to onions and garlic while sautéing.

Thai Steak Salad SERVES: 4-6

2 cups washed arugula 1 English cucumber, spiraled 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup bias cut scallions ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 hot chili pepper, minced, optional ¼ cup cashews, crushed 1 grilled ribeye or sirloin steak, thinly sliced Creamy Sriracha dressing, recipe below 1. On a large platter, make a bed with the arugula. Arrange the spiral-cut cucumber attractively down the center. It can be cut it into thirds and arranged, if that is easier. 2. Scatter grape tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, chili pepper and cashews over top. Arrange steak slices in 2-3 areas on the platter. 3. Serve dressing drizzled over top or alongside. CREAMY SRIRACHA DRESSING 1/3

cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons Sriracha ½ teaspoon chili flakes 1 large garlic clove, minced Whisk ingredients together. Chill for 30 minutes to blend flavors.

FOOD

Cooking

Green Goddess Dressing MAKES: 4 CUPS

8-10 anchovy fillets or 1½ tablespoons anchovy paste (this doesn’t make the dressing “fishy.” It takes away the milky flavor of the dairy products and makes the dressing savory) ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped 2¾ cups sour cream (use whole fat, low fat or fat free) ¼ cup onion, chopped ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves, chopped 3 tablespoons fresh chives 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped ¼ cup buttermilk ½ cup white vinegar

Green Goddess Garden Pasta Salad 2 cups chopped mixed greens—romaine, kale, spinach, arugula or whatever is in the garden 2 cups garden peas, fresh or frozen 2 cups slivered fresh snow peas 1½ cups canned artichoke hearts, drained and halved 2/3

cup chopped green onions

4 cups cooked small pasta, like orriechette or elbow 1 cup chopped crispy bacon 1 avocado, peeled and cubed 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, optional ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1½-2 cups green goddess dressing, recipe below 1. In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, peas, snow peas, artichoke hearts, green onions, pasta, bacon, avocado, tarragon (if using), salt and pepper. 2. Pour over enough dressing to moisten, but not drown, the ingredients. Toss to coat. Chill in refrigerator. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. 14

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

1 tablespoon granulated sugar ½-1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1. Put anchovy fillets, parsley and 1 cup of sour cream in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until parsley has turned the mixture a pale green. 2. Add onion, tarragon, chives, dill, buttermilk, remaining sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to bowl. Puree for 3 minutes to thoroughly mince and combine dressing. 3. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate for an hour to enable flavors to combine. If using in this salad recipe, you can use the dressing right away, since you are refrigerating the salad before serving. Dressing

DISCOVER KENTUCKY VINEYARDS

Spinach with Warm Bacon Dressing SERVES: 6

6 slices bacon, fried, grease saved ¼ cup bacon grease (drippings)

CHUCKLEBERRY FARM & WINERY Bloomfield, 502.249.1051 chuckleberryfarm.com

FARMER & FRENCHMAN WINERY Robards, 270.748.1856 farmerandfrenchman.com

¼ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 2 green onions, sliced

PURPLE TOAD WINERY Paducah, 270.554.0010 purpletoadwinery.com

6 cups spinach, rinsed and dried 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped or sliced 1. Remove crispy bacon from skillet and measure out the grease. If you don’t have ¼ cup of grease, top it off with vegetable oil. Crumble bacon and set aside until needed. 2. Return grease to skillet and turn heat to medium high. Whisk in vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Cook until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. 3. Add green onions. Whisk again, being sure to scrape up any bacon bits from bottom of pan. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. 4. Put spinach in a shallow bowl and pour hot dressing over top. Toss to coat each leaf. Garnish with crumbled bacon and hard-boiled eggs. Serve immediately. Note:This dressing also is good over potatoes, green beans or traditional leaf lettuce.

StoneBrook Winery

Something special awaits you at these unique Kentucky vineyards..

STONEBROOK WINERY Melbourne, 859.635.0111 stonebrookwinery.com

VERONA VINEYARDS & WINERY Verona, 859.739.3144 veronavineyards.com

WHITE-MEYER VINEYARD & WINERY Shepherdsville, 502.921.0267 wight-meyervineyards.com

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

John James Audubon Walked Here Birding trail carries on the tradition of the great 19th century naturalist

By Angela Minor Bird Photography by Mike Blevins

n France’s Caribbean island colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) in 1785, Jean Rabin was born the illegitimate son of a French naval officer merchant and slave trader, Jean Audubon, and a French chambermaid, Jeanne Rabin. Jean never knew his mother, who died when he was but a few months old, and later spent his formative years from age 5 to 18 in France as Jean-Jacques Audubon. There, he benefited from a gentleman’s education, learning to ride, dance, play the violin and indulge his curiosities about nature. When his father’s plans for his seafaring career collapsed due to Jean’s seasickness and an aversion to mathematics, he returned to the woods. With conscription by Napoleon’s military growing ever nearer, his father sent him to America in 1803 with a false passport. Here, Jean anglicized his name and moved to Louisville, “a spot designed by nature to become a place of great importance,” he wrote in 1807. He married Lucy Bakewell in 1808 and struggled with his merchant business. “I seldom passed a day without drawing a bird, or noting something respecting its habits,” he wrote. “I could not bear to give the attention required by my business … and, therefore, my business abandoned me.” Audubon and his partner packed their remaining stock as he “longed to have a wilder range; [and] this made us remove to Henderson, one hundred and twentyfive miles farther down the fair Ohio.” But commercial business success continued to elude him in several endeavors. One result was a stint in jail for unpaid debt. He and his family departed those difficult days in Henderson 200 years ago in 1819. “Numberless quantities of failures, put all to an end: the Loss of My Darling Daughter affected Me Much; My Wife apparently had Lost her spirits,” Audubon would later write to his sons. Yet, what remains is a legacy known to all who gaze through binoculars and flip through field guidebooks to identify as many birds as possible on life’s path. In western Kentucky, one of the shortest birding trails in North America—with just three stops—is amplified by the depth and breadth of history.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Approximately one-half mile

south of the Ohio River banks in Henderson are 724 acres of rolling wooded landscapes, where the park’s namesake spent nine years of his early life in America. The John James Audubon State Park was dedicated in 1934, thanks to the tenacity and generosity of local citizens, an early Audubon Society, a Civilian Conservation Corps program, and the sheer determination to preserve the land and the works of one man’s celebration of birds and nature. “What William Penn is to Philadelphia, John James Audubon is to Henderson, Kentucky,” said Susan Starling Towles, the formidable force who helped found the state’s first Audubon Society. Her work and influence led to the museum’s creation. Towles participated in the park dedication, gave talks and readings about Audubon, and became his strongest advocate until her death in 1954 at the age of 93. One local citizen quipped, “She did everything but bring him back from the dead.” In addition to a pristine wilderness for birding, boating, camping and fishing, this state park offers a ninehole golf course, four playgrounds, a

NATURE NOTE Audubon Wetlands, 649 acres of public-private partnership land north of the main park, has a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, guided hikes and plans for more limited-mobility trails.

tennis court and fully appointed picnic areas. A museum, nature center, gift shop, conference room, theater, wildlife observation room, historic buildings, Discovery & Learning Center and art gallery for local artists create an immersive visitor experience.

TRIP TIP

Nine trails and Warbler Road (foot travel only) provide easy-to-moderate hiking access within the park’s nature preserve. The 10th (Eagle Glen) is a pet trail of moderate difficulty near the park entrance. Interpretive signs, Civilian Conservation Corps stone structures, diverse terrain and vistas, and even some solitude accompany hikers. To date, 177 bird species have been recorded here (eBird.org). As of press time, the campground was closed due to construction on the lake levee. Reservations are required for the six wellappointed cottages in the park.

MUST-SEE

According to the Friends of Audubon, the John James Audubon State Park Museum & Nature Center “is home to one of the largest collections of materials” related to Audubon’s life and work. Included in the 1,000-plus items are original works of art, personal items, letters, manuscripts and some of his taxidermy collection of birds. There is a permanent timeline exhibit with the opportunity to view The Birds of America double elephant folio edition (1827-1838). And the museum gift shop offers items to check off every birder’s shopping list. The Nature Center is free, with a wildlife observation room, theater, local art gallery and regular educational programs.

John James Audubon State Park J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

Possible Sightings Among the birds that may be seen on this three-part trail are: Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Osprey Great Blue Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron American Woodcock Spotted Sandpiper Cardinal (state bird) Eastern Bluebird Warblers (Prothonotary, Kentucky, Hooded, Blackthroated Green, Yellowthroated, Yellow, Cerulean) Cedar Waxwing Vireos (Yellow-throated, Whiteeyed, Blue-headed, Warbling) American Goldfinch Orioles (Orchard, Baltimore) Indigo Bunting Grosbeaks (Blue, Rose-breasted) Sparrows (Chipping, Field, Vesper, Savannah, Bachman’s) Tanagers (Summer, Scarlet) Woodpeckers (Pileated, Redheaded, Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Northern Flicker, Yellowbellied Sapsucker) Owls (Great Horned, Eastern Screech, Barred, Short-eared) Wood Duck Hooded Merganser Geese (Canada, Snow, Greater White-fronted)

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Henderson Sloughs Wildlife Management Area This wildlife management area

includes more than 11,000 acres of sloughs, wetlands, woodlands and ridges in northwestern Henderson and northeastern Union counties. The location welcomes tens of thousands of birds throughout the year and is a top destination for waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. It holds a designation as Kentucky’s first Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society as well as a Ducks Unlimited high priority area. The winter arrival of migrating snow geese was an event Audubon never missed. For Henderson and the six satellite units comprising this WMA— Sauerheber/Cape Hills, Grassy Pond/ Powell’s Lake, Jenny Hole/ Highland—282 species have been recorded (eBird.org).

NATURE NOTE

a success story of reclamation. Wells and pumps, along with planned crops for food and cover, have largely returned the area to its original healthy wetlands status. Audubon.org reports this location as “the site of one of the most prolific Bald Eagle nests east of the Mississippi River.” Winter bird counts for this area include 15,000 geese and 20,000 ducks.

TRIP TIP

Each unit is accessible in varying degrees via state roads, gravel and unimproved roadways, and roadside observation points and towers. Some tracts and marshes are closed November to March and may be limited at other times by weather conditions. Contact the WMA office at (270) 827-2673 for up-to-date information.

This area of Ohio River floodplain is

MUST-SEE Jenny Hole and Highland Creek units: A viewing pier offers excellent visibility, and 1,800 acres with a cypress slough are open for small boating. Primitive camping also is available. This area protects the state’s largest Great Blue Heron rookery.

What’s Better Than

American Made?

...Made in

Kentucky!

Higginson-Henry Wildlife Management Area The third stop on the Audubon birding trail is the 5,450-acre Higginson-Henry WMA southeast of Morganfield in Union County. The rolling hill topography is 81 percent forest, followed by open fields and a small percentage of open water and wetlands. This type of “edge” habitat is greater than the sum of its parts, bringing heightened biological diversity of both flora and fauna.

NATURE NOTE

The Wood Duck is the state’s most successful nesting waterfowl. You can find this highly decorated duck, along with 89 more recorded avian species, at Higginson-Henry WMA (eBird.org).

Evercure Farms is a Kentucky Proud purveyor of the finest Hemp products in the world. world

In addition to birding, fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie is popular at the 81-acre Mauzy Lake. Motorized boats are limited to 10 hp, which is good for trolling the shoreline and happy news for paddlers.

MUST-SEE

The Lee K. Nelson Wildlife Viewing Area and Outdoor Lab is east of State Route 56, northeast on County Road 1124. It gets fewer visitors than the other areas—perfect for quiet birding in prairie, forest and wetlands habitats. Two parking areas provide easy access to trails.

HEALTHY People Live with HIGH-STANDARDS

TRIP TIP The Higginson-Henry WMA offers 23 miles of trails for foot traffic only, with 9 additional miles open to horseback riding. There are primitive camping areas, three boat launches for small craft, and ample parking spots throughout the area for access.

www.

CBD.com

Birding Statewide in Kentucky “Kentucky offers a variety of habitats from the Cumberland Mountains in the far eastern end of the state to the cypress sloughs and wetlands found along the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the western end,” said Jeff Sole, president of the Kentucky Ornithological Society. “Avid birders often locate 50 to 100 species of birds in one day of birding in the Commonwealth.” In addition to the large number of bird species, Kentucky’s statewide biodiversity also includes 236 species of fish, 75 mammal species, 133 butterfly species, 2,200 species of moths, 55 reptiles and 3,000 species of wild plants. “Birding is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreation activities in the nation,” Sole said. “Over time, 384 species of birds have been documented in the Bluegrass State. [It] only requires a decent pair of binoculars and a bird book or birding app to get started. There are numerous local birding clubs in most states. “Here in Kentucky, check out the Kentucky Ornithological Society’s website at birdky.org, and look at eBird.org to find more birding spots.”

Kentucky Gateway Museum Center

215 Sutton Street

Maysville, KY 41056

606-564-5865

www.kygmc.org

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 4pm

Take off on an out of this world adventure when Minotaur Mazes Mission Aerospace exhibit lands at KYGMC. Mazes, puzzzles, and simulators!

Open June 15, 2019 through September 15, 2019 20

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TRAVEL KENTUCKY

KENTUCKY’S GREAT OUTDOORS EXPLORE KENTUCKY Summers are for long days spent off the beaten path. They’re for hiking new vistas, biking under canopies of trees and exploring by horseback and along OHV trails. Kentucky is full of breathtaking natural attractions worth experiencing. Head deep into the largest natural cave system in the world and reach new heights in the Appalachian Mountains. Cool off in Kentucky’s pristine natural limestone water lakes and rivers, where the fish are biting and there’s plenty of room to find your new favorite spot.

By the Deck of a Boat!

Summer is a time for new adventures. Embark on something more than a vacation, visit Kentucky.

The cool, crisp waters of the Kentucky River are ripe for adventure. Explore by canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard. See Buffalo Trace like no one else with a paddling tour. Or, get river history and environmental education tours on a 45 passenger pontoon boat, the KSU Thorobred. Round out your time on the rivers with Rockin Thunder River tours where you’ll travel through 4 locks in a passenger jet boat that is bound to leave you with memories for life. visitfrankfort.com

ADVENTURES FOR ALL

SUMMER FUN

Explore, Shop & Dine

Local Events

Vibrant events, unique experiences and family-friendly fun combine in Grant County. Have a larger-than-life adventure at Ark Encounter, a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark. Sip local vintages at Brianza Gardens and Winery or have dinner and a show at Stage Right Musical Theatre Company. There’s an event for every season, from Derby Day to Country Pumpkins Fall Fest to Country Christmas. visitgrantky.com

Have family fun in Mayfield. Automobiles of all kinds rule this summer. Come out June 15 to see classic cars cruise the streets at the Top Gun Cruise. Then, see the Remote Control Races at the Fairgrounds the same day. If you like art, view local creations at the Community Art Show at the Ice House June 15-July 6. And what summer is complete without feasting on good food? Sip local-made wine at the Fancy Farm Vineyard & Winery Fancy Fest June 29. Come out to Mayfield and have a summer to remember. visitmayfieldgraves.org

#TRAVELKY

kentuckytourism.com 1-800-225-TRIP

BOURBON INNOVATION And Bluegrass Beats!

Tradition meets innovation at O.Z. Tyler Distillery located on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in Owensboro Kentucky. Enjoy a tour and tasting where you’ll learn about how this historic bourbon distillery was brought back to life. Bourbon made here is unlike anywhere else in the world with a unique speed-aging process. After sipping your fill, head over to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum where bluegrass heritage lives on. As the only bluegrass music hall of fame, this brand-new facility hosts worldclass bluegrass, newgrass and Americana artists almost every weekend in its 450 seat state-of-the-art theater. While you’re there catching a show, check out the hall of fame and the incredible exhibits dedicated to Kentucky, the home of bluegrass music. Continue your exploration of American history at Preservation Station. Imagine an old elementary school transformed into a shopper’s paradise with each classroom hosting a unique shopping experience. Throw in an incredible restaurant located in the old cafeteria and you have Preservation Station. Sip, sing and shop in Owensboro. visitowensboro.com

THE TABLE IS SET Dig In

Shelbyville loves to show off its one-of-a-kind dining experiences, so gourmands and casual foodies alike will find everything from fine to unfussy dining here – with lots of down-home hospitality served on the side. No stranger to Kentucky’s regional dining scene Chef David Danielson, from Top Chef, has recently opened Old Stone Inn and Tavern, this former stagecoach and tavern inn built in the 1700s is a National Historic Landmark dishing up classic Southern fare. Head to Science Hill Inn Dining Room, housed in a wing of a former girls prep school. Try classic treats including fresh Kentucky trout, Kentucky country ham, southern shrimp and grits or a famous Kentucky Hot Brown open-faced sandwich smothered in cheese sauce. Have a hankering to sample recipes from the world’s most famous colonel not served in a bucket? Claudia Sanders Dinner House, opened in 1968 and originally named The Colonel’s Lady, plates up down-home-delicious fried chicken, chicken livers, sugar-cured ham, biscuits, yeast rolls and more. It’s more bar than table, but once you’ve tasted the bourbon, vodka and moonshine at Jeptha Creed Distillery you’ll be glad you bellied up to it. The distillery also serves special event, multi-course farm-to-table dinners featuring regional chefs and plenty of locally sourced vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meats and more. visitshelbyky.com

TRAVEL KENTUCKY

REAL KENTUCKY FLAVOR Bourbon, Food & Heritage It’s no secret that Bardstown is a bourbon epicenter. Sip and savor at a distinguished collection of world-famous distilleries and a number of newer craft distilleries. Willett Distillery specializes in handcrafted, small-batch and single-barrel selections of distilled spirits while Lux Row blends timeless craft and modern innovation to create some of Kentucky’s most regarded bourbon brands. Top off your bourbon adventures with a visit to Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. Follow the history and production of bourbon and learn with your taste buds with an educational tasting housed inside a giant barrel. Pair your whiskey experiences with classic southern dining. Kurtz Restaurant dishes up home-cooked, skillet-fried staples and has been doing so since 1937. And Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar is a local favorite with bourbon pork chops and a relaxed atmosphere. For a dose of deep history, stay at the Old Talbott Tavern. Built in 1779, this historic stone building is one of the oldest western

stagecoach stops in America. It’s hosted kings and presidents, pioneers and renegades. Period antiques are paired with modern amenities for a welcoming stay. ‘Forest Giants’ officially invade Bernheim Forest. In conjuction with the forest’s 90th Anniversary, Danish artist Thomas Dambo created a brand new installation, “Forest Giants in a Giant Forest.” The installation consists of three structures throughout Bernheim’s arboretum built using recycled wood from the region. Explore more than 16,000 acres with miles of hiking and biking trails in the Berheim Arboretum and Research Forest. For fantastic views, take the elevated Canopy Walk and climb the fire tower. See Kentucky produce at the Edible Garden and then taste the bounty at Isaac’s Café. Make your get-away an adventure in Bardstown. visitbardstown.com

#TRAVELKY

kentuckytourism.com 1-800-225-TRIP

MUSICAL ROOTS Feel the Beat

Located along the famed US 23 Country Music Highway, Ashland is a town with a beat. Big musical names like The Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Carter came from here. And in this musical town, local talent strum tunes new and old. See a show at the historic Paramount’s Arts Center and learn about local history at the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center. For all things

Appalachia, look through the bookstore and Appalachian gift shop at the Jesse Stuart Foundation. In town, there’s an event for every season and history, culture and outdoor recreation. Explore the surrounding area or simply enjoy a slowed-down pace of life. Choose your adventure. visitashlandky.com

MOUNTAIN VISTAS

BRING IN SUMMER

Kentucky’s Wild Side

In a Charming Town

Explore natural beauty at the Pine Mountain Overlooks of Letcher County. Adventure off the beaten path and discover unmatched splendor. The Pine Mountain Overlooks are located on one of Kentucky’s tallest mountains, where the road leads to five breathtaking overlook views: Cliffside, Hemlock, Hogg, Falcon and Sanders Collins Lodge. Stop by and enjoy the view or spend a whole trip exploring all Pine Mountain has to offer. discoverletcher.com

Welcome the summer season in beautiful Mt. Sterling. The historic downtown is alive with unique shopping, dining and fun events. Take a walking tour of historic sites, visit the Arts Center for exhibits and performances and sample fresh-made bourbon balls at the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory. Golf scenic Indian Creek and enjoy southern hospitality all in this charming city. Located only minutes east of Lexington on I-64 at Exit 110. mtsterlingtourism.com

Express Yourself EXPLORE YOUR C REATIVE SIDE AT BEREA’S FESTIVAL OF LEARNSHOPS

BY LAURA YOUNKIN

esignated by the Kentucky legislature as the Folk Art and Craft Capital of Kentucky, Berea brims with artistry. Thanks to the Festival Learnshops, the folks in Berea want you not only to enjoy the art there but also to learn how to make your own. The Learnshops began nine years ago, and the little festival keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last July, tiring of the endless renovations on our old house in Louisville, my husband, Larry, and I took a mini-vacation to Berea and signed up for a couple of craft workshops. It turned out to be a weekend of learning, plus a great getaway to a town we didn’t really know. Sure, we’d been to the Kentucky Artisan Center right off I-64, and we’d had the spoonbread at Boone Tavern, but we’d never stayed overnight or really explored the town. Fellow Kentuckians, if you have not spent time in Berea, you may want to put the Learnshops on your to-do list. The Learnshops are workshops that last anywhere from two hours to four days. If you want to learn how to make mead like a Viking, crochet a cactus, or create your own podcast, there’s a class on that. This year, there are more than 170 Learnshops and 300 sessions (since some classes are taught more than once). With 14 categories ranging from printmaking to blacksmithing, and two additional categories for educators, it’s hard to think of something you couldn’t learn to make at the Learnshops. The impetus for the festival was local artists who had begun hosting workshops on their own in their studios, which gave the folks at the Berea Tourism Commission an idea. “Why not make a big program that brings artists and people from all over?” asked Aja Croteau, the commission’s former community relations manager. “Not only can you see it happening and buy it, you get to be the artist.” It’s a formula that seems to be working. According to program manager Nancy Conley, people from 32 states and two other countries were at last year’s event. “It’s gotten bigger every year,” she said. When the Learnshops started in 2011, the fest lasted nine days and had 264 registrations. In 2018, there were more than 1,200 registrations. “We do see folks planning their vacation around Learnshops,” Conley said. “They drive in and fly in from all over. We had a lady joining us from Congleton, England [last year].” One of the marketable aspects of the Learnshops is their appeal to all ages and interests. According to Conley, “We see families coming, ladies coming for a girls retreat. A lot of times, a husband, wife and kids split up and go to different areas.” What if you didn’t plan ahead? Not a problem. “Space permitting, you can register right until the class starts,” Conley said. Some sessions sell out pretty quickly, though, so it’s a good idea to do some advance planning. My husband is an outdoorsy, uber-DIY kind of guy, so he signed up for a class on how to make your own chisel and Japanese-style plane—not the flying kind, the woodworking kind. The class covered a wide age spectrum—from a teenager to a couple well into their retirement years. It was a six-hour class and included working with a forge, which, incidentally, the instructor had made himself. Not being handy with things that involve fire, I observed for a while, then checked out the shops at the “Old Town” Artisan Village. There were plenty of examples of Appalachian crafts, and I recognized some of the goods as items that could be made in Learnshops. This may seem odd, but it was a hot July afternoon, and watching people work with a forge did not cool me off. The local pool did, though. The Berea Swimming Pool is 9,200 square feet of cool heaven. It includes a play area for children, wheelchair accessibility and swimming lanes. At just $4 for an adult admission, it was a deal. There are plenty of places to stay while in Berea, and the town embraces this festival of learning. Shops and hotels give discounts if you show you’re in town for Learnshops. Whether you want to stay at a chain like Holiday Inn, enjoy the historic Boone Tavern Hotel, or camp out at the Walnut Meadow RV Park, all offer discounts during the Festival 26

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEREA FESTIVAL OF LEARNSHOPS

Berea Festival of Learnshops 2019 JULY 12—AUGUST 2 For more information, visit visitberea.com/festival-of-learnshops J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

of Learnshops. Check out visitberea. com for other places to stay. And you may want to check out the shops that give a discount if you show your participants’ badge. In addition to the Learnshops, there are plenty of activities in Berea during the summer months. “In July, there’s always something to do and something going on,” Conley said. Friday nights, from July 19 through Oct. 4, offer Levitt AMP Music Series nights in Artisan Village. Bands perform on the porch, vendors—including food trucks—are on the street, and people gather on the lawn to enjoy the show. Berea has won a nationwide grant for three years in a row to present the music series. On its website, the Levitt Foundation explains why Berea was chosen for the music series. “The 2019 series will continue to solidify ‘Old Town’ as a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive hub for art, food and community gatherings.” Berea offers some fantastic restaurant options. Larry and I visited Native Bagel Company, Noodle Nirvana and Dinner Bell Restaurant. On Saturday, we grabbed lunch at the local farmers market, which had delicious sandwiches from Sunny Wolf Farm.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

The farmers market is open 9 a.m-1 p.m. Saturday at 416 Chestnut Street. The Amish pastries are exquisite. We both signed up for the Woodturning: Vase/Candleholder class taught by Bob Bagley. It was a blast. The class was held in a big barn, back among green fields. The setting was lovely, calm and bucolic. The quiet of the countryside, though, ended once we entered the barn. There were woodworking machines and tools everywhere, stacks of wood scraps, other classes being held, and the intoxicating smell of fresh wood shavings. It turns out that we were the only students for that particular class, so we got plenty of personal attention. The session started with an overview of safety procedures, which is good because that whirring machine looked like it could do some damage if I didn’t pay attention. I appreciated the small class, as I’d never used a wood lathe before, and it took me a while to get used to leaning into my chisel as the wood turned and I made a vase. Larry and I decided to make matching candleholders, and we used tongs to measure our wood, marking lines of where to dig deeper with the chisel and where to hold back. I was earnest and intense. I leaned in, chipping away a little at a time, careful

to use the right form so that I didn’t allow the lathe to make the embarrassing chatter that announces to everyone that you’re bordering on incompetent. I looked up to see that Bob and Larry were chatting, while Bob kept an eye on me. And Larry was putting a finishing polish on his candleholder. Realizing that at the rate I was going, I’d finish my project in roughly 36 more hours, I asked the guys for help, and they got my candleholder to look fairly similar to the one Larry had made. I’d tried something out of my comfort zone, and I can’t lie: It was pretty exhilarating. I had a great time, and Bob was a patient teacher. The candleholders stay on our dining room table, a reminder of a fun project Larry and I did together. Life can be a little tedious, with paying bills, doing laundry, buying groceries and all the little maintenance tasks that each day requires. The Learnshops are a great way to loosen up, get in touch with your artistic side, and try something new. The fact that they’re held in the creative town of Berea makes them that much better. As Conley explained, “I came to college at Berea and never left. I fell in love with it.” Q

Open call fOr artists A little traditional, a little contemporary,

all KentucKy crafted. Kentucky Crafted sets the standard for artistic excellence and quality craftsmanship. Juried artists are both nationally recognized and locally loved.

To learn more about our artists or apply to the program

visit artscouncil.ky.gov

Mark Whitley K E N T U C K Y

r e m m Su n u F

Travel to the past, to the track, to the water, to a train, and more ... all right here in Kentucky BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER Whether you call it a day trip, a road trip or a staycation, it’s easy to

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

pack up the kids and drive to one of these family-friendly destinations this summer. No need to check on airfare, pay crazy out-of-state amusement park admission fees, or get a passport. Teach your little ones about Kentucky and all that we have to offer. With so many unique things to see and do in our beautiful Bluegrass State, you’ll create memories that will last a lifetime.

Mastodons, Really? With 46 state parks and historic sites in Kentucky—including 17 state resort parks that boast a lodge—you are sure to find several with attractions that appeal to your family. In northern Kentucky, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site has both new and old for your family to explore. It isn’t called the Birthplace of American Paleontology for nothing. During the Pleistocene era, it was a giant

mini golf and playgrounds, but the stars of the park are the bison. A herd of the giant land mammals roams the area, just as they did thousands of years ago.

Gardens with Gumption Owensboro is home to the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, with its declared mission: “To discover, observe and enjoy the wonders of our environment and to provide priceless education in order to foster an awareness of our interaction with nature.”

Today, the bones are not scattered about, but the park does have a museum with displays that explain the site, in addition to an outdoor life-size diorama depicting the prehistoric animals splashing in the swamps and noshing on the salt lick. Of course, there are amenities like hiking trails,

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site 3380 Beaver Road, Union 859.384.3522 parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites /big-bone-lick Big South Fork Scenic Railway 66 Henderson Street, Stearns 606.376.5330 bsfsry.com Churchill Downs 700 Central Avenue, Louisville 502.636.4400 churchilldowns.com

On this luscious acreage, there are several themed gardens, including a stunning daylily garden, all connected by a winding walking path. The botanical garden is open seven days a week during the summer growing season.

Ellis Park 300 U.S. 41 N., Henderson 812.425.1456 ellisparkracing.com

Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Oldham County offers displays that encompass everything from annuals and perennials to trees and shrubs. On the property of the former Klein family farm and nursery, the gardens are a result of horticulturalist Theodore Klein’s life’s work. After his passing in 1998, the land was purchased by community volunteers who recognized Klein’s amazing commitment to plants and gardening. Stroll the grounds and take in the spectacular displays. The gardens are closed on Mondays.

Kentucky Horse Park 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington 859.233.4303 kyhorsepark.com

Large Dose of Kentucky History

swampy salt lick that attracted the likes of mammoths, mastodons, giant sloths and bison that, unfortunately, got stuck in the muck and died there. The result is centuries worth of massive bones all in one location.

when If You Go:

Frankfort is a scenic town with a walkable city center, charming restaurants and historic architecture, but, luckily for us, it also is the state capital. A visit to the massive domed Kentucky State Capitol is enough to take your breath away. Completed in 1911, it is where Kentucky’s lawmakers meet, and it is open to visitors Monday through Saturday, April through October. Also in Frankfort is the Old State Capitol, which was completed in 1830. The House and Senate chambers are furnished with reproduction desks to look as they did back in the day, and the building features some original lighting and windows. Tours are scheduled through the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. The center offers a 12,000-year walkable journey through the state’s history, showing events, people and artifacts from prehistoric times through today.

Historic RailPark + Train Museum 401 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green historicrailpark.com

Kentucky Railway Museum 136 South Main Street, New Haven 800.272.0152 kyrail.org Kentucky State Capitol Building 700 Capital Avenue, Frankfort capitol.ky.gov Lake Cumberland Tourism Somerset 606.679.6394 lctourism.com Land Between the Lakes landbetweenthelakes.us Old State Capitol Building 300 West Broadway, Frankfort history.ky.gov Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History 100 West Broadway, Frankfort history.ky.gov Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky 1001 Cherry Blossom Way, Georgetown 502.868.3027 visittoyotaky.com Western Kentucky Botanical Garden 25 Carter Road, Owensboro 270.993.1234 wkbg.org Yew Dell Botanical Gardens 6220 Old La Grange Road, Crestwood 502.241.4788 yewdellgardens.org J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

early 1950s. Since then, the museum has acquired passenger cars, memorabilia and even 22 miles of track through the Rolling Fork River Valley. You can take a basic train excursion or specialty trip throughout the year. At the Historic RailPark and Train Museum in Bowling Green, you and your family can learn about trains inside a former L&N depot that was built in 1925, during the railroad heyday. The park has train cars for touring, including an engine, sleeper, dining car and caboose. There are also a railroad post office car full of slots for mail sorting and the train car that belonged to the president of L&N in 1911. All the cars are either restored or in the process of being restored, but visitors are welcome to c’mon aboard and explore.

Highfalutin Boatin’ On massive Lake Cumberland, with a surface area of more than 65,000 acres, there are loads of water-related activities available. With several marinas in the area, you can easily rent a boat. Pontoons, jet skis and fishing boats are plentiful, but the area is known as the Houseboat Capital of the World, so one of these babies might be right up your alley. Houseboats come in all sizes—whether you need to sleep a few or up to 18 people—and have all the amenities you might never have expected, such as barbecue grills, hot tubs on the roof, and tube slides off the back. Regardless of the size or style of watercraft you select, being on the lake is a beautiful way to view it and the surrounding area.

A Horse Is a Horse

Clockwise from top left, jet skis, which are available for rent, are a great way to experience Lake Cumberland; visitors to the Kentucky Horse Park can meet and greet the horses there; Thomas the Tank Engine is a regular visitor to the Kentucky Railway Museum; natural beauty can be found throughout the Commonwealth.

The Old Capitol and the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History are open Tuesday through Saturday.

Hear the Train a-Comin’ Although trains might have been the main mode of transportation a few generations ago, there are still places Kentucky where you can enjoy a ride on the tracks. At the Big South Fork 32

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

Scenic Railway in Stearns, trips are offered via the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway through the hills of Appalachia and the Daniel Boone National Forest, with a stopover at the Blue Heron Coal Mining Camp, a former mining community. The Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven began with the donation of locomotive No. 152 from the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in the

Kentucky and horses go together like peanut butter and jelly, so introducing the family to equine friends seems like an obvious choice. You can experience the thrill of live Thoroughbred racing at Kentucky tracks during the summer. In Louisville, the Churchill Downs meet runs from April 27 through June 29, Thursday through Sunday. Henderson’s Ellis Park hosts live racing on the weekends, June 30 through Sept. 2. The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is an excellent way to celebrate all horses. Four separate museums there are dedicated to horses, with the International Museum of the Horse and the American Saddlebred Museum being the most popular. Throughout each day, the park hosts a Parade of Breeds Show, Hall of Champions presentation, draft horse demonstrations, and horse and pony

F I N D M O R E A D V E N T U R E S : # E X P L O R E K Y # T R AV E L K Y

Georgetown’s Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky plant offers tours every weekday.

rides in addition to other special equine presentations. The park is a working horse farm, and you can take a tour or simply wander around the beautiful grounds on your own and observe the activities.

It’s All on a Peninsula Kentucky has lots of places to play, but the largest has to be the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area at the western end of the state. The land, actually an inland peninsula, was created in the late 1950s, when the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers were impounded. This created Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and the protected land between. In addition to boating, camping, hunting and fishing, LBL has these family fun attractions: The Elk and Bison Prairie is a 700-acre enclosed area where these enormous beasts roam free, just as they did centuries ago. The prairie has a 3-mile driving course, so visitors can see how the animals live from the comfort of their car. Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory offers educational events and an up-close look at the night sky, even in the daytime. The planetarium presents shows throughout the day with 360-degree surround sound in its 40-foot domed theater. Woodlands Nature Station features programs about nature and animals as well as the Backyard, a walking path through gardens where you can see

native animals that have been injured or orphaned and are not able to live in the wild. Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum, on land that actually is in Tennessee but is still considered a part of the LBL, has a family of interpreters who show visitors the daily tasks of living— including caring for the livestock and tending the crops—in this area during pre-Civil War years.

Toyota Tour The Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky plant in Georgetown produces more than 2,000 cars a day. That is certainly a lot of Camrys, Avalons and Lexus ES 350s, but you can see how it is done by hopping on the facility’s tram tour. Three hourlong tours are presented each weekday, with four on Thursday. The tours are free, but everyone in your party needs to be in first grade or older, and reservations are required. Outfitted with headphones and accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, visitors view various parts of the assembly line and some of the individual parts being made and installed. There are safety and quality checks along the way. The tour is fascinating, and since the factory has more than 7 million square feet of space, you will be glad to be riding the tram. Q

Transformation

A traveling photography exhibit helps change the lives of women suffering from substance abuse

By Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley

“The Chrusalis Dream” poem reprinted with permission from John Stephen Hockensmith.

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Emerging from

THE DARKNESS

When a woman enslaved by the disease of substance abuse walks into the doors of Chrysalis House, she may have hit rock bottom and have little hope left. But she is entering a program that has been saving the lives of women—and even their children—for the past four decades.

Awaken! Arise, my little curious one, for soon you’ll see me no more— a shuddering mother leaves her egg hidden in leaves of milkweed green; inside is the larva of the one to come a mirror of those are already gone; Awaken! Arise, my little hungry one.

It was 2016, and John Stephen Hockensmith was just gifted a terrarium containing the chrysalis of a monarch butterfly. Not long after, a newly emerged monarch captivated the Georgetown-based photographer. “I knew nothing of the miracles and mysteries that are contained in this transformation from the larva to the caterpillar, and the caterpillar turns itself inside out and becomes a chrysalis, which looks like a little of drop of jade stitched up with gold thread,” he said. “About 15 days later, it turns clear, and you see a monarch inside it. Then it breaks open, and the monarch crawls out, and its wet wings are clinging. And it gets up in the air, flutters about, feeds itself and continues the migration progress to Mexico.” Laid beneath lush green milkweed leaves eyes closed—soaring inside—azure skies. Reverie rising herald the glory above, fluttering memories of freedom’s invisible streams of thought drift inside imagination; here, a spirit is concealed within the unseen —secret scenes from shimmering dreams.

Known for his equine photography, Hockensmith was compelled to switch

gears for a few months and began capturing the monarch’s life stages with his camera. “They can be backlit, and they’re like little transparent sheets of cellophane orange,” he said. “What can be more beautiful than orange and living green—all of the things that are in the undercover of the natural world?” Born of instincts that voraciously devour, hooking upside down, to shimmy inside out dancing, hanging, quivering, transfiguring into a gold-buttoned jade on silken thread; left wind-dangled before being crystallized, fracturing open, liberation, then energized; to drink risen winds as their wings fully dry.

He even “up and booked a flight” to follow the monarch’s southerly migration to the Cerro Pelon Mountain in central Mexico. “When you get to the top of the mountain, [you see] nests hanging from these trees … and the floor of the mountaintop covered in monarchs,” he said. “Trees were so laden with them, [the butterflies] would bend them downward to where they touched the ground.” There is little to think—for all is known who is—what was—where we must go. The language of life lives in unspoken words driven forward by every throbbing feeling; down ancient paths this one hasn’t traveled. Nature’s encore—migratory cycle, cocooning, miracles inside mysteries, again and again.

“We are Kentucky’s oldest and largest licensed treatment program for women with substance use disorders,” said Lisa Minton, Chrysalis House’s executive director. “We are one of the few programs that allow women to come in pregnant, deliver their babies, and keep their babies with them while they are in treatment.” What began as a small program in 1978 with six beds at Lexington’s Eastern State Hospital has expanded to four residential facilities, a 40-unit apartment complex, a community center and an outpatient office. The facilities enable the program to treat and change the lives of more than 100 women a year. Minton said Chrysalis House is more than just a treatment program. It provides mental health care, domestic violence counseling, computer and vocational training, children’s services and job placement assistance. “It’s easier when you’re in a place that’s giving you help, but when you go back into the world, you need that skill set to carry on,” she said. More information about Chrysalis House can be found at chrysalishouse.org.

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Once he returned home, Hockensmith developed The Chrysalis Project—a traveling exhibit of 24 prints, each measuring 30 by 19.5 inches, with the intention of donating 15 percent from the sale of each print to Chrysalis House of Lexington, a substance abuse program for women. Lisa Minton, the program’s executive director, says at least a dozen of the prints are on display at the treatment center—a perfect tribute to the program’s mission. “The chrysalis is the protected stage, right before the beautiful butterfly emerges, and that is what we want for the over 200 women and children we work with each year,” Minton said. “That’s why he picked us. That’s what we do. [Women] come in, and they fly away and become self36

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sufficient and take care of their babies, reunite with their other children, mend their relationships with their families, hold down a job, keep their own apartment—all of this we’re working on the whole time since she walks in the door.” Here between the seams of everything, dancing the dance – the chrysalis dream. Future memories emerge from the past, visions of heaven’s vastness pale and fade; as nightfall settles on the living en masse, all clustered together in a pulsing essence. Here, between the seams of everything.

Hockensmith said he chose Chrysalis House to honor his late wife, Suzanne Hockensmith, who worked 30 years at Lexington’s Eastern State Hospital helping treat those suffering

from substance abuse. “The goal is to travel the exhibit from colleges to arboretums … in order to bring awareness to not only the chrysalis story, but to the fact that transformation is a key component to all of our lives and certainly for those who are devastated by addiction,” he said. Feeling warmth as again the sun has rose gold, concerts of color flow, as the orchestra tunes, aflutter hovers holding an infinite noiseless note, shining empyreal rays along a narrow pathway. Preparing our passions for the passage home taking the first updraft that lifts in shifting winds; wings in rhythm join in freedom’s song again.

Each limited edition print sells for $495. Framed versions are also available for $795. More information can be found at finearteditions.net. Q

Summer Showtime Pioneer Playhouse gears up for its 70th season BY RACHAEL GUADAGNI

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY â&#x20AC;¢ J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

THE 2019 SUMMER LINEUP Kong’s Night Out By Jack Neary June 7-June 22 Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders By Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novel by Larry Millett June 25-July 6 (closed July 4) Breaking Up With Elvis By Robby Henson July 9-July 20 Not Now, Darling By Ray Cooney and John Chapman July 23-Aug. 3 Red, White and Tuna By Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams Aug. 6-Aug. 17

IF YOU GO: Pioneer Playhouse 840 Stanford Road, Danville 859.236.2747 pioneerplayhouse.com

ll the world may be a stage, but all the stages of the world are hardly the same. In the town of Danville, there is a venue that harkens back to a time when summer brought eager actors, talented directors and stage artists together in a warm-weather delight known as summer stock theater. These diehards dedicated their dog days to honing their craft in performances that kept the locals coming back season after season. The folks of central Kentucky still do. The Pioneer Playhouse Outdoor Theatre & Campground in Danville has been training actors and producing plays for 70 seasons. In its first couple of decades, it garnered the title “King of Summer Stocks” among the theater community. The impetus behind this creative endeavor was the late Eben C. Henson, a Kentucky Colonel and Danville native who had a penchant for stage acting and a knack for making things work. “Our dad was crazy,” Pioneer Playhouse founding family member and managing director Heather Henson said with a laugh. “He had an idea to start a theater

Etta May Aug. 23-24

in Kentucky because he was a dreamer,” added Robby Henson, Heather’s brother and the artistic director for Pioneer Playhouse. “He grew up in Danville, but after World War II, he’d gone to an acting program in New York City at the New School, and he got the bug. When he decided to come back from New York to Danville, he wanted to bring a lot of his colleagues and friends and the whole New York theater vibe to Danville. That was 1950.” That year, Colonel Henson finagled a deal to rent an abandoned USO theater on the grounds of Darnell Hospital—now Kentucky State Hospital—in return for donating 20 percent of the profits for candy, cigarettes and books for the patients. For the next several years, performances took place there, while the seeds of Henson’s own stock theater were sprouting. Doing all the work himself, Henson often bartered for goods and equipment and became, as his kids put it, “the first recycler.” “He would give a bottle of whiskey if somebody would bring out old factory beams, and he would create buildings out of factory beams

and girders,” Robby said. “That was the only way,” Heather said. “He didn’t have any money, so he would go to a construction site and say, ‘Hey, you’re tearing that down. Can I have that?’ and before they could say yes or no, he would take it. And when you walk through, everything you see is hand built by our father.” The terraced outdoor theater is flanked by dorm rooms that house the actors for the season. Walk through the “Indian Room” and across an open-air courtyard and you’re in the Shelter House, which is used as a dance floor and indoor theater. (Summer theater means summer weather; the fickle Kentucky version occasionally sends actors and audience members scurrying for cover mid-performance.) A 19th century village constructed of parts of local buildings offers visitors a lovely walk through the past. Early bullet-proof glass in “The Bank,” an 1880s printing press in the “Danville Mirror” newspaper office, and various storefronts plucked from renovation projects in downtown Danville add authenticity to the setting. Serving as the box office is one of J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

Among the actors who appeared in summer stock theater at Pioneer Playhouse was a young John Travolta.

Pioneer Playhouse’s most famous structures, the train depot from the 1956 Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift film, Raintree County, which was shot in part in Danville and in which Heather and Robby’s mother, Charlotte, was an extra. After their beginnings at Darnell Hospital, Henson’s productions had moved to a pasture on the current site, and once the film wrapped, he saw an opportunity to take his theater in a new direction. “After Raintree County, he saw that he could repurpose this train station set,” Robby said. “He started building the complex around it.” Fortunately for Henson, summer stock theater was enjoying immense popularity in America, and actors were signing up in droves. “At that time, summer stock theater was the cool new thing to do,” said Heather. “A lot of people were starting it in different states … in the ’50s and ’60s, this was kind of the ‘King Daddy’ of summer stock theater. New York 40

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actors would come to the wilds of Kentucky and be like, ‘What is this?’ ” They soon discovered it was the perfect venue for mastering their craft. “Dad had the idea in the beginning to have a place where actors could come and learn how to be actors, learn how to be directors, learn how to make a set and create a stage,” Heather said. “So for years, it was ‘The Pioneer School of Drama,’ which we still are.” Charlotte Henson, the backbone of the family who was an indispensable partner to the Colonel, still cooks three meals a day—announcing each with the ringing of an antique bell— for the 30-plus residents who are accepted each year into Pioneer Playhouse’s summer program. Several of those early players at the theater became well-known performers. Everyone’s favorite Bionic Man, Lee Majors, was one, as well as John Travolta, and character actors Bo Hopkins (The Last Picture Show and Dynasty), George Loros (The Rockford Files and various television roles) and

Lexington native Jim Varney of the Ernest movies and TV commercials. Travolta was a teenage intern at the Playhouse and had a small role in a play Henson wrote about legendary Kentucky physician Ephraim McDowell. Many years later, in a letter, Travolta quoted his line from the play, “Yes, Margaret Miller was suffering from pyloric stenosis and at the time of the operation, I had no chance of success!” and the Colonel responded, “And it was exactly right … It was the line from my play! John had remembered it after all those years … It must’ve meant something to him.” It also meant something to the Henson kids, a creative bunch who all took turns playing a part in that play when they were young. Their own endeavors took them away from home and back again, as their passion for theater and the call to continue their dad’s legacy never dimmed. “Both Heather and myself pursued other careers for a while, in other places,” Robby said. “I did five feature films that I directed for major studios, and Heather has had more books than that.” “I went into publishing and was an editor at HarperCollins,” Heather said, “and then into writing children’s books.” An award-winning author, she was a semifinalist for the prestigious Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award in 2017, with her work The Whole Sky being the only young adult book considered. Their sister Holly, who passed away in 2012, was the executive artistic director for the Playhouse as well as an actor and comedienne. Robby was the winner of the Student Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award while he was a student at New York University’s graduate school. Later, his film

Pharaoh’s Army, starring Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Kris Kristofferson, was shown on PBS. Robby was both writer and director for The Badge, a crime drama starring Billy Bob Thornton, Patricia Arquette, Thomas Hayden Church and Sela Ward, which was released through Starz Pictures and Lions Gate Films. It won Best Drama at the Breckenridge Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Texas Film Festival, and was nominated for a GLAAD Award. Robby helped found Voices Inside, a playwriting program for prison inmates funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and he continues to direct at the Playhouse. “All of us pursued creative careers,” Heather said. “And I think that’s

because we grew up here in this magical theater setting, and our parents always encouraged us to do what we wanted to do.” This summer, audiences will enjoy the usual round of smart, funny productions such as Kong’s Night Out, Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders, and the two-actor wonder Red, White and Tuna. The Playhouse’s Kentucky Voices productions are big fan favorites, and this year’s Breaking Up With Elvis promises to continue that tradition. The King’s sudden death led to the cancellation of his 1977 show at Rupp Arena, and anyone who still has a ticket from the “ghost concert” can bring it to the Pioneer Playhouse box office for a 50 percent discount on that performance.

In August, famed comedienne Etta May will return for two nights, delighting fans with her “Southern Fried Chicks”-inspired humor. Theatergoers can enjoy a delicious dinner of hickory smoked pulled pork or chicken, cornbread, potatoes, coleslaw, local vegetables and cobbler for dessert. Iced tea and lemonade are included, with alcoholic beverages available for purchase. The passion, talent and graciousness of Pioneer Playhouse’s Henson family shines through in every aspect of the productions, and their carefully crafted setting is a joy in itself. “You can come early; you can wander around; you can have dinner at 7:30, a home-cooked meal, and a show at 8:30,” Heather said. “People do, and they fall in love.” Q

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imilar to a Cinderella sports story, the tiny town of Beaver Dam in western Kentucky has made a come-from-behind win, even when the odds were not in its favor. Although the town was financially stable, administrators were looking for an attraction to bring people there, and in 2012, they found their answer. “We never considered that it wouldn’t work,” said Mayor Paul Sandefur. “We just did it.” The boost they needed came from taking a chance and building Beaver Dam Amphitheater. Of course, lots of cities have amphitheaters, but not every town with a population of about 3,500 builds a venue that holds 5,000. Sandefur, who has been mayor since 2011, was working with city commissioners to create a new park on 35 acres downtown. They wanted ball fields, walking trails and a spot for a farmers market. Then someone pointed out that there was an area that had a hill, which would be great for an amphitheater. “We were originally thinking on a much smaller scale,” Sandefur said. “We pictured a few hundred people sitting on the hill watching a local musician.”

But when they looked at the numbers, they realized they could build something bigger than that. “Our goal was to bring people into our community,” he said. “So we did go bigger.” Last year, in just its fourth year of operation, Beaver Dam Amphitheater hosted singer John Prine and had its first sell-out concert. Beaver Dam Tourism Director JoBeth Embry said the success of the venue is unlike anything the town has ever seen. “The first few years, we had tremendous local support,” she said. “People loved it because they didn’t have to leave the county to see entertainment. But it is true tourism now, with out-of-state visitors coming in for every show.” The town sits one exit north of the Western Kentucky Parkway, about 30 miles south of Owensboro. Since the amphitheater opened, the town has gone wet—although the county is still dry—and new businesses have opened. Currently, there are one hotel, one motel and 22 restaurants. The Ohio County Park and RV Campground is nearby and can accommodate about 130 RVs as well as primitive campsites. On concert days, it offers a shuttle to and from the show.

“The restaurants, shops and boutiques are all mom-and-pop shops, and we even have volunteers from Beaver Dam work as volunteers at the shows,” Embry said. “They are such great ambassadors because no one knows our town better than the people who live here. “We want everyone to come see what we have. We can offer a small-town feel with a big-time amphitheater.” Heath Eric is no stranger to the music business. As a member of the husband-and-wife duo Heath & Molly, he has traveled the United States and Europe performing American-roots rock, and he is founder and president of The Eric Group, which is dedicated to concert and festival promotion. He got involved with the amphitheater in 2017, handling all bookings, publicity and production of the shows. “This is like a Field of Dreams-type venue,” Eric said, comparing it to the movie in which a beautiful baseball field is built in a cornfield in Iowa. “These progressive-thinking folks have built a world-class venue.” Not only the people of Beaver Dam love it, but the performers love it as

If You Go: Beaver Dam Amphitheater 217 South Main Street, Beaver Dam 270.274.7106 | beaverdamtourism.com

Small Town, Big Beaver Dam builds its own ‘Field of Dreams’ By Deborah Kohl Kremer

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well, Eric said. He believes word is spreading among fans and artists. Eric said when people talk about shows they have seen, they regularly include the venue as something that made it memorable—think Ryman Auditorium in Nashville or Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver. “I think as fans recall concerts, they will say, ‘Yeah, but I saw them at The Dam,’ and that will be all they need to say,” he said. Eric described his favorite part of any show by describing the scene: “We see thousands of people in the venue having the time of their life. Then the performer comes on stage, and at that moment, it all comes together. It is magical.” Q

Upcoming Shows June 8 Bret Michaels with special guest Corey Smith June 15 Old Crow Medicine Show with special guest Molly Tuttle July 6 Parks in the Park featuring Andy Brasher, the Wilson Brothers Band and Josh Merritt July 20 ’80s Rock The Dam Fest with Night Ranger, Warrant and Slaughter Aug. 25 The Temptations with special guest The BB King Blues Band featuring Michael Lee Aug. 31 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Sheryl Crow Sept. 7 The Big Dam Acoustic Rock Show featuring Don Dokken, Kip Winger, Jack Russell and Eric Martin

Sound J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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Summertime means new adventures and exploring new locations. Check out these destinations this summer!

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TRAVEL

KTIA Signature Summer Events ach quarter, the Kentucky Travel Industry Association spotlights E Signature Events for the season.

Explore

Usual Suspects on July 27. The party starts at 7 p.m. and ends when the crowd goes quiet.

Following is a sample of the state’s prime activities for the summer. Great American Brass Band Festival, June 6-9, various locations, Danville, (859) 319-8426, gabbf.org. This one-of-akind musical celebration can only be found once a year in the Danville area. Check out the Great American Balloon Race in nearby Junction City, watch the parade down Main Street, or kick back at the Great American Picnic with a drink and enjoy the the music. Beer Cheese Festival, June 8, downtown Winchester, beercheesefestival.com. The world’s only beer cheese festival is an epic celebration of the zesty cheese spread invented in Clark County. Visitors taste beer cheese made by competitors from all over the country and vote for their fave in the People’s Choice Beer Cheese contest. It also features live music, a beer garden, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, shopping and more. Parking and admission are free. Kentucky Craft Beer Festival, June 15, 100 Haycraft Street, Elizabethtown, kentuckycraftbeerfestival.com. At this event, visitors can enjoy samples from more than 20 Kentucky craft breweries and an array of food trucks, along with a homebrew competition. General admission includes a 2019 souvenir sampling glass and a tasting card, or become a VIP and receive early admission, plus a 2019 shirt. Old Fort Harrod Settlement & Raid, June 22-23, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov. Step into the 1770s for a full-scale re-enactment, complete with living history, Native American culture and a Native attack on the fort. The Shawnee raid that took place in 1777 will be re-enacted at 2 p.m. each day. You’ll see lots of black powder rifles in action and enjoy a variety of picnic foods. Party in the Park, June 29 and July 27, Royal Spring Park, Georgetown, (502) 863-2547, georgetownky.com. Celebrate summertime with live music, food and drinks during this concert series. Everyone is invited for a fun and free evening featuring the sounds of Rocksteady on June 29 and

Star City Day, July 4, downtown Prestonsburg, (606) 886-1341, prestonsburgky. org. This event features streets full of local artists, businesses and food vendors. Activities include face painting, chalk art, live painting, live music, pottery creation and one of the largest fireworks shows in Kentucky. Cadiz Music & Food Festival, July 27, (270) 498-9890, downtown Cadiz, GoCadiz. com/MusicFest. Don’t just listen; come and see the blazingly fast, Kentuckystyle thumb-picking from one of the picking legends, Alonzo Pennington. You can watch, sing along and dance to Alonzo and groups such as the Xtraordinary Gentlemen, Instant Zeal, Carol Peyton Band and Justin Reynolds Band. Great food, great music and family fun abound. Shaker Village Craft Fair, Aug. 3-4, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, 1-800-734-5611, shakervillageky.org. This fair attracts amazing regional artisans and boasts an assortment of crafts, including exceptional pottery, jewelry, glassware, woven rugs, needle craft, basketry, leather goods, floral design and Shaker reproductions. While on-site, enjoy the Shaker Village Bar, live music, food trucks and more. Tri-Five Nationals, Aug. 8-10, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, (270) 782-0800, americantrifive.com/tri-five-nationals.html. The Tri-Five Nationals—the largest celebration of 1955, ’56 and ’57 Chevys —returns to Beech Bend Raceway. This automotive extravaganza includes drag racing and a car show, along with a huge swap meet, autocross and more. Hoptown Summer Salute, Aug. 23-24, downtown Hopkinsville, (270) 887-4290, hoptownsummersalute. com. This annual festival is the largest in Hopkinsville, featuring more than 100 vendors. Food and merchant vendors, live entertainment, rides and a variety of attractions make this event a true gem.

The Kentucky Travel Industry Association names its Signature Events four times a year. To be eligible, festivals or events must be recommended or produced by a KTIA member. A panel of impartial judges selects the winners for each season.

For more information, phone (502) 223-8687, email info@ktia.com or visit KTIA.com. Illustration by Annette Cable. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CULTURE

Off the Shelf

(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback

Bluegrass Intrigue

Interesting + Informative Kentucky Medley By Robert A. Powell

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform $12.25 (P)

Readers can learn numerous fascinating facts about our Bluegrass State in this 128-page guidebook. Ever wondered how Kentucky counties got their name? How about trivia tidbits such as the fact that the song “Happy Birthday to You” was written here? Did you know that Thomas Edison showed off his extraordinary invention—the light bulb—at Louisville’s Southern Exposition in the 1880s? There is detailed information about many of our famous native sons and daughters such as James Harrod, William Floyd Collins, Woody Stevens and Rosemary Clooney. There also is a list of state-designated symbols, like the state drink, which surprisingly, is not bourbon but milk. This easy-to-read listing of facts and biographic information includes a wonderful collection of author and artist Robert A. Powell’s illustrations and would make a perfect gift for anyone interested in Kentucky. A native of central Kentucky, Powell is the author of more than 30 books, and has published art prints, calendars and articles about our Commonwealth. BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER 46

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Cast of Characters Them’s My People By Jolene Morgan Boyer, Xlibris, $29.99 (H)

The Bluegrass Files: Down the Rabbit Hole (Book 1) By F.J. Messina, Blair/Brooke Publishing , $14.99 (P)

Growing up in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, author Jolene Morgan Boyer heard stories about mountain people—some true and some spun—and all entertaining. This book is a collection of short stories about some characters she knew and some she just heard about. It is an easy-to-read snapshot of rural life. Although one of the stories dates back to the late 1800s, the time periods do not really matter. People still have to deal with families, love, tragedies and obligations at all times, and Boyer shows the reader how these people handle all of it in their own way. Some of the stories are funny and some sad, but the author does a great job of incorporating dialect, sayings and habits that are unique to this part of the country. Each chapter is just a few pages long and introduces new, endearing characters that leave the reader wanting more information about them and their lives. Boyer proudly served as a Red Cross field office worker in Vietnam in 1969 and currently lives in southern Indiana. This is her first book. BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER

When F.J. “Frank” Messina migrated from New York to the Lexington area several decades ago, he had one thing on his mind: playing music. That he did, traveling with his band in the Southeastern region of the United States. He later worked full time in local television and as a music educator in the Fayette County school system. Now in a busy “retirement,” he’s relishing a career in another art form: writing fiction. His first book in a series as well as his debut novel, The Bluegrass Files: Down the Rabbit Hole demonstrates his talent in creating strong characters along with his innate ability to move the storyline along effectively. The narrative takes place in central Kentucky, with areas locals will recognize. Sonia Vitale, beautiful but left at the altar in a previous relationship, teams up with an idiosyncratic colleague, “Jet” Thomas, as a private investigation team in Lexington. They’re pretty good at nabbing adulterers in the act for their clients, but when Sonia makes contact with a competing private investigator next door, they work in tandem to solve a “possible” murder case. And, oh yes, the competing investigator and Sonia develop some personal chemistry along the way. BY STEVE FLAIRTY

Through Fire The Staircase of Fire By Ben Woodard, MillerMartin Press, $24.99 (H)

Death, racial violence, suicide and abuse are imposing issues for

even the most seasoned adults to cope with, but to 14-year-old Tom Wallace, everything about the “Kentucky countryside conjure[s] up an eerie graveyard of lost souls”—a constant reminder of the dark and tragic past still lingering over his “backwater of a town.” Embroiled in grief and guilt that drive him on his hunt for lost Shaker treasure and a fresh start, Tom inevitably must come full circle, walking through the fire of his past to clear the smoke for his future. In a tale of life versus death, action versus inaction, privilege versus restriction, freedom versus bonds, and learning how to live in the present without forgetting the past, Tom must learn to overcome his trauma, challenge his beliefs, face his demons, and find forgiveness in where he belongs. Sprinkled with Kentucky history and heritage and punctuated with poetry, Ben Woodard’s young adult novel, The Staircase of Fire, is about pioneering equality, “new life springing from a place of death,” and the core meaning of the Land of the Free. BY CAIT A. SMITH

BOOKENDS In A Guide to Cyanobacteria: Identification and Impact, Mark Nienaber and Miriam SteinitzKannan have authored a book that includes color photos designed to “help students, landowners, and citizen scientists identify different kinds of cyanobacteria and understand their impact on waterways.” Better known as “blue-green algae,” cyanobacteria produces toxins that, according to the authors, “pose serious economic, environmental, and public health problems worldwide.” The guide includes a glossary and an in-depth bibliography. Neinaber is the proprietor of Algae Services, with more than 40 years experiences in the field. Steinitz-Kannan is Regents Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Kentucky University. Published by University Press of Kentucky, the softcover book sells for $20.

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J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

VOICES

Past Tense/Present Tense

Right, William P. Ellis, grandfather of Bill Ellis, working in a Shelby County tobacco patch during the Great Depression.

A Son of a Son and Daughter of the Great Depression BY BILL ELLIS

n a new century and with memories drifting away, we should remember a hard time in the history of the Commonwealth and the nation. It was called the Great Depression and it lasted for many people from the early 1920s into the late ’30s and even beyond.* As explained by George T. Blakey in Hard Times and New Deal in Kentucky, the Depression began soon after the end of World War I for many Kentucky farmers. Small farmers, particularly, produced too much tobacco and other products as European nations recovered from the war and began producing their own farm commodities. Thrown into the mix were unusual droughts of the early ’30s and the terrible flood of ’37. Financial experts envisioned a never-ending bull market with everincreasing stock and securities values. Real estate, especially in Florida, skyrocketed. How could you lose money? Then came the Great Crash, beginning in October 1929. Stock prices plummeted; Wall Street trembled and broke; the Florida real estate market boom burst. Capitalism seemed on the brink of disaster. A bear market finally set in as stock values sank to record lows and did not fully recover until decades later. Most “country people”—like my parents, grandparents, kith and kin— 48

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

were already feeling the impact of low prices, particularly for their tobacco crops and other commodities. They sold eggs, cream and chickens just to make ends meet. Day work offered some relief for farmers. My grandfather, Tyler Stratton, hired out a team of mules and his labor for $1 a day to help construct a dam for a wealthy industrialist at what became known as the Cedarmore Estate in Shelby County. How did your folks or grandfolks scrape by in the 1930s? How did they make ends meet? In 1930, 20 banks failed in Kentucky, including the National Bank of Kentucky, the bailiwick of the flamboyant James B. Brown. The next year, more than 40 Kentucky banks failed. All banks seemed to be suspect. Nearly half of all coal mines in the state were closed by the early ’30s, with Harlan and Bell counties particularly hard hit. Kentuckians living in urban areas lost jobs by the hundreds. At least in the country, you could raise a garden if you could stay on the land. Is that why many Kentuckians, like myself, always know we can depend on a meal of soup beans and cornbread if we have to in a pinch? My grandmother, Mary Ann Campbell Ellis, told of “hoboes” from

the nearby railroad track asking for handouts as they traveled along. She never denied them a small meal. Before the crash of ’29, Kentucky per capita income had been only slightly more than half of the national average. By 1933, per capita income in Kentucky had fallen to $198 a year. Bread lines and soup kitchens appeared in the larger towns and cities in Kentucky. College enrollments plummeted, and young people left home for work in Midwestern states. Some of my kin went to Indiana and even faraway Washington State to find jobs. Did some of your people migrate to other states? Both President Herbert Hoover and Kentucky Gov. Flemon Davis “Flem” Sampson took much of the blame, justly or unjustly, for the descent into the Great Depression. Both expressed total belief in private enterprise and did not want to use government authority to improve economic conditions. Charity should be left to private sources, churches and the like, they believed. It depends on whether you are a Democrat or Republican if you blame President Hoover for the Depression or credit the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as meliorating the impact of the economic downturn. The controversy continues to the

present day. Some folks still believe that Social Security is anathema to American capitalism and economic life. If you did not witness the Great Depression and its aftermath or do not remember World War II, you have likely heard family stories about what life was like back in those days. Was it really that bad? Could we survive another Great Depression? I am not sure. Perhaps the children and young people who grew up during the Great Depression had a distinct advantage in life. My parents and those of my wife came of age in a time that left a huge imprint on their lives. They all came from farm families in Shelby and Graves counties, when life was much tougher for them than for their children. I like to remind people about my father-in-law, Frank Rohrer, who died in 2003 at age 93. He grew up on a farm in Graves County, played in the first football game he ever witnessed at Mayfield High School in the late1920s, wandered the western states for a while doing odd jobs during the Depression, and saved money for his education at Western Kentucky State Teachers College. After graduation, he taught school for a while, and then worked most of his life as a soil conservation agent. He was frugal, to say the least. He was always “Mr. Rohrer” to me. Mr. Rohrer had two suits: a winter suit and a summer suit. He had two pairs of shoes: a pair of high-top work shoes and a pair of “Sunday slippers.” With a few assorted work clothes, shirts and slacks—maybe a couple of neckties for Sunday—that completed his wardrobe. He also was an expert beekeeper, at one time tending more than 400 hives. If the rest of us lived as frugally as he, grass would be growing in the streets of New York City and Beijing, China. Like my father and mother, my in-laws saved money, bought a house and then built another one, had other properties, and lived rather frugally by early 21st century standards. They came from humble beginnings and knew it. My parents traveled as time and money permitted, perhaps born of my father’s service in the Philippines and Japan in 1945 and ’46. If they wasted any money, I never knew of it. Did growing up during the Great Depression have an important impact on their lives? I believe so. My parents and in-laws all grew up without indoor plumbing, having an outdoor privy and using a chamber pot more

commonly known as a “slop jar” for indoor use. There was no central heating and air conditioning, but there were fireplaces and cast-iron heating and cook stoves. They learned about horses of the non-Thoroughbred variety (mules were probably more common), listened to battery-powered radios before they finally got electricity in their homes by the 1930s, traveled to the county seats of Shelbyville or Mayfield only on Saturday, went to church whenever the doors were open, lived off of good farm food, went to school and graduated from high school as the first in their families to do so, and got into the usual scrapes of barefooted children in the ’20s and ’30s. My aunt Mary Stratton McCarty worked for 47½ years at the LeeMcClain Co., a men’s clothing manufacturer in Shelbyville. I was reminded recently of her frugal ways and work ethic by funeral director Steve Collins. She was so proud of her trade at the factory that she requested her favorite scissors be placed in her casket when she died. All the relatives of my wife and me were subject to the prejudices of their age and changed somewhat over the years. They respected their neighbors and other working-class people, including African Americans. They took time to visit with kin and neighbors. My mother, Baptist to the core, went home with a neighbor Catholic girl who needed to learn her catechism. So, my mother memorized it also. Their lives and ours have been changed by technology. Television opened up a new world. At first, we shared viewing with a neighbor, but soon bought our own television set and became slaves of what Federal Communications Chairman Newton Minow called “a vast wasteland” in the 1960s. Then the equivalent of the “Continental Sunday” of European origins replaced eating at home with family. Sunday afternoons used to be a time of rest from the hard lives that people endured. Eventually, chain stores and other businesses began staying open on Sunday. We longed for more material things, bought foreign-made goods, and small-town manufacturers of clothing like LeeMcClain closed down. The world changed forever. Well, most of that generation has passed away. I am not sure we are any happier or content.

Lessons learned by the Son of a Son and Daughter of the Great Depression You have to crawl before you can walk. When Charlotte and I got married, it was OK to live in a World War II-era house (moved from Fort Campbell) at Georgetown College. With hard work, we were told, we could move up to better housing, even buy a house, which we did in Richmond. We lived in it for more than 45 years. Waste not, want not. There is nothing wrong with eating leftovers. Be thankful for the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey, eat every bit of it, and make soup with the carcass. A penny saved is a penny earned. A la Ben Franklin: Don’t waste money. Don’t bury it in a tin can in the backyard but use it well. Invest your money in education, property and people. Be self-reliant but believe in the goodness of other people. Be generous with family, friends and others but not to a fault. Give to worthwhile charities but investigate first. More than once, I have investigated charities and declined to offer them money. Don’t be afraid of government aid. My mother and father bought their first house on a G.I Bill loan. My Stratton grandparents bought their farm with a Farm Security Administration loan. I received federal loans for my undergraduate work and graduate school. These debts were all paid back. I am sure some of y’all have also been taught well by your parents and grandparents about the perils and promises of the Great Depression. If so, what did they teach you? * For more information about the Great Crash, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the impact on Kentucky, begin with the Kentucky Encyclopedia and A New History of Kentucky, but particularly read George Blakey’s Hard Times and New Deal in Kentucky, 1929-1939, published by the University Press of Kentucky in 1985.

Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

OUTDOORS

Gardening

Plant Combos That Work BY WALT REICHERT

am always amused by the “planned” gardens that are sold in garden catalogs. They picture a lush patch of flowers all blooming in the designated space at the same time. Some of those plans clearly are designed by people who know what they’re doing. But most are trips down Wishful Thinking Alley. Many of those poorly designed plans feature plant combinations that would never work in the real world of gardening. Either the plants will never bloom at the same time (tulips paired with coneflowers, for example), or they would never grow in the same spot because one plant needs full sun, and its companion needs full shade (summer phlox paired with hostas, for example). Pairing the right plants can create stop-and-admire moments in your garden. The right blend of color, height and foliage texture can make both plants in a pair look better together than they do as single plants. It is true that the eye is attracted to sweeps of the same color, but a combination of colors and patterns will cause the eye to stop and stare, if just for a brief moment. You want plants to catch and hold the eye of the visitor. Even though plant combinations that work well occasionally happen by accident, most of the time getting neighboring plants to play nice together takes a bit of conscious planning. If you are looking around your summer garden and not finding any wow factor, think about adding some pairs of plants that blend well together. Then put them in several parts of the garden to tie the entire planting together. TIMING AND CULTURE The key to making plant combinations work is first to match bloom time with bloom time. You can’t match colors on a flower that blooms in the spring with one that blooms in late summer. The same holds true with matching plant foliage. If foliage of a spring bloomer is dying back, it won’t

contrast well with a plant that is just coming into its own in mid-summer. Besides matching foliage and bloom time, you also need to match the sun/ shade requirements of the plant combinations. For example, astilbe and daylilies will bloom at approximately the same time, but astilbes will hate you if you plant them in full sun, while daylilies will languish in the shade. So that’s a combination that would not work very well. So what would work? Well … I have some suggestions for different times of the gardening season.

(monarda) behind lady’s mantle. The foliage of lady’s mantle is the real show, and it will hide the lower, often bare, branches of bee balm. But lady’s mantle will also bloom yellow about the same time as the bee balm. Both would be happy with morning sun and a shady afternoon. For a spot with mostly shade, try the combination of astilbe and variegated Solomon’s seal. Astilbe has feathery plumes that will bloom in early summer; its fern-like foliage will blend well with the more delicate foliage of Solomon’s seal.

SPRING Creeping phlox in bloom is dazzling in itself, especially when it cascades over a stone wall. But combine creeping phlox with tulips that complement its color, and you create an unforgettable sight. Try white or pink phlox with the dark purple tulip, ‘Queen of the Night.’ Or match lavender phlox with the white tulip, ‘Maureen.’ The red greigii tulips, which grow low to the ground, would blend well with purple or white muscari. One of the most striking spring flowering combinations I have seen is a white tulip with blue forgetme-nots. All of these combinations will show best in full sun.

LATE SUMMER/FALL Lots of garden plants thrive in the heat of summer, and there are some great combinations that are as attractive to pollinators as they are to people. Coneflowers are stalwarts of the summer garden, blooming happily in blistering heat. They combine well with the more delicate-appearing spider flower (cleome) or summer phlox. White, purple or yellow coneflowers also mix well with Russian sage. Native plant enthusiasts like combining the purple coneflower with rattlesnake master; bees and butterflies love both. Joe Pye weed is another native that blooms in the heat of summer and on into fall, and it matches well with shorter plants including sedum, globe thistle and the purple New England asters like ‘Purple Dome’ that will bloom simultaneously. Butterflies will flock to those two plants.

LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER Mid-May through late June is the height of the flower season in most of the state, so finding combinations is easy. One striking combo is catmint (nepeta) combined with ‘Globemaster’ allium. Plant the aLlium near the catmint and as the low-growing mint spreads, the allium will rise above it and contrast nicely. Give them full sun. Siberian iris, which blooms in shades of purple, yellow and white, looks good in front of a pink peony, such as the old-fashioned double, ‘Sarah Bernhardt.’ They should bloom in mid-May. A combo that will tolerate part shade is a lavender bee balm

FALL/WINTER When the frost hits and knocks out blooms, ornamental grasses, sedges and rushes come into their own. A really neat combination is sea oats and switchgrass. The switchgrass will take on deep burgundy hues as winter comes on, and that contrasts nicely with the brown seed heads of sea oats. Birds seeking winter sustenance will thank you.

Readers may contact Walt Reichert at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

OUTDOORS

Field Notes

Mark Ward with his record catch >>

“All records are made to be broken.” –Red Auerbach

Photo Courtesy of KDFWR

The Magic of Fishing BY GARY GARTH

ize matters in fishing. Anglers sometimes deny this, but it’s the truth. Everyone wants to catch a big fish. And the bigger the better. Size is also relative in fishing. Talk to any angler long enough and he or she eventually will mention their personal best—with best being a synonym for biggest—fish. Whatever the species, everyone remembers their best/biggest fish. The magic of this hinges on the mystery of the unknown; the promise of possibility. Maybe this is one of the reasons why we fish. Your best fish— regardless whether it was caught a halfhour or half a century ago—might be eclipsed on your next cast. Every bass fisherman in America knows the story of George Perry, and most know the tale of David L. Hayes. Perry was a 20-year-old farmer fishing for his family’s supper in a south Georgia oxbow lake on the afternoon of June 2, 1932, when he landed a 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass. That fish eventually did serve as supper for the Perry family, but it also was recognized as the all tackle world record largemouth and, ultimately, became the Holy Grail of freshwater fishing. The fish and Perry became wrapped in legend. Then, more than seven decades later, on July 2, 2009, Manabu Kurita hauled in a 22-pound, 5-ounce largemouth from Japan’s Lake Biwa. This accomplishment was not met with universal angling glee. A quirk in the record book rules requires that a record catch under 25 pounds must be bested by at least 2 ounces to hold the mark, so in official quarters, Kurita’s catch is tied with Perry’s mark. Not everyone was disappointed with this absurd decision. More than a few

bass fishermen have grappled with Perry’s bass being bested. On July 9, 1955, Hayes, a native of Leitchfield and an experienced angler, hauled in an 11-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth bass from the Kentucky waters of Dale Hollow Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment that spills into Kentucky and Tennessee. It was the largest smallmouth bass Hayes had ever seen and was soon determined to be the largest one anyone had ever seen. It was certified a world record and remained so for four decades, until a ridiculous controversy blossomed. The Hayes fish was stricken from some record books, then reinstated. Both Kentucky and Tennessee again recognize the Hayes’ fish as being atop the smallmouth bass heap. Mark Ward likely won’t face the scrutiny that befell Kurita and Hayes. At least, I hope he doesn’t. Ward, of Evarts, put himself into the Kentucky angling record books when, in April, he caught a 14-pound, 9.5ounce largemouth bass from Highsplint Lake in Harlan County. The previous state largemouth mark was 13 pounds, 10 ounces and had stood since 1984. This is an astounding accomplishment. Most Kentuckians fish a lifetime and never catch a doubledigit (10 pounds or larger) bass. They are extremely rare. Many anglers, including state fishery officials, had predicted, or guessed, that the next state record bass would have come from one of the state’s landmark bass factory reservoirs: Kentucky, Barkley, Green or Cumberland. (The 1984 fish had come from Wood Creek Lake in Laurel County.)

Highsplint Lake is little more than a pond, flooding about 6 acres. It wasn’t listed in this year’s version of the popular Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual fishing forecast fw.ky.gov/Fish/Documents/ CurrentFishingForecast.pdf. You can bet it will be included in next year’s forecast. Ward’s story is delightful. He got off work on April 19—Good Friday afternoon—and with his wife and 9-month-old daughter headed to Highsplint Lake, which is just off State Route 38. It had rained most of the day, and the water was a little muddy. Ward picked up his baitcaster that was spooled with 14-pound test monofilament and tipped it with a 6-inch June bug-colored plastic lizard. He spotted a nice size bass—he estimated a 4-pounder—in the shallows and made a cast, his first of the afternoon. The bass turned toward the bait. Then something larger appeared. “Another [bass] came in and looked like a big log,” Ward said. “The 4-pound fish triggered her to pick it up. I set the hook, and it was on.” When the big bass was brought to hand, it stretched the tape to 26.8 inches, bulged with a 22.5-inch girth, and flashed menacing eyes. “When I saw it, what first caught my eye were the eyes on that fish were huge,” said Kevin Frey, the biologist who certified the catch as a new state record. “It would look like a shark if you saw it swimming in the water.” The 24-year-old Ward wasn’t born when the previous state record largemouth was caught. Ward’s record might outlive him, or it might fall tomorrow. That’s the magic of fishing.

Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CALENDAR

Let’s Go

JUNE 2019 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY <<< Ongoing Off the Menu: Looking at Food, UK Art Museum, Lexington, through Aug. 11, (859) 257-6218

Taste of Newport, Newport Business District, Newport, (859) 292-3686

Ali Week,

Party on the Purple People Bridge, Purple

various locations, Louisville, (502) 584-9254

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Chris Knight with Andy Brasher Band,

Park, Louisville, through Aug. 4, (502) 574-9900

Lu-Ray Amphitheater, Central City

Kong’s Night Out, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, through June 21, (859) 236-2747

People Bridge, Newport, Wed. through August 7

Equine Art, Antique & Rare Book Auction, Amer. Saddlebred Museum, Lexington, (859) 259-2746,

<<< Old Crow Medicine Show, Beaver Dam Amphitheatre, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106,

locations, Danville, (859) 319-8426

Audubon Arts & Nature Summer Camp,

<<<

FATHER’S DAY

Great American Brass Band Festival, various

SATURDAY

Ongoing Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Central

<<<

SUNDAY

Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623

John James Audubon State Park, Henderson

Ashley McBryde Concert,

<<<

ROMP Fest, Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891

1964: The Tribute,

Lu-Ray Park & Amphitheater, Central City

Festival of the Red, Natural

Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, (606) 464-9511

a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events 52

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

JULY

2019 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Gallery on the Square, Franklin

The Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037

Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, through July 7, (859) 527-3454

Beaver Dam Amphitheatre, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Concert

Fourth of July Weekend

Sparks in the Park

I Found Elvis

Jane Austen Festival

Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, through July 20, (859) 236-2747

Masters of Soul,

<<<

Historic Locust Grove, Louisville, through July 14, (502) 727-3917

John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, through July 18, (270) 826-2247

Somerset Community College, (606) 679-6394

Master Musicians Festival

Princess at the Castle Camp,

<<<

< < < 25 Glier’s

Goettafest Newport Riverfront, Newport, also July 26-28 and Aug. 1-4

Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center, Covington, (859) 431-0020

<<<

The Good People Festival

SATURDAY

FranklinSimpson County Bicentennial,

FRIDAY

John Prine: A Night in Paradise, Lu-Ray Park & Amphitheater, Central City

’80s Rock The Dam Fest, Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106

Cadiz Music and Food Festival downtown Cadiz, (270) 498-9890,

Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623

find more at kentuckymonthly.com J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CALENDAR

Let’s Go

BLUEGRASS REGION Ongoing Off the Menu: Looking at Food, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, through Aug. 11, (859) 257-6218, finearts.uky.edu/artmuseum Ongoing Scratchboard Artists Exhibit, Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea, through July 31, (859) 985 5448, kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov June 1 Music on the Lawn, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 26, (859) 806-4138, shakervillageky.org June 1 Salato Sampler, Salato Wildlife Center, Frankfort, 1-800-858-1549, fw.ky. gov/Education/Pages/Salato-WildlifeEducation-Center.aspx June 1 Southland Street Fair, Southland Drive, Lexington, southlandstreetfair.com June 1 Ghost Tour, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Thursday-Saturday through Aug. 31, (502) 696-5926, buffalotracedistillery.com June 1-2 Wildman Days Street Festival, downtown Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127, wildmandays.com June 1-2 Vintage Market Days, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, vintagemarketdays.com/market/ lexington June 3 Teddy Bear Tea, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov June 6-9 Great American Brass Band Festival, various locations, Danville, (859) 319-8426, gabbf.org June 7 Hemp at the Waveland Mansion, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611 June 7 Picnic in the Park, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov June 7 Downtown Concert Series, Old State Capitol, Frankfort, downtownfrankfort.com June 7-8 Bluegrass BBQ Fest, Fayette County Courthouse, Lexington, (859) 266-6537, bluegrassbbqfest.com June 7-15 It’s a Grand Night for Singing! presented by UK Opera, Singletary Center for the Arts, Louisville, (859) 257-4929, finearts.uky.edu

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

June 7-21 Kong’s Night Out, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, (859) 236-2747, pioneerplayhouse.com June 8 Equine Art, Antique & Rare Book Auction, American Saddlebred Museum, Lexington, (859) 259-2746, asbmuseum.org June 8 The Groove Evolution Concert, Lawrenceburg Green, Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127, visitlawrenceburgky.com June 8 Kentucky Hemp Days, downtown Cynthiana, (859) 234-5236 June 8 Moonlight Market on College Square, Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant, Berea, (859) 358-6885, bereamakersmarket.com June 8 SoundScape, Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort, (502) 352-7082, josephinesculputrepark.org

Centre, Richmond, (859) 623-1720, richmondchamber.com June 22 Little Explorers – Wildlife Hike, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org June 22 Firefly Hike, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-5411, shakervillageky.org June 22-23 Fort Harrod Settlement & Raid, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov June 23 Vintage Baseball Game, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov June 25-30 Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, through July 6, (859) 236-2747, pioneerplayhouse.com

June 8 Beer Cheese Festival, Main Street, Winchester, 1-800-298-9105, tourwinchester.com

June 29 Georgetown’s Party in the Park, Royal Springs Park, Georgetown, also July 27, (502) 863-2547, georgetownky.com

June 14-15 Broadway Days Festival, 100 West Broadway, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-2364, mercerchamber.com

July 3-7 Fourth of July Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov

June 14-15 Kentucky Wine & Vine Fest, R.J. Corman Railroad Group, Nicholasville, (859) 305-6040, kywinefest.com

July 9-20 I Found Elvis, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, (859) 236-2747, pioneerplayhouse.com

June 15 A Gathering of Descendants, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3131, parks.ky.gov June 15 Scott Collins Concert, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov June 15 Creatures of the Night, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org June 16 Harrodsburg Birthday Party, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov June 21-30 Mamma Mia! Ragged Edge Theatre, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-2389, raggededgetheatre.org June 21 Regenerative Farming Tour, Elmwood Stock Farm, Georgetown, also July 19, (859) 621-0755, elmwoodstockfarm.com June 21 Taste of Richmond, Richmond

July 12-14 Berea Craft Festival, Indian Fort Theater, Berea, (859) 986-2540, visitberea.com July 12-31 Berea Festival of Learnshops, various locations in Berea, through August 2, 1-800-598-5263, visitberea.com July 13 FrankfortCon – Summer ComicCon, Capital Plaza Hotel, Frankfort, frankfortcomicon.com July 13 The Sweet Beats Concert, Lawrenceburg Green, Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127, visitlawrenceburgky.com July 18-27 James Harrod: The Battle For Kentucky, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3314, parks.ky.gov July 19-21 Beaumont Inn 100 Years Classic Weekend, Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-3381, beaumontinn.com

July 20 Hops & Vine Festival, Apollo Pizza, Richmond, (859) 623-0330, apollopizzamenu.com July 22-27 Mercer County Fair & Horse Show, Mercer County Fair Grounds, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-2364, mercerfair. com July 23-31 Not Now, Darling, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, through Aug. 3, (859) 236-2747, pioneerplayhouse.com July 25-28 Santa’s Holiday of Fun Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov July 27 Little Explorers – Insect Search, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org August 2-4 Back to School Weekend, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3454, parks.ky.gov August 3 Perseid Meteor Shower Watch, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, (859) 272-6105, ravenrun.org August 6-17 Red, White & Tuna, Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, (859) 236-2747, pioneerplayhouse.com

LOUISVILLE REGION Ongoing Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Central Park, Louisville, through Aug. 4, (502) 574-9900, kyshakepeare.com

June 1-2 Arts on the Green Fine Arts & Craft Festival, Oldham County Courthouse Square, La Grange, (502) 222-3822, aaooc.org/Arts-on-the-Green

Ongoing Shining a Light: (The) Many Faces of Homeless Women, Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, through July 14, (502) 992-5334, alicenter.org

June 1-2 Colonial Trade Faire, Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 222-0826, oldhamcountyhistoricalsociety.org

Ongoing Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival, Eminence, through July 14, (502) 845-9206, kyrenfaire.com Ongoing Hunter S. Thompson’s Campaign for Sheriff, Frazier History Museum, Louisville, through Sept. 1, (502) 753-5663, fraziermuseum.org

June 1-9 Ali Week, various locations, Louisville, (502) 584-9254, alicenter.org June 1-18 Making Time: The Art of the Kentucky Tall Case Clock, 1790-1850, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, (502) 634-2700, speedmuseum.org

June 1 Art & Garden Market, Crestwood Civic Club, Crestwood, (502) 807-9020

June 6 Historic Costumed Walking Tour, downtown Elizabethtown, Thursdays through September, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com/events

June 1 Annual Wine and Cheese Tasting Festival, My Old Kentucky Home State Park Rotunda, Bardstown, (502) 348-4877, visitbardstown.com

June 6 Tavern in the Garden, The Brown-Pusey House, Elizabethtown, Thursdays through September, (270) 765-2175, brownpuseyhouse.org

CALENDAR

Let’s Go

Your next adventure starts in

Grant County, KY

June 7 Jeptha Games, Jeptha Creed Distillery, Shelbyville, (502) 487-5007, jepthacreed.com June 7-9 Day Out with Thomas, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org June 8 Live From Here with Chris Thile, Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, (502) 368-5865, iroquoisamphitheater.com

Visit our beautiful lakes, hiking trails, specialty shops, winery & dinner theatre

June 8 Dining on the Rails, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, also July 13, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org June 8 Blooming Bardstown Garden Tour, Marketplace and Silent Auction, Nelson County Extension Office, Bardstown, (502) 348-9204, bloomingbardstown.com June 8-30 The Stephen Foster Story, J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre, Bardstown, through Aug. 10, (502) 348-5971, stephenfoster.com

• 35 miles south of Cincinnati • 45 miles north of Lexington

visitgrantky.com 800-382-7117

June 14 Sunset Concert Series, Foxhollow Farm, Crestwood, also J uly 12 and Aug. 9, (502) 241-9674, foxhollow.com June 15 Grayson County Bluegrass Opry, The Opry House, Leitchfield, (270) 259-5587, visitleitchfield.com June 15 Kentucky Craft Beer Festival, 100 Haycraft Street, Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, kentuckycraftbeerfestival.com

When’s the last time you saw enough stars to make your own constellation?

June 15 Bourbon City Street Concert, North Third Street, Bardstown, (502) 3484877, bardstownmainstreet.com June 16 Father’s Day Buffet, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov June 23-28 Kentucky Music Week, Bardstown Middle School, Bardstown, (502) 388-2011, kentuckymusicweek.com June 29 Rumble Over the Rough, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov July 2 Fanfare for the 4th – Musical Visions of America, Beargrass Christian Church, Louisville, (502) 968-6300, louisvillechorus.org July 4 The Stephen Foster Story 4th of July Celebration, J. Dan Talbott Amphitheater, Bardstown, (502) 348-5971, stephenfoster.com

Your first time won’t be your last time. It’s the inspiring serenity that gives our town a certain something that other places just can’t quite capture. For enchanted evenings filled with bourbon, history, shopping and dining, go to visitlebanonky.com.

56 K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 19LETO12663-1v1.indd 1

July 6 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, J. Dan Talbott Amphitheater, Bardstown, (502) 348-5971, stephenfoster.com

2/28/19 11:56 AM

July 12-14 Jane Austen Festival, Historic Locust Grove, Louisville, (502) 727-3917, jasnalouisville.com

Bring Wild Imaginations to Life

July 12-14 Forecastle Festival, Waterfront Park, Louisville, forecastlefest.com July 13 Smith-Berry Dinner Concert, Smith-Berry Winery, New Castle, also Aug. 8, (502) 845-7091, smithberrywinery.com July 20 Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship, Court House Square, Leitchfield, (270) 259-5587, twinlakesfiddler.com

NEW Snow Leopard Pass & Colobus Crossing exhibits!

August 9 John Butler Trio, Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, (502) 368-5865, iroquoisamphitheater.com

NORTHERN KENTUCKY

2019 Season Presented by

June 1 National Trails Day, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov June 1 Art in the Garden, downtown Augusta, (513) 310-5652, augustaartguild.com June 1-2 We Are Monsters, The Carnegie, Covington, (859) 957-1940, thecarnegie.com

Tickets at LouisvilleZoo.org

“Committed to exceptional animal care, providing a fun, safe and engaging family destination and saving wildlife.”

June 2 Taste of Newport, Newport Business District, Newport, (859) 292-3686, newportky.gov June 5 Party on the Purple People Bridge, Purple People Bridge, Newport, Wednesdays through Aug. 7, purplepeoplebridge.com June 6 Summer Concert Series, Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington, Thursdays through August, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org June 13-16 Italianfest, Newport Riverfront, Newport, (859) 292-3666, newportky.gov June 15 Big Bone Lick Discovery Days, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov June 15 Motor Show, Kenton County Public Library, Erlanger, (859) 962-4000, kentonlibrary.org June 16 Father’s Day Buffet, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov June 20 Identifying Local Plants, Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org June 21 Painting with Sharon Durbin J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CALENDAR

Let’s Go Graves, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, also July 19, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov June 21 Li’l Abner, Kincaid Regional Theatre, Falmouth, (859) 654-2636, krtshows.com June 29 Lewis and Clark Exploration Series: Mock Expedition, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov

UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE 7 First Friday Live! Downtown Ashland JUNE 11 Museum Yard Sale Highlands Museum JUNE 15 Elks Sports Day Honoring Steve Towler Elks Club Carter Ave. JUNE 15 Firkin Fest Downtown Ashland JUNE 21 Chevel Shepherd (Winner of The Voice) Paramount Arts Center JUNE 2529 Boyd County Fair Boyd County Fairgrounds JUNE 2JULY 2JU 4 Summer Motion Central Park and Ashland Riverfront JUNE 30 Garden Tour Various Locations JULY 1314 Shelter of Hope Pickleball Tournament Central Park JULY 2028 Rise to Glory $60K Women’s Tennis Classic Ashland Tennis Ct JULY 20 Kidsfest Highlands Museum JULY 27 Pirate Cruise for Hopes Place Ohio River

July 5-6 Fireman’s Fourth of July, downtown Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com July 11-13 NASCAR Racing, Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, (859) 578-2300, kentuckyspeedway.com July 12 Friday Live Tunes, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov July 12-14 Bacon, Bourbon and Brew Festival, Newport Riverfront, Newport, (859) 292-3666, newportky.gov July 13 Plantation Tours, Dinsmore Homestead, Burlington, (859) 586-6117, dinsmorefarm.org July 19-21 Riverfest Regatta, Augusta Riverfront, Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com July 21 The Good People Festival, Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center, Covington, (859) 431-0020, bakerhunt.org July 25-28 Glier’s Goettafest, Newport Riverfront, Newport, also Aug. 1-4, goettafest.com July 27-28 Lewis and Clark Exploration Series: Primitive Campout, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov August 9-11 Great Inland Seafood Festival, Newport Riverfront, Newport, (859) 292-3666, newportky.gov

IT’S SUMMERTIME!

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

WESTERN KENTUCKY June 1 Chris Knight with Andy Brasher Band, Lu-Ray Amphitheater, Central City, LuRayAmp.com June 1 PaBREWcah, Paducah Expo Center, Paducah, (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel/events June 1-2 Clement Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show, Fohs Hall, Marion, (270) 965-4263, clementmineralmusuem.org

June 1-7 Fantastic Fibers Exhibition, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, (270) 442-2453, theyeiser.org

Grant County’s

June 1-16 A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Market House Theatre, Paducah, (270) 444-6828, markethousetheatre.org June 7 Canvas and Clay, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov June 7-14 Kids Archaeology Day Camp for Grades K-2, Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe, (270) 335-3681, parks.ky.gov June 8 Picnic and Raffle, St. Pius X Catholic Church, Owensboro, (270) 929-6633 June 8 Bret Michaels with Corey Smith, Beaver Dam Amphitheatre, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106, BeaverDamAmp.com

Visit the Ark Encounter, the largest wooden, timber-frame structure in the world and spend a few days exploring Grant County. Take in a dinner show at Stage Right. Visit Brianza Gardens & Winery and Lake Williamstown!

800-382-7117

June 8 Gary Owen - Ventriloquist and Comedy Hypnotist, Badgett Playhouse, Grand Rivers, 1-888-362-4223, badgettplayhouse.com June 11-13 Advanced Arts Workshop, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov June 13 Damsel with a Dulcimer, McCracken County Public Library, Paducah, (270) 442-2510, mclib.net June 13-23 American Idiot, Playhouse in the Park, Murray, (270) 759-1752, playhousemurray.org June 15 Old Crow Medicine Show with Molly Tuttle, Beaver Dam Amphitheatre, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106, BeaverDamAmp.com June 15 Red on the River Fundraiser, River Park Center, (270) 684-7833

stagerightmtc.org

SIZzLIN’ SUMmER SOUNDS ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE ADMISSION!

Tracy Lawrence & Joe Nichols Friday, June 14

June 15 Foghat in Concert, The Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org

Charlie Daniels Band

June 17-20 Audubon Arts & Nature Summer Camp (ages 6-8), John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov

for King & Country

June 22 1964: The Tribute, Lu-Ray Park & Amphitheater, Central City, LuRayAmp.com June 26-29 ROMP Fest, Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, rompfest.com

Thursday, July 4

Grand Funk Railroad Friday, July 19

Sister Sledge & The Gap Band Friday, August 2

Saturday, July 6

877-243-5280

www.visitmadisonvilleky.com

July 2 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Concert, The Carson Center, Paducah, J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CALENDAR

Let’s Go (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org July 4 Independence Day Celebration, downtown Paducah, (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel

Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast

(606) 723-4786 info@snughollow.com

www.snughollow.com BBAK member

Colonial Cottage Restaurant 3140 Dixie Highway, Erlanger 859-341-4498 thecottagenky.com

July 6 Sparks in the Park with Andy Brasher & Friends, Beaver Dam Amphitheatre, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106, BeaverDamAmp.com July 6 Walk in the Wetlands, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov July 6 Cadiz Cruz In, downtown Cadiz, Cadiz, (270) 348-7718, gocadiz.com

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

June 6-8 Celebration of Quilts & Quilting, Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Tompkinsville, (270) 487-8481, parks.ky.gov June 6-16 The Pirates of Penzance, Flashback Theater, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, flashbacktheater.co June 7 Summer Nights Concert Series, downtown Franklin, also June 21 and 28, July 5, 12, 19 and 26, and Aug. 2, 9, 23 and 30, Franklin, fsrenaissance.org

July 13 John Prine: A Night in Paradise, Lu-Ray Park & Amphitheater, Central City, JohnPrineParadise.com

June 8 Festival in the Field, Lavender Farm at Woodstock, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, kylavender.com

July 13 Fabulous ’50s Show, Badgett Playhouse, Grand Rivers, 1-888-362-4223, badgettplayhouse.com

June 13-15 17th Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green, (270) 782-0800, nhramuseum.org

July 16-18 Princess at the Castle Camp, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, parks.ky.gov

June 15 Writers in the Park, Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Tompkinsville, (270) 487-8481, parks.ky.gov

July 20 ’80s Rock The Dam Fest featuring Night Ranger,Warrant, Slaughter, Autograph and UTurn, Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Beaver Dam, (270) 274-7106, BeaverDamAmp.com

June 15 Green River Lake 50th Anniversary, Green River Lake State Park, Campbellsville, (270) 465-3786, campbellsvilleky.com

July 21-29 Western Kentucky State Fair, Western Kentucky Fair Grounds, Hopkinsville, (270) 885-5237, westernkystatefair.org

June 21-30 Bonnie and Clyde, Star Theatre, Russell Springs, (270) 866-7827, startheater.org

July 27 Cadiz Music and Food Festival, downtown Cadiz, (270) 498-9890, gocadiz.com

June 22 Somernites Cruise Car Show & Shine, Fountain Square, Somerset, also July 27, (606) 679-6394, somernitescruise.com

August 1-8 Eighth of August Emancipation Celebration, Robert Coleman Park, Paducah, (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel

June 28 World’s Greatest Elvis – Shawn Klush, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com

Get ready for gardening season with this down-home collection ofState practicalPark, Henderson, (270) 826-2247, advice and personal anecdotes from parks.ky.gov Kentucky Monthly’s gardening columnist, Walt Reichert. Organized by the seasons, each chapter offers color photography August and straightforward tips for everything9-11 Paducah’s 48 Hour Film from combating critters to pairing plants. Project, Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah, The Bluegrass State’s green thumbs have (270) 443-8783, paducah.travel proliferated, thanks to Walt’s encouraging and down-to-earth morsels of gardening wisdom.

Horticulture meets humor in gardening columnist Walt Reichert’s collection.

June 6 Sample of Somerset Food Festival, downtown Somerset, (606) 6796394, lctourism.com

July 12-14 Oliver! Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 821-4171, glemacenter.org

Horticulture August 3 Party in the Park Back-toMeets Humor School Event, John James Audubon

shopkentuckymonthly.com 888-329-0053

June 1 Kids Outdoor Day, Green River Lake State Park, Campbellsville, (270) 465-8255, parks.ky.gov

SOUTHERN KENTUCKY 1/9/15 10:40 AM

June 1 National Trails Day, Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, Burkesville, (270) 433-7431, parks.ky.gov

June 28 Rockin’ Mainstreet, downtown Campbellsville, (270) 789-4998, campbellsvilleky.com July 1-7 Franklin-Simpson County Bicentennial, 1819-2019, Gallery on the Square, Franklin, FS200.net July 4 Independence Day Car Show, Campellsville University, Campbellsville, (270)789-0532, tri-countycarclub.com July 5-6 Lakefest 50th Anniversary, Jamestown Court, Russell Springs, (270) 866-4333, myjtky.com/lakefest

July 11-14 Camaro Fest 9, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, (270) 781-7634, camarofest.org July 19-20 Master Musicians Festival, Somerset Community College, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, mastermusiciansfestival.org August 8-10 Danchuck Tri-Five Nationals, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, (270) 782-0800, thetrifivenationals.com

EASTERN KENTUCKY June 1 Pike County Horse Trail Ride, Lick Creek, Pikeville, (606) 432-5063 June 1-2 Paw Patrol, East Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, (606) 444-5506, ekec.us June 3-6 Appalachian Family Folk Gathering, Hindman Settlement School, Hindman, (606) 785-5475, hindmansettlement.org June 5 REO Speedwagon Concert, East Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, (606) 444-5506, ekec.us June 7 First Friday Outdoor Market, Rowan County Arts Center, Morehead, also July 5, (606) 780-4342, rowancountyartscenter.com

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS IN THE BLUEGRASS!

June 7 First Friday Live! downtown Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com June 7 Fridays After Five, Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, Fridays in June and July, (606) 889-1790, parks.ky.gov June 7-9 Jeep Thang, downtown Pikeville, (606) 616-2824, visitpikeville.com

OUTDOOR THEATR E

Five Different Shows Summer 2019 June 7 – August 17 & CAMP GROUND

Special Comedy Weekend Starring Etta May August 23 & 24

June 8 Seedtime on the Cumberland, Appalshop, Whitesburg, (606) 633-0108, seedtimefestival.org

Home-cooked dinner featuring hand-rubbed, hickory smoked BBQ!

June 11 Museum Yard Sale, Highlands Museum, Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com

Live theatre under the stars!

June 13 Godspell, Jenny Wiley Theatre, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-9274, jwtheatre.com June 14-15 BBQ Cook-Off & Festival, Thompson Park, Barbourville, (606) 5459674, barbourvilletourism.com/festivals/ bbq-cookoff June 15 Firkinfest, downtown Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com

Dinner 7:30pm Show 8:30pm (ET) Come to Historically Bold Danville, and experience Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre!

Make your reservations now! 1-866-KYPlays (1-866-597-5297) pioneerplayhouse.com visitdanvilleky.com

June 15 Ronnie Milsap Concert, Renfro J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

CALENDAR

Let’s Go

Valley Entertainment Center, Renfro Valley, 1-800-765-7464, renfrovalley.com June 15 Billy Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com June 15-22 Rudy Fest, Poppy Mountain, Morehead, (606) 780-4342, rudyfest.com June 20 Ashley McBryde Concert, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com June 21 Chevel Shepherd Concert, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com June 27-30 Escape from Saltpetre Cave, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill, through July 22, (606) 286-4411, parks.ky.gov June 28-29 Festival of the Red, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, (606) 464-9511, parks.ky.gov June 30 Garden Tour, various locations, Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com July 4 Star City Day, downtown Prestonsburg, (606) 886-1341, prestonsburgky.org July 4 Fourth of July Celebration, downtown Pikeville, (606) 616-2824, visitpikeville.com July 6 Charlie Daniels Band, Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, Renfro Valley, 1-800-765-7464, renfrovalley.com July 11 Tim Hawkins Comedy Tour, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com July 13-14 Shelter of Hope Pickball Tournament, Central Park, Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com July 13 Greenup County Music Heritage Festival, Greenbo Lake State Resort Park Amphitheatre, Greenup, (606) 473-7324, parks.ky.gov July 20 Kidsfest, Highlands Museum, Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com July 22-28 Pioneer Life Week, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill, (606) 286-4411, parks.ky.gov July 27 Levisa Fork Paddlefest, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-1341, prestonsburgky.org July 28 Masters of Soul, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com August 2-4 Stanton Corn Festival, Community Park, Stanton, (606) 663-3625, cornfestivalky.com August 10 Red Hot Rock n Blues Festival, Greenbo Lake, Greenup, (606) 473-7324, parks.ky.gov

For additional Calendar items or to submit an event, visit kentuckymonthly.com. Submissions must be sent at least 90 days prior to the event.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

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VOICES

Vested Interest

Signs of Progress W

e crossed the Mississippi River at 9:38 p.m., Central Daylight Time. A minute or so later, we crossed the Ohio on the Great River Road, northwest of Wickliffe, en route to Paducah. My wife, Kay, and I were on the last legs of a 2,000-mile trip on which we dropped off our oldest daughter in Creede, Colorado, for a summer job at its acclaimed repertory theater. Creede, once a silver mining boomtown, is located at the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Kentuckian Tom Boggs, a brother-inlaw of Richmond-born Kit Carson, founded the town in 1840. It was a Wednesday night when we slipped undetected through Kentucky’s back door. We missed the “Welcome to Kentucky” sign, but the billboards for The Hammer and Morgan & Morgan told us we were home. Within a week, I would, without intention, cross the Big Sandy STEPHEN M. VEST River east of Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Pikeville, completing the Commonwealth’s version of a cross-continental trek. In Paducah, we stayed at the 1857 Hotel, a 10-room boutique hotel designed by Paul Gourieux. The hotel/ art gallery is in what originally was a gentleman’s haberdashery. It features an open floor plan with a loft-like aesthetic. There are lots of exposed brick, tall windows and high ceilings. The adjacent bar and event space once was a tractor repair shop. Gourieux and his business partner,

Jorge Martinez, have renovated numerous downtown businesses, including Tribeca Mexican Cuisine on Market Street, maybe 100 steps from the 1857. “Every day, leaving work, we’d see this empty building, and it distressed us to watch it deteriorating,” Gourieux said. “So, we bought it.” What they bought was a mess, but what they’ve created is a wonder— literally yards away from the National Quilt Museum and Paducah’s Wall to Wall floodwall murals. Named a UNESCO Creative City—one of 18 in the world—Paducah is home to the National Quilt Museum, the Lower Town Arts District, the Yeiser Art Center and smaller art galleries on a proportion to a much larger town. From Paducah, we traveled Interstate 24 east through Marshall, Lyon and Hopkins counties to Interstate 69 and up the Western Kentucky Parkway through Muhlenberg, Ohio, Butler and Grayson counties to Elizabethtown, seeing more Morgan & Morgan signs, The Hammer and Gary Becker (“just dial 3s”). From there, we took the Bluegrass Parkway to Lawrenceburg and U.S. 127 home. Business and personal responsibilities took me from Frankfort to Louisville twice in the next few days before I packed the car for a Kentucky Tourism Industry Association meeting in Pikeville. I traveled from Frankfort to Winchester and then up the Mountain Parkway to U.S. 23, “the Country Music Highway,” and followed the Morgan & Morgan; Gary C. Johnson, Attorney at Law; and The Hammer signs to the East Kentucky Expo Center. In Pikeville, I met former city manager Donovan Blackburn, now the

chief executive officer of Pikeville Medical Center, eastern Kentucky’s largest employer. Blackburn’s office sits in what once was the bed of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. So do the Expo Center, the Big Sandy Community and Technical College, the University of Pikeville ball fields, restaurants, businesses and even a drag strip/parking lot. “We took what we had and made the best use of it,” Donovan said. Pikeville, best known for the Hatfield-McCoy feud, has built itself into a destination for arts, entertainment and healthcare. Playing on the notoriety of the feud, there is a carwash with separate lanes for Hatfields and McCoys, and Alltech has re-purposed a block of downtown into the Dueling Barrels Brewery and Distillery, which includes a first-class tasting room (Pearse’s Place, named for the late founder of Alltech, Pearse Lyons) and event space. “When they [Lexington-based Alltech] do something, they do it first class,” said Sue Dowdy, director of the Ashland/ Boyd County Tourism and Convention & Visitors Bureau, an attendee at the conference. What did I learn from traversing the state, traveling through portions of at least 24 counties? Maybe that we have too many counties. The far west no longer is known as much for nuclear power and the east no longer is known as much for coal. While the billboards may proclaim that our fortunes lie in personal-injury lawsuits, I found plenty of folks taking personal responsibility and making the most of their visions for creativity and re-purposing. People are doing amazing things and are focused on our future without ignoring our past.

Readers, and those looking for a speaker for a church or civic group, may contact Stephen M. Vest at steve@kentuckymonthly.com KWIZ ANSWERS: 1. C. Louie-ville; 2. C. War of 1812; 3. A. Hernando de Soto; 4. C. Drum kit; 5. C. School is about to start; 6. C. 19 percent; 7. A. Teddy Roosevelt; 8. C. Eddyville; 9. B. There remains an unincorporated community named Hico in southwestern Calloway County; 10. C. William Whitley of Crab Orchard, where horses first raced counterclockwise.

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9

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Movement associated with Asa Blanchard (American, about 1770–1838) and Thomas McMurray (American, about 1785 –1860) Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, Tall Case Clock, 1808, The Speed Art Museum, from the Noe Collection, Gift of Bob and Norma Noe, Lancaster, Kentucky 2008.11.

2035 S 3rd Street Louisville, KY 40208 speedmuseum.org

TIME’S A TICKING. SEE MAKING TIME NOW THROUGH JUNE 16.

Explore industry and technology, art and tradition in the first exhibition devoted to early Kentucky tall case clocks.

OPEN LATE ‘TIL 8

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT