11 Things to Love about OBKY

GETTING TO KNOW THE BIG O 11

LOVE things to about OBKY

1

BLUEGRASS MUSIC

Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, was born 35 miles south of Owensboro in Rosine, KY. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum opened in 2018 in downtown Owensboro. ROMP festival brings thousands of fans of bluegrass music’s roots and branches to Owensboro every summer.

2

GREEN RIVER DISTILLERY

Owensboro has a rich bourbon tradition, stretching more than two hundred years thanks to its location, bountiful corn crop, and limestone-filtered water. Today, local bourbon distillery and Kentucky Bourbon Trail™ destination, Green River Distillery, combines traditional crafting and barrel-aging to create a bourbon that’s quality spans centuries of Kentucky distilling history.

3

SMOTHERS PARK

Named one of the top 10 playgrounds by USA Today, the Lazy Dayz park is a three-level playground.

4

THE EMPRESS THEATRE MARQUEE

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro’s Empress Theatre on Frederica Street originally opened as a movie house in 1912. The Empress closed in 1989, reopening in 1992 as “Goldie’s Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky” until 2008. It has been operated by TWO since 2010.

5

WORLD’S LARGEST SASSAFRAS TREE

Legend has it the tree’s owner defended it at gunpoint when the development of Frederica threatened the tree. The tree is approximately 300 years old. The average sassafras is 30-50 ft tall, but our record holder measures over 100 ft tall with a 21 ft circumference.

6

OWENSBORO HALL OF FAME

Did you know Owensboro is the home of Moto Grand Prix 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden and NASCAR notables Michael & Darrell Waltrip? Florence Henderson, of Brady Bunch and broadway fame, attended high school in Owensboro and actor Johnny Depp was born here. Check out all 50 Hall of Fame members at the Convention & Visitors Bureau. Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 215 East 2nd St.

7

HIKING AND BIKING TRAILS

Take a stroll on the City’s Greenbelt system, a continuous 15-mile, multi-use paved trail around Owensboro. Bike the Rudy Mine trail system, or hike the nature trails at Yellow Creek or Panther Creek Parks. PHOTO BY JAMIE ALEXANDER