Famed for its Bourbon and eponymous fried chicken, you might think that these gastronomic delights are the highlights of Kentucky. But you’d be wrong – it’s a place of geographical, cultural and social contrasts, and it’s packed with hidden beauty. It also offers a wealth of various festivals and events, with something for every traveller and resident.
Louisville’s WorldFest is one of the largest international festivals in the whole of the USA, and encourages engagement, assimilation and education on culture and heritage. It’s a feast of world music, world food and world dance, along with many more events to explore and celebrate the diversity of Louisville and Kentucky, including parades and performances. Dozens of countries are represented, so it’s a brilliant event to witness the native and authentic culture of a wide range of places and faces, with representatives from as far and wide as Mongolia, Hawaii, China and more.
Abbey Road on the River is a bopping, popping and heart-stopping festival of all things Beatles. The fabulous foursome from Liverpool changed the face of pop, and each Memorial Day weekend, they change the face of Louisville, with five days of tuneful fun dedicated to the iconic group. The event features tribute acts offering the very best recreations of the bands’ music, along with panels, discussions, screenings, parades and more. Previous guests and performers have included family members of The Beatles and former collaborators and bandmates.
With a state famous for tasty treats and tempting tipples, there are of course a wealth of food festivals throughout the region. And chicken is indeed on the list of celebrated offerings. The World Chicken festival is held each year in London, Kentucky - and for four delicious days, the original site of Colonel Sanders’ very first restaurant is honoured with a packed program of foody frolics. Guests can gorge themselves on lots of local treats, with plenty of booths offering a variety of lovingly-crafted home-grown cuisine. And if you’re keen to munch on some chicken, the world’s largest skillet is in attendance to serve up some delicious stuff. There’s also entertainment and attractions aplenty, with performers, parades, rides and more.
Other Kentucky festivals offer events centred around medieval life, BBQs, beer, cheese, music, state fairs, concerts and more. There’s plenty on offer for all of the family, so get yourself along to taste the finger licking fun!