Things To See & Do In Kentucky During
July & August
JULY
(Event Dates & Times May Change, Check Ahead Before Driving Long Distances. Phone Numbers Are Given.)
1-5... Prestonsburg's Fourth Of July Fireworks & James Drew Expo. 606/886-6390
1-5 ...Green River Catfish Festival Morgantown. $10,000 in prizes. Games, music, crafts, and dancing. 502/526-6827
2-4... Pikeville's Summerfest. Arts & crafts, food, music, and fireworks. 800/844-7453
2-7...Summer Motion Ashland. Car show, kids' games, crafts, and concerts. Fireworks show on July 4th! Part of the Tri-State Fair & Regatta. 800/416-3222
3-4 ...Owensboro Summer Festival. Riverfront activities-music, fireworks, and a symphony concert. 502/684-9952
3-5 ...Old Joe Clark Bluegrass Festival Renfro Valley. Music-filled days and nights! 800/765-7464
3-6 ...Murray's Freedom Fest. Crafts, food, games, parades, concerts, and fireworks. 800/715-5004
3-6... Robert Murphy Hunter/Jumper Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 606/255-3422
4... Lexington Arts & Crafts Fair. Outdoor fair with 75 exhibitors, food, and music. 606/254-7024
4... Ft. Knox Armored Vehicle Demonstration. With authentically uniformed crews, 502/624-3812. Also Salute To The Nation Show 502/352-1204
4... Shepherdsville Championship Rodeo. 502/543-1961
4... Firecracker Run In Sebree. 502/835-7528
4 ...Independence Day Celebrations. Communities across the state host patriotic activities and fun events in recognition of our nation's independence.
4-5... White Mills Homecoming. Games, parade, good food, contests, and crafts. 502/369-8118
4-6... Sport Truck Nationals Owensboro. 502/926-3661
4-7... Bluegrass Extravaganza Breaks Interstate Park. Celebrate the music of the region. 800/844-7453
5 ...Picnic In The Park At Beaver Dam. 502/684-0661
5... Dixon Antique Car Show. 502/639-5838
6... Magic In Nature At Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary Versailles. 606/873-5711
6-12... Kentucky State 4-H Horse Show Louisville, Fair & Expo Center. 502/367-5180
7-12... Shelbyville-Shelby Co. Fair & Horse Show. 502/633-2994
7-14... Somerset-Pulaski Co. Jaycee Fair. 606/679-7175
8-12... London-Laurel Co. Fair. Demolition derby, entertainment, rides, and contests. 606/878-2262
10-12...Boone County Bluegrass Festival Burlington. 606/689-7431
10-12... Master Musicians Festival Somerset. Featuring all types of musical talent. 606/678-2225
10-13... Eastern Finals Team Roping Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 502/583-5502
11... Sebree Horse Show. 502/835-7528
11-13... Berea Craft Festival. Craft heaven! 800/598-5263
11-13... West Point River Days. Games, food, parade, car show, and entertainment. 502/922-4560
12-13... Kentucky Colonels Cat Show Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center. 502/367-5180
12-13... Mud, Sweat, & Gears! General Butler SRP. Mountain bike festival. 502/484-2998
14-19... Lexington Junior League Horse Show. Don't miss the world's largest outdoor American Saddlebred competition. 606/252-1893
18-19... Old Time Fiddler's Contest Rough River Dam SRP. All ages and skill levels compete for cash prizes. 502/259-3578
18-20... Miniature Horse Julep Cup Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 937/787-3248
18-26... Paducah Summer Festival. Marine exhibits, hot air balloons, fireworks, crafts, and entertainment, 800/PADUCAH. Also Bicycle Stage Race, 19-20, 502/554-2938
19... Festival Of Nations At Carter Caves. International dance celebration. 606/928-9372
19... Green River Arts & Crafts Festival And Corvette Show Green River Lake SP. Great crafts and great cars! 502/465-8255
19... Corinth Old-Timers' Car Show. 800/382-7117
19-20... Music From The Outer Vineyard Shaker Village, Harrodsburg. The South Union Quartet is featured. 606/734-5411
19-20... Hodgenville Founder's Day Weekend. 502/358-3137
19-20 ...Operation Brightside-Coca-Cola Volleyball Classic Louisville, Churchill Downs. 502/574-2339
21-26 ...Harrodsburg-Mercer Co. Fair & Horse Show. 606/865-4047
22-23... Sebree Chicken Festival. Fun, games, and chickens! 502/835-7528
24-27 ...Wild Horse & Burro Expo Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 601/977-5400
25-26 ...A Point In Time Where Two Rivers Meet Carrollton. See an outdoor drama on area history. 502/732-7036
25-26 ...Bowling Green Trans-Financial Balloon Classic. Balloon races and entertainment. 502/781-2834
25-27 ...Breyerfest Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 201/694-5006
25-27... Horse Fair Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. A grand celebration of the horse. 800/459-4677
26 ...Rosine Musicians Reunion. Bluegrass, country, and gospel music. 502/274-7631
26 ...Georgetown Under The Trees Antique Show. Furniture, toys, and collectibles. 502/863-1576
26-27 ...Shetland Pony Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 606/257-3244
28-Aug 2... Crittenden-Grant Co. Fair & Horse Show. 800/382-7117
29-Aug 3... "The War In Kentucky" Civil War Symposium Campbellsville. 502/789-5213
30-Aug 2 ...Cloverport Sacajawea Festival. Phone 502/788-6789
30-Aug 2 ...Shelbyville Horse Show Jubilee. Also car show, balloon race, golf scramble. 502/633-5029
31-Aug 3 ...All-Kentucky Ag Expo Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. Livestock and crop competition, arts & crafts, and a petting zoo! 606/253-9719
31-Aug 3 ...McKinney Station Days. Crafts, clogging, food, and parade. 606/346-9800
AUGUST - 1997
1-2 ...Mammoth Cave Nolinfest. Enjoy games, music, and food. 800/624-8687
1-3 ...Osborne Brothers Homecoming Hyden. Features Grand Ole Opry members, The Osborne Brothers, along with other top bands. 606/266-1991
1-3 ...Western Kentucky State Fair Hopkinsville. Arts & crafts, pageants, rides, games, and more fair fun! 800/848-5005
1-3 ...Henderson's Bluegrass In The Park. 502/831-1200
2 ...Owensboro Antique Car Show. 502/685-4205
2 ...Children's Heritage Festival Land Between The Lakes. 800/LBL-7077
2 ...Danville Deafestival. Celebrate the culture of the deaf. 800/372-2907
2 ...Sawyer Triathlon Louisville. 502/426-8950
2-3 ...All Mother's Children Shaker Village, Harrodsburg. Celebration of African-American Shakers. 606/734-5411
2-3 ...Stanton Corn Festival. Crafts, music, food, and more. 606/663-2271
2-3 ...Forgotten Past Steam & Gas Engine Show Benton. Antique engines, wheat threshing, broom making, spinning, and weaving. 502/527-9244
3 ...Snake Tales At Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary Versailles. Features the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. 606/873-5711
3-9 ...Southern Kentucky Fair Bowling Green. Rides, games, food, and fun. 502/782-0800
4 ...Richard Potter Day Breaks Interstate Park. Arts & crafts displayed at Potter's Knoll. 800/844-7453
4-9 ...Carrollton-Carroll Co. Fair & Horse Show. 502/732-4421
4-9 ...Madisonville-Hopkins Co. Fair. 502/821-0950
4-10 ...8th Of August Celebration Paducah. Celebrate African-American heritage. 502/444-6583
6-9 ...Calhoun-McLean Co. Fair. Pageant, shows, carnival, music, food, and more. 502/273-3987
6-10 ...Kentucky State Fair Quarter Horse Show Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center. 502/367-5180
7-9 ...Big Hill Mountain Bluegrass Festival Berea. 606/965-2163
7-10 ...Eastern Summit Paint Horse Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 502/542-7656
8-9 ...Burnside Celebration! A city-wide festival for the entire family! 606/561-4113
8-10 ...Cave Country Arts & Crafts Show Cave City. 502/773-3131
9 ...A Midsummer Night's Run Lexington. 5K run. 606/275-6665
9 ...Cecilia Day. Parade, crafts, and food. 502/765-4308
9 ...Fredonia Summer Festival. Great music, crafts, food, and games. 502/545-3337
9-10 ...Shaker Village Craft Fair Harrodsburg. 606/734-5411
10 ...Homecoming At Land Between The Lakes. Picnicking and reminiscing. 502/898-2524
10 ...Carlisle-Nicholas Co. Car Show. 606/289-7582
13-17 ...Bluegrass Festival Hunter-Jumper Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 606/266-6937
13-17 ...Laurel County Homecoming Levi Jackson SP. Parade, crafts, music, contests, and an antique car show. 606/878-7398
14-16... Clay Community Days. Concerts, rides, and more. 502/664-6125
14-17... World's Largest Outdoor Sale. Shop roadside stands stretching 450 miles along scenic and historic US-127 from Covington, Ky., to Gadsden, Ala. 606/491-0458
14-24 ...Kentucky State Fair Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center. The "Pride of Kentucky" draws more than 600,000 people with attractions from rooster crowing contests and racing pigs to the Kentucky State Fair "Thrillway" and top-name concerts. Includes the World's Championship Horse Show, one of the most important American Saddlebred events in the U.S. 502/367-5000. State Fair information, 502/367-5180
15-16... Falmouth Gospel Homecoming. 606/472-7027
15-17 ...Country Peddler Show Lexington. Folk artisans. 941/479-5005
15-17... Kentucky Hunting, Fishing, & Outdoor Expo Falmouth. 606/654-4189
15-17... Pioneer Days Festival Harrodsburg. Crafts, good food, music, entertainment, and much more. 606/734-2365
16... Brownsville Deer Show. Largest in Kentucky. 502/597-2827
16... Southern Kentucky Antique Car Show & Craft Fair Franklin. Features antique cars, tractors, and crafts. 502/586-5597
16-17... Sulphur Well Homecoming. Barbecue, crafts, car show, games, and gospel music. 502/565-1621
16-17... Blue Licks Battle Re-enactment Mt. Olivet. Arts, crafts, and food. 606/289-5507
16-17... Woodland Art Fair Lexington. All juried. 606/254-7024
18... Bluegrass In The Park Breaks Interstate Park. Numerous bands-one big show! 800/844-7453
20-24... Kentucky Hunter-Jumper Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 606/266-6937
22-24 Hot August Blues & BBQ Festival Kenlake SRP. 502/474-2211
22-24 Junction City Railroad Days. Celebrate our railroad heritage. 606/854-5900
23 Kentucky Deer Classic Powderly. Exhibits, games, and more. 502/338-5422
23 International Thumb Picking Contest Central City. 502/754-9603
23 Music In The Air Festival Berea. Music, arts, crafts, and food. 800/265-9040
23-24 Branstetter Park Festival & Homecoming Summer Shade. Games, arts & crafts, and music. 502/428-2853
24-25 Angel Grove Park Gospel Sing Fest Morehead. 606/784-8234
26-30 Greenup-Greenup Co. Fair. Shows, exhibits, rides, games, crafts, and more. 606/329-1007
28-31 Bluegrass Classic Dog Show Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 606/527-3865
29-30 Ohio Valley Singing Convention Cave City. Old Southern gospel singing. 502/773-4322
29-31 Daniel Boone Pioneer Festival Winchester. Street dance, antiques, crafts, concerts, and fireworks. 606/744-0556
29-31 Kentucky Heartland Festival Elizabethtown. 502/765-4334
29-31 Swift Silver Mine Festival Campton. Parades, food, games, rides, crafts, car show, and entertainment. 606/668-6177
29-Sept 1 Breathitt County Honey Festival Jackson. 60 arts and crafts booths, food, parade, and country music showdown. 606/666-7181
30 Central City Music Festival. The Everly Brothers Homecoming. 502/754-9603
30 Jackson County Fair & Homecoming McKee. Arts & crafts, parade, car show, and music. 606/364-5831
30 Monroe County Watermelon Festival Tompkinsville. All the traditional festival favorites. And, the Rolley-Hole Marble Tournament. 502/487-5504
30 Rabbit Hash Old-Timer's Day. Bluegrass and country music, games, and more. 606/586-7744
30 Rosine Bluegrass Festival. Family entertainment at the birthplace of bluegrass music. 502/274-5552
30-31 Championship Cat Show Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center. 502/367-5180
30-31 Sandy Hook Annual Tobacco Festival. Features popular country and bluegrass music. 800/377-6249
30-31 Cumberland Valley Bluegrass Festival Barbourville. Great music. 606/546-6197
30-Sept 1 All-Arabian Combined Classic Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park. 502/845-4474
30-Sept 1 Kentucky Open & Off-Road Triathlon General Butler SRP. Mountain bike state championships. 502/484-2998
30-Sept 1 Paducah Labor Day Celebration. Good food, arts & crafts, music, and heated political rhetoric. 800/PADUCAH
31 Admiral's Day At Ft. Boonesborough Richmond. Parade of boats. 606/527-3131
31 Picnic In The Park With The Pops Pineville. 606/337-2237
31-Sept 1 Catlettsburg Labor Day Celebration. Parade, arts and crafts, music, rides, games, and food. 800/377-6249
31-Sept 1 Tri-State Gospel Singing Breaks Interstate Park. 800/844-7453
(Call Ahead Before Traveling Long Distances!)
(Courtesy Of The Kentucky Travel Department)