Kentuckytourism.com - The Official Site of the Kentucky Department of Travel

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Story Ideas

The Kentucky Department of Travel offers a wealth of story and media ideas about the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From our rich, cultural history to events and attractions galore, we can spark your interest for all the exciting things going on in the Bluegrass state and help with your next assignment. We can assist with resource materials to help reach that deadline.

Some of the major events in Kentucky include the Lincoln Bicentennial celebration in Hodgenville, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and a major expansion there, a huge expansion of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. And of course we are the home to the world-famous Kentucky Derby—the greatest two minutes in sports.

Check out these ideas: 

Bourbon 

Mint Julep Tours…More than simply bourbon

Mint Julep Tours is a “smooth” ride to Kentucky’s famous distilleries like Loretto, the home of Marker’s Mark, and Clermont, where Jim Beam is distilled. Based at the Galt House Hotel & Suites in Louisville, Mint Julep Tours let’s you sit back in comfort and enjoy the Kentucky countryside as you visit and tastings at all eight distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (kybourbontrail.com). Learn a little rich Kentucky history and also tour the Bluegrass Cooperage, where the aging barrels used by Brown-Forman at their distilleries are made. Hop aboard for the local Louisville tour called the “Urban Bourbon Trail,” (www.justaddbourbon.com), a group of restaurants and bars in Louisville that feature Kentucky's signature beverage.

Mint Julep Tours
The Galt House
140 North 4th Street, Suite 326
Louisville, KY 40202
502-523-9196
www.mintjuleptours.com 

Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Since 1776, the people of Bardstown, Kentucky have been making Bourbon. Their dedication to the fine art of distilling Kentucky’s signature beverage eventually gave Bardstown the title of Bourbon Capital of the World. People from all over the world come to celebrate this passion and history at The Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Only the Bluegrass State offers the Kentucky Bourbon Festival which gives you a weekend full of smooth Bourbon, delicious food, and great entertainment, with a healthy dose of Kentucky hospitality thrown in for good measure. From black tie galas to historical tours, there is something for all ages and interests. It's a wonderful five-day event full of activities for the whole family, September 15-20, 2009.

Bardstown, Kentucky
One Court Square, Bardstown, KY  40004
1.800.638.4877
www.kybourbonfestival.com

Museums

National Corvette Museum revs up with food and expansion

Since 1953 the Corvette has been America's Sports Car and the National Corvette Museum celebrates its invention and the preservation of its past, present and future.Corvette enthusiasts from all over the world visit the Bowling Green museum, which is undergoing a 47,000 sq. ft. expansion (completion target Labor Day, 2009) that will add games, interactive videos, films and other amenities for getting involved in the Corvette Experience. The National Corvette Museum is the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit museum ever dedicated to a single automotive nameplate In April, the Corvette Café revs up with a nostalgic atmosphere of a 50’s diner but with a modern-day menu for breakfast and lunch. The café features ice cream delights from nearby Chaney’s Dairy Barn. Chaney’s (www.chaneysdairybarn.com) was voted by Good Morning America as a 2008 Top Ten Scoop Shop.

The National Corvette Museum
350 Corvette Drive
Bowling Green, KY 42101-9134
1-270-781-7973
www.corvettemuseum.com

Behringer-Crawford Museum offers historic to present window to Northern Kentucky

Travel through the region’s history along Northern Kentucky’s rivers, roads, rails & runways enjoying artifacts, interactive displays and hands-on activities. Behringer-Crawford Museum, the home for Northern Kentucky’s heritage, is a center for the collection, study and enjoyment of our natural, cultural, and visual and performing arts heritage including spectacular visual art. From it’s famous two-headed calf (a legend from the original collection) to major exhibition space, you can hear the stories of the commuters on the Kentucky, the last streetcar of its kind known to exist in the U.S.; climb the Roebling Bridge and pilot a packet boat along the Ohio River; stop in at the drive-in theater and enjoy the show in a 1959 Buick; and, soar through the development of the International Airport. Devou Park, one of the largest urban parks in Kentucky, provides scenic views of Covington and the Ohio River Valley.

Behringer-Crawford Museum
1600 Montague Road - Devou Park
Covington, Ky 41011
(859) 491-4003
www.bcmuseum.org
info@bcmuseum.org

Arts

Experience one the nation’s most important venues for new work

As it has for 33 years, Actors Theatre of Louisville produces six new full-length plays, a collaborative work, and three 10-minute plays, for the Humana Festival. The festival, scheduled for March 1- April 11, 2009, involves top directors, artists and designers and draws theatergoers from around the world. This year it will include a tribute to renowned Kentucky writer, Wendell Berry, with a stage adaptation of his poetry. Actor’s Theatre, founded by Jon Jory, is world-renowned for its festival of New American Plays--always surprising and memorable.

Actors Theatre of Louisville
502-584-1205
www.actorstheatre.org

Horses

Breeders’ Cup Back to Louisville in 2010

Churchill Downs will again host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time. It has proven to be an outstanding venue for this event. Come and experience the Breeders’ Cup in Louisville, and see why this site is so popular with horseman and racing fans from around the world!

Churchill Downs
700 Central Avenue
Louisville, KY 40208
502-636-4400
www.churchilldowns.com

Horse Camp near Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave area gets new horse camp in Spring of 2009

Featuring 50 developed, shaded campsites for trail and saddle club events, the camp is located on a privately owned campground adjacent to Mammoth Cave National Park. Visit the caves, the longest explored cave system in the world, and enjoy the surrounding trails. Construction progress, opening date and reservation information are available at www.mammothcavehorsecamp.com.

Mammoth Cave Horse Camp
2472 Ollie Road
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
888-682-3958
www.mammothcavehorsecamp.com

Food

International Barbeque Festival

Think the Kentucky Derby is special? Sure but we love to eat in Kentucky so check out the International Barbeque Festival held the second weekend in May. Owensboro springs to life with the wonderful smells and sounds with smoke from hickory-stoked fires blends with the aromas of sizzling chicken, bubbling burgoo and roasting mutton to complete the festival atmosphere. The competition is fierce and the flavors rich as local cooking teams produce the best that their secret recipes have to offer in an effort to win the Governor’s Cup, the prize awarded to the best overall Bar-B-Q cooking team. Each year the International Bar-B-Q Festival promises a fun-filled and exciting time for regulars and first-timers alike. There are plenty of events planned to make for a memorable Festival experience.

Owensboro-Daviess County Tourist Commission
International Bar-B-Q Festival
P.O. Box 434
Owensboro, KY 42302
Festival Line 270-926-6938
270-926-1100 or 800-489-1131
www.bbqfest.com
info@bbqfest.com

Kentucky Loves Bourbon and it’s not simply for drinking! Kentucky products carry the distinct flavor of Kentucky’s signature beverage

Bluegrass Soy Sauce and Bourbon Barrel Foods

Bluegrass Soy Sauce creator Matt Jamie has made soy sauce into an American product. It’s from the only small batch soy sauce brewery in the United States. This new entre to the bourbon world is a smoky, brothy sauce with hints of oak and a mild sweetness reminiscent of fine Kentucky bourbon. Made from Kentucky soybeans and soft red winter wheat, the soy sauce is fermented in the rear of a converted factory in Louisville where it’s aged in old whiskey barrels from Frankfort’s Buffalo Trace Distillery and Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles. Bluegrass Soy Sauce is distributed by Bourbon Barrell Foods, a maker of gourmet food products that reflect the rich heritage of Kentucky's Bourbon Country, "The Napa Valley of the Bluegrass"., their philosophy is to make quality gourmet sauces and seasonings by adhering to a 3 word philosophy: slow, small, simple.

Bluegrass Soy Sauce
1201 Story Ave., Suite 175
Louisville, KY 40206
502-333-6103
www.bluegrasssoysauce.com or bourbonbarrelfoods.com
info@bourbonbarrelfoods

Kentucky - Unbridled Spirit(tm)
The Official Site of the Kentucky Department of Travel
Capital Plaza Tower 22nd Floor, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY 40601 1-800-225-8747