Harrodsburg Ranked Among Most Welcoming Cities In America
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
Amelie Simpson, Laura Taylor, Emma Hibbitts, Kaiya Pohlman and Jacob Moossy squeeze together for a selfie during Oktoberfest last year. Oktoberfest returns for its eighth year in downtown Harrodsburg starting Oct. 4.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
Harrodsburg—that’s right, Hogtown—has been ranked among the most welcoming towns for newcomers in the country.
That’s according to a survey of 3,700 seasoned travelers conducted by ElectricityPrices.com. According to a press release, the travelers were asked to name “towns where warmth and friendliness are the cornerstones of the community,” where “newcomers can expect to be embraced with open arms.”
The top five were: Stockbridge, a town of 2,018 people located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts; Winterset, Iowa, the birthplace of John Wayne; Elsah, Illinois, a village with a total population of 519 people; Fredericksburg, Texas, a city with a population of 10,875; and Bandon, Oregon, a coastal town with a population of 3,321.
According to the press release, Kentucky is home to three of the nation’s 150 most welcoming locations for newcomers. Midway, the home of Midway University, was ranked at 39. Bardstown, the self-proclaimed “Bourbon Capital of the World,” was ranked at 50. Harrodsburg, the oldest town in Kentucky, was ranked at 139. The website singled out events like Pioneer Days—the four-day festival kicks off Thursday, Aug. 15—and the Kentucky Heritage Jazz Festival—the three-day festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 20—which they said “foster a lively and inclusive environment.” Both festivals happen at Old Fort Harrod State Park (100 South College Street).
Back in 2019, the City of Harrodsburg hired Terri Bradshaw to create an economic development report. Among the seven strategies Bradshaw identified in her plan was creating a more vibrant downtown, improving the quality of life and improving connectivity to the outside world.
Among the events created in the years since is Friday Night On Main at Olde Town Park (126 South Main Street). On Friday, Aug. 9, there will be live music by Eight Daze Sober as well as food and shopping from 5 to 10 p.m.
There is also Oktoberfest, which will celebrate its eighth anniversary when it returns on Friday, Oct. 4. The three day festival runs until Sunday, Oct. 6.
