Harrodsburg Picked One Of Kentucky’s Best Small Towns For A Weekend Escape
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
Tony Patterson of the Harrodsburg Lions Club was grilling up a storm at last year’s Oktoberfest festival in downtown Harrodsburg. This year’s Oktoberfest starts Friday, Oct. 4, and runs through the weekend.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
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Harrodsburg has been named one of the best small towns in Kentucky to make a weekend getaway. That’s according to WorldAtlas.com, which bills itself as one of the largest publishing resources in geography. According to the website, Harrodsburg and the other small Kentucky towns “have it all—breathtaking scenery, fascinating history, unique artisan shops, top-notch restaurants, and friendly locals. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures or a cozy weekend escape, you’re in for a treat.”
Harrodsburg holds the title of the first permanent American settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. WorldAtlas assures prospective visitors there is plenty to explore. In addition to the Kentucky River Palisades, the website highlights attractions like Morgan Row, the Dutch Reformed Church (Old Mud Meeting House), Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and Old Fort Harrod State Park, which features the reconstructed fort as well as the George Rogers Clark Federal Monument,
Lincoln Marriage Temple and the Mansion Museum. In addition to the locally owned restaurants, the website directs visitors to the Ragged Edge Community Theater and the Beaumont Inn. The other Kentucky cities listed by WorldAtlas include Greenville, Bardstown, La Grange, Berea, Danville, Glasgow, Hodgenville, Somerset and Shelbyville.
Let’s say you are a visitor who just heard of this little town called Harrodsburg. What kind of weekend escape can you plan? Well, autumn is definitely the best time of year to visit old Hogtown. Not only is the weather more bearable, but the landscape is never more beautiful. Fall leaf season starts in September and hits its peak sometime during the middle of October. And there are plenty of weekend festivals.
Coming up is Raise Your Voice, a three-day celebration of Shaker music running from Friday, Sept. 6, to Sunday, Sept. 7, at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill (3501 Lexington Road). In addition to hikes, group singing, dancing and archival items, there will be daily live performances and singalongs of Shaker music. On Friday, there will be a Contra Dance from 7 to 10 p.m. with calling by Jerome Grisanti and music by Tom Cunningham and the Cat Came Back. For more information, call 859-734-5411 or visit online at shakervillageky.org.
Here are some other events coming up this fall:
• Burgin Fall Festival. The three-day event happens in downtown Burgin from Friday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 15. Explore a variety of unique vendors showcasing everything from handmade crafts to local goodies, as well as food trucks and live music. For more information, email at [email protected] or visit facebook.com/burgin-festivals.
• Friday Night On Main. The last event happens Friday, Sept. 13, at Olde Town Park (126 South Main Street) from 5 to 10 p.m. The event features live music as well as food and shopping. It is hosted by the Downtown Harrodsburg Main Street Program. For more information, visit their Facebook page at ffacebook.com/HarrodsburgFirst
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
Adrian Crutchfield, seen here performing at last year’s Kentucky Heritage Jazz Festival, will headline again this year.
• Kentucky Heritage Jazz Festival at Old Fort Harrod State Park (100 South College Street). The free event runs for three day, from Friday, Sept. 20, through Sunday, Sept. 22. It showcases 17 regional and national jazz ensembles, with Adrian Crutchfield, the last saxophonist for music icon Prince, headlining Friday night and the K-Jam Collective “all star” band headlining Saturday night. For more information, visit kyheritagejazzfest.org.
• MYPATH—Mindful-Yoga-Practice—at Terrapin Hill Farm (7695 Mackville Road). A weekend of yoga-related activities plus music, nature, camping, good food and fellowship runs Thursday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 29. For more information, visit online at terrapinhillfarm.com or mypathfest.com.
• Harvest Fest at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill (3501 Lexington Road). The two-day festival happens Saturday, Sept. 28, and Sunday, Sept. 29. Activities include hayrides, pumpkin painting, haystack climbing, pony rides, Harvest Market, craft demonstrations, live music and more. For more information, call 859-734-5411 or visit online at shakervillageky.org.
• Oktoberfest (downtown Harrodsburg). Billed as Central Kentucky’s largest Oktoberfest celebration, the three-day festival will celebrate its eighth anniversary when it returns Friday, Oct. 4, and runs until Sunday, Oct. 6. In addition to live music, local food vendors and restaurants will serve up traditional German fare as well as festival-style treats. There will be more than 20 beers on tap, as well as artists and vendors open on the street and family fun in Kinderland. Oktoberfest is hosted by the Downtown Harrodsburg Main Street Program. For more information, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/HarrodsburgFirst or visit oktoberfestharrodsburg.com.
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
Kristian Horn, Kelsey Bottoms and Adam Johnson were having a great time at last year’s Oktoberfest.
WorldAtlas was launched in 1994 and is today one of the largest publishing resources in geography and other topics it covers, including sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics and travel. In 2019, WorldAtlas has served over 165 million readers from around the world. For more information, visit WorldAtlas.com.
