Tourist Commission Approves 2025 Events Including New One At Park
Alex, Griffin Snyder, Zack Whitfield, Bart Robertson, Amber Bruner and Mitch Jorstad seemed to be having fun at the Shamrock Shuffle in Downtown Harrodsburg in 2023. This year’s Shamrock Shuffle will happen Saturday, March 15.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
The Harrodsburg-Mercer County Tourist Commission held their first meeting of the year. The commission approved a slate of events for the year, with the first to come in March, when the Shamrock Shuffle returns for its third year on Saturday, March 15.
The tourist commission, which is taking over hosting the Friday Night On Main live entertainment series, Trick-or-Treat on Main and Christmas on Main, which were formerly organized by Downtown Harrodsburg. They will also take over the A.T.O.M. (A Thing On Main) Fest on Saturday, May 17. Oktoberfest, the biggest event hosted by Downtown Harrodsburg—whose board voted to dissolve at the end of last year—will be run by the Oktoberfest committee.
The tourist commission is also organizing a new event, the Fun and Sun Fest, which happens Saturday, July 12, at Anderson-Dean Community Park.
Daarik Gray, executive director of the tourist commission, said nine businesses will be participating in this year’s Shamrock Shuffle, up from three for last year. Gray said the tourist commission would be releasing a 30-second commercial for the event.
Friday Nights On Main were previously held on the second Friday of the month from May through September. Gray said there has been discussion about scheduling it on different Fridays to avoid conflicts with other events, such as Pioneer Days.
Gray was excited about the Fun and Sun Fest at Anderson-Dean, which he said would have the most inflatables outside of Louisville as well as food trucks and a DJ.
“We want it to be the premier inflatable event in Central Kentucky,” said Gray, who said they hope to cover the soccer field with inflatables. The commission authorized spending $15,000 on this year’s event, with $7,500 coming from this year’s budget cycle.
Vendors will pay a small fee to participate in the one-day event, which will go to the park.
“Our goal is to grow this each year,” Gray said.
The Christmas on Main event is being moved back to Friday, Dec. 5. Last year it was held on Saturday.
“I think it hurt the attendance,” said Kaitlyn Harder, the tourist commission’s community development and events coordinator. “There’s so much happening on that day.”
The tourist commission will again host the Santa Shuffle on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Harder said the downtown merchants liked the event. “I think it will grow with each year,” Harder said.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Board Chair Joan Huffman.
The tourist commission hopes to add another event in 2026 as well as expand existing events.
One way officials are looking at expanding events is by creating an entertainment district downtown, where people would be able to take alcohol out of bars onto Main Street. The City of Harrodsburg would be able to turn it on or off.
“I think it opens us up to new events,” Harder told the board.
Gray said they are also looking at a possible three-year project to build something. Gray said he wants to plan something to build something every three years or so, whether it’s a sports arena, convention center or theater.
Gray was hired in 2021. At the meeting, he went over the tourist commission’s achievements in that time, which include growing the sponsorships bestowed on local events and organizations from $302,000 in 2021 to $593,000 in 2024. In that same period, the commission has grown its social media following from 2,382 to 14,700.
Last year, the tourist commission hosted the 250th celebration, redesigned their logo, designed and published a new website, entered a marketing partnership with Rupp Arena and UK Men’s Basketball, purchased billboard advertising in major markets and produced local marketing videos as well as a documentary celebrating Harrodsburg’s status as the oldest town in Kentucky.
Moving forward, Gray said he wants the tourist commission to host at least one new event as well as one new sports tournament and reach 18,000 followers on social media.
“Is there a way to show this growth on social media?” asked board member John Holiday. “I think folks out in the community want to see this growth.”
