8 Kentucky Food and Drink Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss
In partnership with: Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Scattered throughout the great state of Kentucky are festivals honoring everything from bourbon and beef to fruit and sorghum. It’s a wild world of feast and fun out there in the Bluegrass State, and we’re here to help you discover the best of the best when it comes to Kentucky food festivals.
Kentucky Bourbon Festival
Bardstown
No list of Kentucky food and drink festivals would be complete without the renowned Kentucky Bourbon Festival. For more than 20 years, this leading community event has celebrated everything there is to love about Kentucky bourbon. You can discover the storied history of this hometown favorite, sample tasters from a variety of local distilleries and pick up some treasured Kentucky wares with 50,000 of your closest friends in the Bourbon Capital of the World.
Marion County Country Ham Days
Lebanon
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, the Marion County Country Ham Days in Lebanon, Kentucky, might surprise you. This beloved festival has been running for more than 50 years, ushering in about 30,000 visitors each and every time. When this event began, there were only six hams and a handful of volunteers. Today you can expect to see more than 200 volunteers serving up around 3,000 pounds of country ham.
Fort Harrod Beef Festival
Fort Harrod
With over 2 million head of beef cattle in the state, it’s no surprise that Kentucky hosts a beef festival. Whether you want to find out who makes the best steak or who can grill the best burger, the Fort Harrod Beef Festival is the place to be. This fun weekend is full to the brim with exciting activities for visitors of all ages. You can sign up for the steak and egg breakfast, burn some calories in the 5K, or place a bid at the silent auction when you need a break from the grill-off competitions.
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Mountain Mushroom Festival
Irvine
Tucked away in the small town of Irvine, about an hour southeast of Lexington, you’ll find the long-running Mountain Mushroom Festival. This event honors Appalachian culture by way of the popular morel mushroom, but you can also enjoy things like local arts and crafts booths, car and motorcycle shows, and a hearty pancake breakfast to start your day off right. Mushroom-themed activities include a morel market, cooking demonstrations and educational panels on mushroom foraging. There are even mushroom cook-offs and inoculation demos.
International Barbecue Festival
Owensboro
Barbecue is a serious subject in the South, and even more so at the International Barbecue Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky. For many years, the streets of this charming town have filled up with the delicious scents and sounds of hickory-smoked fires and sizzling chicken, mutton and more. Whether you want to participate in a sandwich- or pie-eating competitions, burn some calories in the 5K run, or give it your best shot at the keg toss, this is one festival you don’t want to miss.
Monroe County Watermelon Festival
Tompkinsville
Is there anything better than biting into a juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer day. The people of Monroe County celebrate this delicious fruit every year at the Monroe County Watermelon Festival. First established in 1980, this event brings around 10,000 people to Tompkinsville to share their love for all things watermelon. From live entertainment and kids’ games to a parade and watermelon decorating contests, this festival is guaranteed to be fun for the whole family.
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The Original Goettafest
Covington
If you’ve never been to Germany, you may not be familiar with goetta. This unique German dish is a meat-and-grain sausage that is often combined with things like onion, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme to create a sweet and smoky flavor. It’s a fan-favorite in Europe and Kentucky, where Covington’s MainStrasse Village throws a massive celebration in its honor every year at The Original Goettafest. The event includes live music, inventive food and family-friendly games. You can even try some of the more creative cuisines while you’re there, like goetta-inspired pizza and fudge.
Sorghum Festival
Morgan County
Want to sweeten up the day with a little sorghum? Head to the annual Morgan County Sorghum Festival, which has been taking over the streets of downtown West Liberty for nearly 50 years. You can peruse artisan booths, participate in the Morgan County Sorghum Bowl football game, see the crowning of the Sorghum Queen and get an up-close and personal lesson on how sorghum is made. This is considered one of the most charming festivals in the region, so make sure to mark this one down as a must-see on your Kentucky food festival calendar.