State Fair

August 15-25 – Continuing rich tradition while introducing new experiences.

What’s New: Experience the tastes, sites and beverages that are uniquely Kentucky in this new entertainment area called Bluegrass Village. Bluegrass Village highlights local craft breweries, bourbon distilleries, culinary and Kentucky retail. Adjacent to Kentucky Kingdom, Bluegrass Village is the entrance to the new concert area for the Texas Roadhouse Concert Series at the Kentucky State Fair. Sale of Champions has been upgraded to Championship Drive. This event recognizes more than 70 4-H and FFA competitors and animals. Winning a class is highly coveted and we’re giving the opportunity to showcase the hard work of these competitors. The most prestigious Saddlebred show in the world, returns to Freedom Hall and tickets are now on sale. The event is held in conjunction with the Kentucky State Fair.

Railbird Festival

• Railbird is a brand-new festival on Keeneland racetrack’s stunning grounds. Marrying music, bourbon and equine culture, Railbird is elevating the festival experience with culinary delights such as a luxurious morning brunch in the Saddling Paddock and a bourbon tasting experience in The Rickhouse.  World-class performances from Hozier, The Raconteurs and Brandi Carlile are expected to put this new festival on the map August 10-11.

Hometown Rising

• Hometown Rising is a music and bourbon festival featuring country music heavyweights like Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and more. Bourbon authority and bestselling author Fred Minnick is the festival’s spirits curator and organizes what is known as the ‘Big Bourbon Bar’ – the centerpiece of the festival featuring two dozen hand-selected bourbons from top distilleries. The 2019 festival dates are September 14-15.

Bourbon and Beyond

• Bourbon and Beyond offers the perfect blend of music, food and bourbon. Over 45 bands will take the stage throughout this three-day festival to celebrate the spirit and music culture of the Bluegrass State. The 2019 Bourbon and Beyond takes place in Louisville September 20-22 with headliners including Foo Fighters, Robert Plant, Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top and many more.

Louder Than Life

• Louder Than Life brings rock and roll to the heart of Louisville with legends like Slipknot, Guns N’ Roses, Disturbed and Rob Zombie headlining this weekend festival. Spanning September 27-29, the Louder than Life festival wraps up the Kentucky Exposition Center’s explosive festival season.

Kentucky’s Edge

• Kentucky’s Edge will make its grand debut this October 4-5 as the quintessential bourbon event. Hosted by Covington and Newport, the weekend-long festival will feature a campus of venues throughout both Northern Kentucky cities and offer an immersive weekend of great music bourbon, food, shopping and conversation.