The KEENELAND KIDS CLUB is the Official Kids Club for Keeneland fans 12 and younger.
During the race meet, Kids Club members and their families are invited to enjoy a special day at the races by receiving free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seating. Children’s activities will take place in the North Terrace from noon to 3 p.m.
College Scholarship Day offers a free, fun day at the races for thousands of college and university students from Kentucky and beyond.
Admission is free with a college ID.
Full-time students can register to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships and prizes from local vendors awarded after each of the day’s races. Students also will enjoy music, free snacks and prize drawings in Keeneland’s College Zone in the North Terrace.
Keeneland hosts College Scholarship Day in partnership with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. The program began in October 2002 and has distributed nearly $600,000 in Kentucky, including nearly $300,000 at Keeneland.
America’s Prettiest Half-Marathon through Lexington, KY’s majestic Thoroughbred farms, starting and finishing at Keeneland Race Course.
Horses of all ages go on sale. Spectators welcome.
Recurring Daily from January 9 – 13
Tour Guides will lead guests throughout the grounds to get an in-depth look at Keeneland’s sales operations. Experience includes watching morning workouts and touring the world-renowned Keeneland Sales Pavilion, auction ring and outside show ring. Tour lasts two hours and largely takes place outside; rain or shine. More info and tickets available online.
Tours will take place November 18th & 19th at 8 am as well.
Hidden between the historic downtown neighborhoods of Lexington, is an revitalized gem of entertainment, dining, and community support… Jefferson Street.
A prime street running parallel to Broadway, Jefferson Street holds rich history for Lexington, KY.
Over the last several years Jefferson Street has evolved into a true restaurant and entertainment district and is now home to a variety of locally owned and celebrated businesses including: The Grey Goose, Stella’s Kentucky Deli, Nick Ryan’s Saloon, Wagon Bones Grill, Wine + Market, Enoteca, The Blue Heron Steakhouse, Chase Tap Room, The Green Lantern Bar, County Club Restaurant, West Sixth Brewing and Smithtown Seafood. Prior to 2008, The Green Lantern and Stella’s were the only two establishments in operation. Bookended by West Sixth Brewing at the north end of Jefferson and Stella’s and Wagon Bones on the south end, patrons can explore everything from white tablecloth dining to eclectic music venues and tap rooms.
- Keeneland Press Release, “Inaugural Jefferson Street Soirée”
Rector Hayden REALTORS® very own Whitney Baxter (Relocation Coordinator) and June Laves (Marketing Specialist) were lucky enough to be able to volunteer at the VisitLEX + Keeneland Event – The Jefferson Street Soirée this year!
The event is held annually to celebrate both the ending of the Keeneland Yearling Sales prior to the meets in October – and the release of Lexington’s favorite traveling companion – the Beyond Grits Local Restaurant Guide!
Baxter and Laves handed out the brand new 2016-2017 guides to street fair guests as they perused local craft beer and food from the area vendors. Local favorites like Blue Stallion Brewery, West Sixth, as well as Nick Ryan’s and Wagon Bones had samples and small plates for guests to enjoy. Families and friends milled about enjoying live music at each end of the street fair, the south stage being sponsored by Lexington Parks & Recreation.
We also managed to grab some photos of the great people enjoying the evening at the Jefferson Street Soiree.
The Lexington Metropolitan area is known for it’s rich culture and community events. We invite you to check out some fun to-dos coming up this weekend in the Bluegrass area!
| When: | SAT May 21, 5 – 8pm |
| Where: | Downtown Arts Center: 141 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507 |
| Admission: | FREE |
Thousands of locals and visitors alike converge on downtown Lexington to celebrate art throughout the evening with new gallery exhibitions, special events and food & drinks.
More info: http://www.galleryhoplex.com/
| When: | FRI 10am-8pm | SAT Noon – 5pm | SUN Noon – 5pm |
| Where: | University of Kentucky Art Museum | 405 Rose Street Lexington, KY 40508 |
| Admission: | FREE |
A 15 year tradition continues with local floral designers responding to works of art on display at the Art Museum. Creativity blossoms! Come see (and smell).
More Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1547985195527662/
| When: | FRI May 20 | |
| Where: | Keenland’s Keene Barn and Entertainment Center | 4201 Versailles Road Lexington, KY 40510 |
| Admission: | $85 ($50 is tax deductable donation) |
The 2016 Taste of the Bluegrass will showcase the very best food and drinks Central Kentucky has to offer. Featuring great food and beverage purveyors; live music and a silent auction all in one place! On Friday, May 20, 2016, the place to gather for the premier tasting event of the Bluegrass will be Keeneland’s Keene Barn and Entertainment Center.
More Details: https://www.godspantry.org/latest-news/taste-bluegrass/
| When: | FRI starting at with a Luminary Service at 10pm |
| Where: | Falling Springs / Woodford County Park | 293 Beasley Road Versailles, KY 40383 |
| Admission: | FREE, Click Here to Signup or Donate |
Relay for Life is a six-hour walk and fundraiser for the American Cancer Society with a live and silent auction, entertainment, etc. A Luminary Service will be held a 10:00 p.m. and the walking track will be lined with lighted luminaries representing those who lost the battle with cancer and celebrating those who have survived.
More details: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?sid=128433&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=73935
| When: | SAT May 14: 10AM – 3PM |
| Where: | UK Arboretum | 500 Alumni Drive Lexington, KY 40503 |
| Admission: | FREE |
Free admission to the Kentucky Children’s Garden from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Enjoy this special fun day for the whole family with pony rides, games, refreshments, and more in memory of Adelaide Kennedy McReynolds
More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/208189442865552/
| When: | Saturday and Sunday |
| Where: | Midway University | 512 East Stephens Street Midway, KY 40347 |
| Admission: | FREE, $5 to park |
The Midway Renaissance proudly presents the 2016 Francisco’s Farm Arts Festval at Midway University. The festival will feature over 90 artists from Kentucky and across America. In addtion, there wil be live music local and regional talent, free activities for the children, artist demonstrations and variety of food and beverage options.
Admission is free. Parking is $5 per car. Saturday vistors can return on Sunday for free. The festival is located on the beautiful campus of Midway University in Historic Midway, Kentucky. For more information, visit www.franciscosfarm.org.
More Details: www.franciscosfarm.org
| When: | SAT 10am – 4pm |
| Where: | McConnell Springs | 416 Rebmann Lane Lexington, KY 40504 |
| Admission: | FREE |
Join us this May as we celebrate the birthplace of Lexington at our 22th annual Founder’s Day Celebration. This event will feature a fun-filled day of activities for the entire family. Patrons can see historic reenactments and exhibits, live musical entertainment, storytellers, contests and more. Additionally, individuals may pack a picnic lunch or purchase concessions which are available on site. For more information, call McConnell Springs at 225-4073.
More details: http://www.mcconnellsprings.org/eventsactivities.html
| When: | SAT Noon – 6pm |
| Where: | 835 National Ave Lexington, KY 40502 |
| Admission: | FREE, some workshops require pre-registration and small fee |
Bluegrass Greensource presents GreenFest 2016, a one-day sustainable living festival featuring green living workshops and resources, eco-inspired activities for kids, community booths and green vendors, and food trucks, music and local beer. GreenFest 2016 will be held at Bluegrass Greensource’s headquarters, located at 835 National Avenue, with workshops held inside the building and other festivities held in the parking lot directly across the street.
More Details: http://www.bggreensource.org/greenfest/
| When: | SAT Noon – 6pm |
| Where: | Masterson Station Park | 3051 Leestwon Road Lexington, KY 40511 |
| Admission: | FREE, some workshops require pre-registration and a fee |
The famous Bluegrass Classic Stockdog Trial will once again be held at Lexington’s Masterson Station Park on May 18-22, 2016, marking 54 years of border collie trials in the Bluegrass. This competition is one of the longest-running, largest, and most prestigious trials in the country. The competition draws top handlers from across the USA and Canada, as well as hundreds of local spectators. The Bluegrass Classic dates from at least 1960, and was held for many years at Walnut Hall Farm. It has been a favorite event at the Kentucky Horse Park, and then in Masterson Station Park since 1996. This event involves fabulous opportunities for photography involving dogs, sheep, people, and horses, all in the picturesque setting of Masterson Station Park. As a non-profit event we offer free admission to all, and we appreciate all forms of publicity that will make the community aware of the opportunity to watch these wonderful dogs at work.
Families and spectators are invited to bring their own dogs. Bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets, and enjoy the outdoors! The event runs continuously from dawn until dusk and there are spectator raffles, lunchtime concessions, numerous vendors and cold drinks available.
The 7th annual Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival, a natural fiber and local food event, showcases some of the nation’s finest fiber artists, yarn, products the Kentucky sheep and agriculture community and Kentucky Proud food producers. Once again, this year’s festival will include a series of classes, workshops and demonstrations in the fiber arts. The workshops will take place all three days of the event and pre-registration is required to attend
More Details: https://bluegrassclassic.wordpress.com/ | www.kentuckysheepandfiber.com
| When: | Events on Saturday, Steeplechase on Sunday |
| Where: | Kentucky Horse Park | 4089 Iron Works Pkwy Lexington, KY 40511 |
| Admission: | $25 |
The Kentucky Spring Classic is the second leg of Kentucky Spring Horse Show 2016 series. This hunter/jumper event draws some of the best riders in the world. On Sunday, Enjoy the thrills of hurdle and flat racing from a variety of vantage points.
Family friendly activities include Stick Horse Races, Jack Russell Terrier Races, Parade of the Woodford Hounds, a children’s area and shopping in the retail area. Tailgating is a tradition at this outdoor event.
More Details: http://www.kentuckyhorseshows.com/
| When: | SAT; Activities at 8am – Ride starts at 10am |
| Where: | Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza | 120 North Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507 |
| Admission: | FREE |
The Family Fun Ride will feature an 8-mile route that caters to all cycling levels and skills on two wheels. The route will provide a safe shortcut for children on tricycles and training wheels that directs back to the starting point, where children can ride safely in the Car-Free Kid Zone. Free registration and tons of fun activities!
More Details: http://bikelexington.com/family-fun-ride/
| When: | SAT 9am – 5pm |
| Where: | 100 South College Street Harrodsburg, KY 40330 |
| Admission: | FREE |
A pet festival for the entire family! Animal/pet lovers will love this one day festival. Pet supply vendors and pet service providers will be on hand to mingle with all the pet parents that come to enjoy each others company and let their pets visit the park. A pet contest with great prizes, food vendors and more.
More Details: http://www.kentuckytourism.com/events/details/bark-in-the-park/21264/
