Father's Day Gift Guide in Georgetown
Written by Dylan Marson
It’s almost Father’s Day and you might be wondering what the heck you’re going to do this year. If you’re anything like me, you’ve gifted your dad everything from socks to smokers, and finding the perfect Father’s Day gift has only gotten harder every year. Luckily for you, Georgetown makes your celebrations a breeze with this simple guide to the ultimate Father’s Day gifts & experiences.
Downtown Thrifts & Gifts
If there is one thing Georgetown isn’t running short on, it's fantastic places to shop for any occasion. Swing by the historic streets of downtown Gtown and you’ll be greeted by store fronts jam-packed with quality gifts, antiques and artistry! From personalized Gtown gear to gag gifts, All That And More (Now a licensed dealer of Buffalo Trace Distillery products) has...well, all that and more. Find that bottle of bourbon he’s always been wanting at Maime’s Fine Wine and Gifts or treat him to a blast from the past with the perfect piece from the award winning Georgetown Antique Mall. Just a short walk from there, you’ll find one of the only authentic stained glass shops in Kentucky, Heirloom’s and Gretchens, where unique KY artistry is sure to catch the eye as much as it catches the sun.
Visit www.georgetownky.com/shopping for a complete guide of Georgetown’s downtown
Bourbon 30:
There are so many unique gifts to find in our local shops downtown, but sometimes the best celebrations are all about the experiences you have along the way. One visit to Bourbon 30 will have you walking out the door with the perfect bourbon gift and a pack full of memories to boot.
Bourbon distiller Jeff Mattingly appreciates being mere steps from where bourbon whiskey was (allegedly) first made way back in 1789 – that is, on the banks of Royal Spring, located right across the street from Bourbon 30 in what is now known as Royal Spring Park. A visit to Bourbon 30 is as unique as an individual’s palate. The distillery offers an experience not found at other such venues and visitors don’t have to be a part of a group or a retailer to do a barrel pick or blend. Mattingly’s vision was to give Bourbon 30 guests the opportunity to spend time with the crafter in blending their own custom bottle, to try uncut, unfiltered bourbons and whiskey straight from the barrel.
Visit www.itsbourbon30.com to get started, or just walk right through their doors!
Whispering Woods Riding Stable:
Every little boy has dreamt of being a cowboy at least once, and that pure cowboy spirit doesn’t go away with age! For even the most inexperienced riders, Whispering Woods Riding Stable has a horseback experience you’ll never forget.
Experience the beauty of the Bluegrass in the most natural way possible...On Horseback! This Riding experience boasting 250 acres of untouched riding trails is the perfect place for even beginner riders to live out their Wild West fantasies. Rent one of their 24 steeds or bring your own. Offering both 45 minute and 90 minute trail rides, schedules subject to weather.
Visit http://whisperingwoodstrails.com to make your reservations today.
Country Boy Brewing:
For the biggest beer lovers in your family, there’s no place like Country Boy Brewing to make a great night out. Not only is it one of Scott County’s favorite watering holes, it also boasts some top-notch grub at it’s Georgetown taproom. This makes it the perfect place to celebrate while you feed the whole family! Treat Dad to some award-winning local brews, and he can walk away with a growler of his favorite beer of the night.
Country Boy Brewing was founded by four country boys with a big dream: Daniel “DH” Harrison, Nathan Coppage, Jeff Beagle and Evan Coppage. The brewery and the boys have a solid reputation for crafting authentic, fresh-flavored beer – and not just in hometown Georgetown, but across the state of Kentucky and well beyond its borders.
Visit www.countryboybrewing.com for more information
Explore our complete Gtown dining guide at www.georgetownky.com/dining
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10 Best Bets in Georgetown
Spring has sprung, WINter has ended, the foals are frolicking, bees are buzzing, horse racing will begin soon and we want you to PLACE your 10 Best Bets in Georgetown. Just take our advice and we will SHOW you the absolute best way to experience Georgetown, Kentucky!
1. Old Friends
Old Friends is the perfect place to meet a few new friends and should we mention, many are quite famous? Silver Charm, fan favorite, is a Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner; Popcorn Deelites has Hollywood status for his role as Seabiscuit; Game on Dude is a 2021 Hall of Famer finalist; And Little Silver Charm is Georgetown’s beloved spokeshorse.
Trolly rides, two museums all about the horse, the ultimate horse Hall of Champions, trail rides, and those gorgeous rolling pastures… Need we say more?
3. Farm Tours
Who doesn’t love a little fun on the farm? We sure do here in Gtown and there is no shortage of locations to visit. Looking for a few fan favs? Bi-water Farm & Greenhouse, Elmwood Stock Farm, Evans Orchard & Cider Mill, Gray Arbor Farm, and Lavender in Bloom are all on the list.
Georgetown is the Birthplace of Bourbon. In fact, it is said that water from Royal Spring, located across the street from Bourbon 30 Spirits, was used in the first batch of Bourbon made by Rev. Elijah Craig himself. Bourbon 30 offers a one-of-a-kind bourbon experience where you are able to make your own blended bourbon and name it too! Super cool, right?
5. Ward Hall
Ward Hall is grandest 12,000 square foot villa in ALL of Kentucky. There was no expense spared to complete this home which was paid for entirely in gold, circa 1857. This beauty is furnished with period pieces, paintings, original Ward Family silver, and grand stories of Georgetown’s past.
You will take a step back in time as you walk the streets of our Victorian-era downtown with its' dozens of colorful, locally-owned storefronts filled with unique boutique shops, restaurants, art galleries, and antiques. Downtown Georgetown is also home to Georgetown College. GO TIGERS!
7. Local Dining
Georgetown’s foodscape is full of local flair and flavor. Kentucky staples? We’ve got it. Southern Delta delicacies? Got it. Farm Fresh? Got it. Mom and Pop diners? Got it. One-of-a-kind Vegan specials? Got it. Whatever you are craving, Georgetown has a place to satisfy your tastebuds.
8. Whispering Woods Riding Stables
When in Georgetown, do as the Georgetonians, which means saddle up and experience Kentucky at its truest and purest state… on horseback. Whispering Woods Riding Stables has over 250 acres of trails filled with heavily wooded hills, creeks, lots of beautiful hardwood trees, and wildlife.
9. Yuko-en on the Elkhorn, the Official Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden
A place of peace and serenity in the midst of Kentucky’s Horse Headquarters. You’ll find walking paths, water falls, Japanese architecture blended with Bluegrass landscaping, and the perfect place to find zen and, maybe, do a little yoga too.
10. Scenic Driving Tours
Country Roads take you to…Georgetown, of course! So, make sure to travel through our countryside to see horses frolicking in pastures, miles of stone fences, colorful barn quilts and the true beauty that makes up the Bluegrass State.
Bonus Bet:
(Toyota's Visitor Center Is currently CLOSED to visitors due to COVID-19)
All aboard at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky to explore the process of making Toyota & Lexus vehicles from start to finish. Learn the Japanese way of Kazien, or continuous improvement, during their virtual tour experience.
**As you plan your visit, please check with each location as the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Industry are still navigating through COVID-19.
Author: Bailey Gilkerson
Bailey Gilkerson is the Marketing Director at Georgetown/Scott County Tourism, where she develops marketing campaigns attracting visitors to the Georgetown/Scott County area. In addition to content creation, Bailey host industry professional and media, organizes and executes events, and plans area travel itineraries for visitors and groups.
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Whether coming or going, snowbirds will want to roost in Georgetown
Written by Kathy Witt
There’s a charming halfway point for snowbirds traveling north and south along the I-75 corridor for winter escapes and spring returns home.
The Birthplace of Bourbon and Kentucky’s Horse Headquarters, it is a place with more than 40 lodging choices – everything from brand name hotels to historic homes and horse farm stays to campgrounds; over two dozen locally-owned restaurants, 14 of which are located downtown; and a fun mix of shops, boutiques, galleries and antique malls tucked into historic buildings in a downtown famous for its well-preserved Victorian storefronts and walkable streetscapes.
Famous for its Southern charm and Kentucky-style hospitality, Georgetown is right off I-75 exits 126 and 127, only 20 miles north of and a world removed from the hustle-bustle of Lexington. It’s a small town with a big (and ready) smile for neighbors and newbies alike, for those putting down stakes and those just passing through. Georgetown is an appealing nest for snowbirds transitioning from the north to the south, and vice versa.
When heading south for the winter, snowbirds can rest assured there are comfortable and pleasant lodgings, excellent bakeries, coffeeshops and restaurants and plenty of cold-weather fun to be had for that needed break along the way. When warmer weather calls snowbirds home, Georgetown is there with springtime adventures outdoors, not to mention specialty ice cream, cold craft beer and seriously cool activities.
Georgetown venues have implemented all health, cleaning and safety protocols as mandated by state and federal guidelines. Georgetown restaurants offer in-person and enclosed outdoor dining as well as curbside pickup and local delivery; many shops also provide curbside pickup, local delivery and shipping. They also make shopping by appointment available and limit the number of shoppers in the store at any given time.
WINTER ACTIVITY GUIDE
• Downtown shops and restaurants – Download the guide to good taste and great tastes here.
• Bourbon 30 – Taste bourbon from the barrel or bottle – or bottle your own cask-strength bourbon with help from bourbon maestro and Master Crafter Jeff Mattingly.
• Georgetown originals: Two Horse Headquarters art galleries specialize in equestrian art: Hockensmith Fine Art Editions and Gallery & Press and the Robert Clark Artist Gallery.
• Only in Georgetown: Meet Pete the Talking Crow at the Georgetown and Scott County Museum and learn about the bird that once started horses races – not that anyone asked him to!
SPRING ACTIVITY GUIDE
• Golf on one of several beautiful 18-hole golf courses, including semi-private and championship courses.
• Keeneland – Spring meets begin in April at one of the world’s most famous thoroughbred racecourses.
• Kentucky Horse Park – Kentucky’s homage to man’s relationship with the horse happens at this world-class working horse farm, educational theme park and equine competition facility.
• Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm – Feed carrots and pet champions of the turf, including Kentucky Derby winners and a Hollywood star, all living the good life in retirement.
• Yuko-en on the Elkhorn, the Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden – a spa for the senses, spirit and soul.
Snowbirds can learn more about Georgetown and all its lodging, restaurant, retail and attractions offerings by reading the G-town Unwound blog here: www.georgetownky.com/g-town-unwound. For trip planning resources, visit www.georgetownky.com. To see an updated list of restaurant and shop hours as well as dining/shopping options, click here and here.
Author: Kathryn Witt
Kathryn Witt is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer, syndicated columnist and author of several books, including Secret Cincinnati, The Secret of the Belles and Atlanta Georgia: A Photographic Portrait. A member of SATW, Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Books & Illustrators, she lives in northern Kentucky.
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Lights! Candles! Action! Holiday fun in and around Georgetown
Written by Kathy Witt
Christmas events typically kick off Thanksgiving Day weekend, but a year monopolized by pandemic news calls for an early holiday kickoff. Thankfully, Southern Lights – a beloved holiday tradition for families for 28 years and one of Kentucky’s top 10 Winter/Holiday Festivals and Events – starts the celebration on Sunday, Nov. 26.
Through Dec. 31, the timeless animated holiday displays at the Kentucky Horse Park will unspool over three miles to enchant all with the glow of thousands of lights and put a smile on the face of every member of the family.
This family-friendly festival has an eye-popping, selfie-worthy array of holiday displays. Drive through the lights, then enjoy park activities: local crafts, model trains and mini train rides, visits with Santa, pony and camel rides, an exotic petting zoo and more.
Because Southern Lights is held at one of the world’s most iconic venues – the Kentucky Horse Park – families get the added treat of seeing not only displays celebrating the symbols of the season, but also a variety of vignettes that honor Kentucky’s equine heritage as well.
Southern Lights – information/tickets/fees: www.southernlightsky.com, www.facebook.com/southernlightsky, 859-255-5727.
Beginning on Friday, Nov. 26, the admission-free ChristmasTime at the Ark Encounter shows why this event, with its magical light-trimmed setting, has also become a Christmas fave for families.
Enjoy a spectacular Christmas video sharing the hope of Christmas on a state-of-the-art, 70-by-22-foot LED screen. Marvel at the life-size ark and garden, illuminated in thousands of rainbow-colored lights. Step inside the heated indoor petting zoo to say hello to the animals. Join in singing traditional Christmas carols and catch a concert with Grammy-nominated Steve Hess & Southern Salvation.
“In the evening, guests will love walking the grounds as they view the thousands of stunning lights and watch the spectacular and constantly changing colorful lights illuminating the life-size 510-foot-long ark,” said Ken Ham, CEO/Founder of Ark Encounter.
See the lights from the night sky on the Ark’s Screaming Eagle Zip Lines. Check everyone off your gift list at the massive fair trade market and gift shop, choosing from handmade gifts from all over the world, along with toys and stuffed animals, books and DVDs and more. Treat yourself to some festive food and drinks at one of the outdoor booths and specialty snack stands or head inside to Emzara’s Kitchen for a hearty meal.
ChristmasTime – information/tickets/fees: www.arkencounter.com/christmas. NOTE: Face coverings are required to enter and are to be worn where you cannot reasonably social-distance.
The landmark antebellum mansion, built for $50,000 in gold over 160 years ago, is recognized as one of the great architectural masterpieces of America and features 27-foot-high fluted Corinthian columns, magnificent plasterwork and a breathtaking double elliptical staircase.
The historic home will give visitors a look, through decorations and customs, at how Christmas has been celebrated over the past 200 years. Guides in period dress will add to the feeling of being part of an old-fashioned Christmas.
“Ward Hall is one of the most intact antebellum mansions in the nation, making Christmas here unique among the many historic candlelight tours of the season,” said Ron Bryant, Ward Hall Preservation Foundation Board Chair. “The holiday ambiance always gets visitors in the spirit of the season.”
Author: Kathryn Witt
Kathryn Witt is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer, syndicated columnist and author of several books, including Secret Cincinnati, The Secret of the Belles and Atlanta Georgia: A Photographic Portrait. A member of SATW, Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Books & Illustrators, she lives in northern Kentucky.
Travel as far away as the American West and Asia without adding more than a handful of miles to your car. Because of the pandemic, travelers have been uncovering or rediscovering the joy and adventure of exploring close to home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get away to parts unknown. The Georgetown Jail Trail, the Deadliest Catch, Around the World – pack up and hit the road on these themed travel jaunts that give that far-away flavor while keeping you safe near home.
Get your meditation on in the sister-city of Tahara, Japan.
• Yuko-En on the Elkhorn: Find serenity in this four-season, five-plus acre Japanese-style strolling garden filled with Kentucky native plants. The Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden is a world filled with waterfalls, graceful sculptural elements and a Japanese-style stone garden that inspires quiet reflection.
• Anniemals: This is the working art studio of Annie Brady, who does Raku firing at Yuko-en and usually has a few pieces of pottery for sale, along with paintings, drawings and other works.
• Thai Garden Restaurant: Tuck into dishes that have some customers swooning, like the Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice and Drunken Noodles.
• Country Boy Brewing: The four country boys who founded what has become one of Kentucky’s most famous watering holes bring a Japanese ethos to their beermaking. “The Japanese are known as extremely good craftsmen,” says co-owner DH Harrison. “We like to pay homage to the culture, the importance of quality and dedication to craft.”
• Bleubird Studio: Book a yoga class or grab your mat and to solo to the yoga studio of this new three-story home, featuring two private guestrooms, each with en suite bath. Rock away the day on a balcony porch overlooking farmland.
A checkered past? Georgetown? Follow the trail for tales of bank robbers and old jails.
• Royal Spring Welcome Center – The staff at the Old Scott County Jail used to welcome prisoners. Now the staff greets visitors to Georgetown in the same space, which also has an exhibit about the adjacent Old Jail.
• Historic Stamping Ground Jail: See the brick two-cell jail built circa 1890 at 3374 Main Street that became famous for surviving two fires and a tornado.
• Historic Buffalo Geocaching Trail: The outlaw Jesse James never spent time in the Stamping Ground Jail – but he did visit relatives in the area and had a personal tie to one particular house in this tiny town, the place where his parents married on Dec. 28, 1841. Find it at 406 Locust Fork Pike.
• Abby Mae’s: A changing room in the bank vault, a bullet hole in the bathroom. In 1929, a would-be robber – a bank president no less! – shot himself here; nearly 100 years later, shop owner Sarah Christian has filled the space with clothes so cute, it’s nearly criminal.
• The Kitchen at Country Boy Brewing: Dip a jumbo Bavarian pretzel in Nacho Bait Beer Cheese and wash it down with a can of Shotgun Wedding
• Buffalo Springs Distillery: This Airbnb was never a jail, although with its stone façade, one might think it had a prison past. But no. The building once housed the main office and gatehouse of the former Buffalo Springs Distilling Company and you can now book the entire residence as your plush and private getaway.
Cowpokes and quilters, hatchets and horses, patchwork patterns and pizza pie. Take a trip to the American West by stagecoach-style passenger cars.
• Whispering Woods Riding Stables: Ride like a cowboy or girl across the open prairie – in this case, 250 acres of Kentucky backcountry.
• Buffalo Gals Quilt Barn Trail: Quilting bees are a uniquely American social custom that once thrived among pioneer women. This driving tour lacks the gossip that accompanied quilting bees back then but not the beautiful handiwork of the needlesmiths.
• Georgetown & Scott County Museum: Stagecoaches were a familiar site in the American West and three precision-model stagecoach-style passenger cars are on display in the museum’s DeWitt Collection, built from scratch in cast aluminum, brass, hammered steel sheets and wood.
• Birdsong Quilting, Embroidery and Crafts: Fabrics, notions, sewing machines, classes – it’s the kind of shop pioneer women pined for.
• FatKats: Bite into pizza worth circling the wagons for – the award-winning Cowboy Extreme, a mouthwatering pie topped with barbecue sauce, cheese, chicken, onions, bacon and banana peppers.
• Queenslake Bed and Breakfast: Horses, wide-open spaces, lakes – it’s as peaceful as the Old West at sundown.
Globetrot three continents – Asia, Europe and North America – from the Arabian desert to a Japanese meditation garden, the Mississippi delta to the English countryside, an authentic Irish pub to a Greek-esque shopping experience.
• Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries at Kentucky Horse Park: Journey through art, literature and film in a Bedouin setting to see the horse that changed the world.
• Yuko-En on the Elkhorn: Step through the Tokugawa Gates and enter a spa for the soul and senses.
• Meraki and Moon: My big, fat Greek shopping trip here (meraki is Greek for passion) means poking among the works of 40 visionary artists in a creative market atmosphere. Oh, and there’s a wine tap.
• Broussard’s Delta Kitchen: Jambalaya, Crawfish Étouffée, Chicken Creole – savor the flavors of The Big Easy in downtown Georgetown.
• Slainte Public House: “May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!” Yes, tipping a pint at this Irish pub brings out the Irish sayings.
• Alexander Bradford House: It may be early 1800s Kentucky, but this home on the National Register of Historic Places feels more “Merry Olde England” with its English cottage sensibility.
Cast yourself into an adrenaline-pumping episode of the Discovery Channel’s wildly popular reality TV series. Okay, so Elkhorn Creek isn’t the Bering Sea and smallmouth bass aren’t Alaskan king crab, but make no mistake . . . adventure Georgetown-style awaits.
• Fishing at Elkhorn Creek: Navigate gravel shoals, rocky banks and woody debris as you cast your line for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and rock bass.
• Veterans Wildlife Management Area: Oh the variety! Striped bass, blue catfish, shellcrackers, muskellunge, crappie. And it’s not just fishing. There’s deer, squirrel, rabbit and turkey hunting, too.
• Georgetown & Scott County Museum: Come say hello to Pete the Talking Crow, who wound up on the wrong end of a deadliest catch, the victim of a rifle-toting kid.
• Bluegrass Outdoor Shop: Gear up for your own deadliest catch adventure at this hunting and fishing outdoor shop. Bonus: Everything is Kentucky made.
• Rodney’s on Broadway: Killer seafood is on the menu: char-broiled salmon, panko-crusted grouper and sautéed diver sea scallops and shrimp smothered with the chef’s secret-recipe Woodford Reserve bourbon cream sauce.
• Country Boy Brewing: Ask for a cold Cougar Bait – it’s the one with the guy fishing on the can.
• Longview Stay and Play: No deadly wildlife – just a great location right next to the first tee at these golf course apartment units.
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