Kentucky Life

Pioneer Playhouse in Danville is a unique outdoor theater; restoration efforts of the old Wayland gym in Floyd County will house a museum honoring the region's high school athletes; St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Louisville houses the skeleton remains of two 2000-year-old Roman Martyrs; two plant-based restaurants in Lexington are challenging the notion that vegan foods are bland.

During the Great Depression, a group of women riding horses and mules brought books to the people of Appalachia; two local farms provide classic Fall activities in the small town of Nancy; Lexington artist Robert Beatty is one of the most recognizable creators of modern album artwork; Beaver Dam in Ohio County is making a big name for itself as a Kentucky concert destination.

Every April, Pikeville hosts the Hillbilly Days festival, three days of food, fun, and hillbilly spirit; Lexington students get first-hand experience in the world of fashion; the late artist Chester Fryer created Kentucky Stonehenge in Munfordville; Friends of Eastern Cemetery in Louisville is helping to restore the most over-buried cemetery in the U.S.

Our friend Doug Flynn learns about the Bluegrass Barons and vintage baseball; Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville specializes in moonshine; hosted by the Kentucky Renaissance Faire, the Highland Renaissance Festival in Eminence is an annual tradition; Lemonjuice McGee's Comic Cavalcade in Somerset is home to a wide selection of toys, comic books and more.

Cove Haven Cemetery has served the Black community of Central Kentucky since 1907; the rich history of Huntertown, established in 1871 as an African American free town in Versailles; musician Julia Perry and her association with the Lexington Philharmonic; the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library system was the first library in the nation staffed by, and intended for, Blacks.

Started in Rowan County in 1911, Cora Wilson Stewart thought up the idea of Moonlight Schools to combat adult illiteracy; the history of the iconic Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky; first-generation Sri Lankan-American Sam Fore recounts her journey starting a small pop-up restaurant in Lexington; the unique Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden and Toyland in Calvert City.

The large-scale murals of central Kentucky artists Graham Allen and Geoff Murphy include a diverse group of people with Kentucky roots; meet comic-book illustrator and artist Tony Moore; the Red River Gorge Trail crew maintains the trails of this Kentucky treasure; Mojothunder is an up-and-coming rock band in the Bluegrass.

In Louisville, Rudy Salgado creates tintype photos with techniques and equipment from the 19th century; Kentucky women veterans traveled to DC over the summer for Honor Flight Kentucky; learn about the small part of Kentucky "north" of the Ohio River; the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum in Marion, Kentucky, features thousands of colorful fluorite mineral specimens.

The flood that devastated portions of Eastern Kentucky in July 2022 highlighted the hard work, resilience and kindness of mountain communities; photographer Dean Hill has dedicated his life to capturing Appalachia on film; painter Ceirra Evans draws from her childhood to showcase the people of Appalachia; in Russell, the once-popular Railroad YMCA was originally built to house railroad workers.

WRFL is the University of Kentucky's student-run radio station and has been operating for 35 years; visit Flame Run, a glass studio and gallery in Louisville and glass artist Brook Forrest White Jr.; celebrating the Western Kentucky artist Helen LaFrance; and the history of Hensley Settlement and one man's determination to preserve a quieter way of life for his family.

Meet Wade Houston, Louisville businessman and former basketball coach; author Aimee Zaring explores the recipes and journeys of refugees who live in Kentucky in her new cookbook; established in 1799, First Vineyard was the first commercial winery in the U.S.; and a Buon fresco mural honors the once thriving African American community of Jonesville in Bowling Green.

Wickliffe Mounds, a Native American archaeological site, features abundant wildlife, museum exhibits, and more; kudzu is known as 'the vine that ate the south' because it is so invasive; Charles Young from Mays Lick overcame barriers and received overdue recognition a century after his death; the 127-year-old Monte Casino Chapel may be small in stature, but it makes up for its size in history.

The illustrations of Louisville artist Bri Bowers depict some of the city's beloved local landmarks; a look at bike polo in Lexington; a 1876 phenomenon occurred when a substance resembling meat fell from the sky over the Crouch family farm in Olympia Springs; and artist Kelly Brewer and friends started the Common Wealth of Kentucky Project, using their talents to showcase people and places.

Explore the history of the B-29 Superfortress, the plane used to deliver the atomic bombs during World War II; Pink Boots Society comprises movers and shakers in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry; Lexington-based artist Robert Morgan creates moving assemblage sculptures out of discarded family items; and explore the life of Louisville native and business leader Alice Houston.

Chip visits Empress Chili in Alexandria, the restaurant that started the Cincinnati Chili craze in 1922; the works of contemporary landscape painter Jon Gaddis; the history of White Hall, the mansion that has been in Richmond since the 1700s and was the home of the prominent Clay family; meet Lexington artist Lakshmi Sriraman, who specializes in painting, dance, and more.

Explore the life and works of renowned Kentucky author and activist bell hooks; The Lexington Writer's Room offers local, active writers (and visitors) affordable and collaborative workspaces; when the tornados went through Western Kentucky in 2021, WKDZ stayed on the air; the Butterfly Greenhouse at Wilson Nurseries & Plant Co. educates Kentuckians about the importance of native pollinators.