Kentucky Life

Host Chip Polston goes on a walkabout at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo in Horse Cave; Ed McClanahan was a prolific writer and a member of Kentucky's "Fab Five"; the National Quilt Museum in Paducah honors quilters; and The Appalachian Shakespeare Center promotes Appalachia through the works of William Shakespeare.

Antique lovers flock to the small town of Hazel in southwestern Kentucky; Creelsboro Natural Arch is one of the largest stone arches east of the Rocky Mountains; Louisville-born actor Victor Mature was a star in the 1950s; and the evolution of the University of Kentucky Circus Club.

Explore the graffiti left by Civil War soldiers in Mammoth Cave; sustainability is a passion for the owners of Kentucky Wool Works; the esteemed collection of the Frazier History Museum; and an authentic Afghan restaurant that resides in an Owensboro biscuit house.

Visit two organizations that utilize horses to help individuals with mental health, cognitive development and physical therapy; the gift economy is growing in Kentucky, as well as a renewed sense of community; Chip heads to Wolfe County for an underground adventure by kayak; meet world champion carver Abby Peterson.

River Lotus Lion Dance in Louisville showcases the traditional Asian dance where performers mimic a lion's movements; the history and color/patterns of agates; folk artists Lonnie and Twyla Money are known for their whimsical and colorful wood carving; Lexington artists bring their art to the streets through "Art on the Town"; and the use of free art carts.

Dancing Well: The Soldier Project helps veterans with PTSD, along with their families, through music and dance; archeologists uncover glimpses of the past at Camp Nelson in Jessamine Country, a former Union army supply depot, now a U.S. National Cemetery; in the summer of 2022, Honor Flight of Kentucky organized its first all-female veteran flight to Washington D.C.

A Northern Wisconsin town celebrates its unique "Kentuck" heritage at an annual festival in Crandon; ROCK-Roller Derby of Central Kentucky - is getting a fresh start; in Louisville, Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing stands as a testament to the significant role agriculture and the river have played in the development of the country; remembering Appalachian health care pioneer Eula Hall.

Disc golf combines the precision of traditional golf with the exhilaration of frisbee; the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) showcases Kentucky farms; the Trail of Tears Pow Wow in Hopkinsville is an annual gathering for Native Americans from across the US; meet Elizabeth Mesa-Gaido, a Cuban American artist and professor of art at Morehead State University.

James Webb Musical Sales and Repairs is a Martin Co. luthier shop helping to preserve traditional mountain music; travel to the International Space Station with the Middlesboro School System and astronaut John Shoffner; the Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham educates visitors in the history of coal mining; and a negative stigma of pit bulls has caused an overabundance of the breed at humane societies.

Tahlsound is a concert series providing opportunities for regional musicians to perform for the Lexington community; Green Forests Work is converting reclaimed, non-native grasslands and shrublands into productive forestland, providing jobs and restoring ecosystems; discover the history of the once-thriving city "Old Burnside"by hearing from former residents.

Every year in July, Louisville's Schnitzelburg neighborhood hosts the Dainty competition - a street game started by German immigrants in the 1970s; the Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition maintains safe and accessible trails; Chip enjoys the natural beauty of Pine Mountain State Resort Park; meet David and Teresa Prince, teachers in Lawrence County and established musical artists.

Science teacher Natasha Craft is bringing STEM Camp Invention, a nationally-recognized summer camp program for grades K-6, to Pulaski County for the first time; The Little Loomhouse in southern Jefferson County has been a center for cultural life since 1898; The Working Cat Project matches feral cats with property owners who face rodent problems in barns, stables and warehouses.

A group called "Guns to Gardens Louisville" has joined blacksmith Craig Kaviar to turn surrendered firearms into gardening tools; the International Festival celebrates the diverse population of Bowling Green; Lexington-based designer Soreyda Begley is utilizing her talent to draw attention to sustainability in the fashion industry; the history of the Black Patch Wars in Princeton, Ky., in 1906.

The Bell Observatory at Western Kentucky University inspires future astronomers; a partnership between Prestonsburg's Mountain Arts Center and online radio station, CMH23 Radio, aims to support the next generation of country music legends; Chip visits the Hopewell Museum in Paris, Ky.; the history of Butchertown, one of Louisville's oldest neighborhoods.

In this special episode, find out how more than $3 million in Civil War-era coins were found in a Kentucky farm field. How did they get there? For the first time, hear insights from the farmer who discovered them in what is now known as the Great Kentucky Hoard.

A tool library in Louisville aims to make DIY projects and community more accessible; banjo and fiddle player Lily May Ledford was the driving force of The Coon Creek Girls, a popular string band from Powell County formed in the 1930s; preserving McConnell Springs Park in Lexington; the Home For Wayward Babydolls in Rowan County accepts dolls from all over the world.