Kentucky Bourbon Festival

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is an annual weeklong event held in Bardstown, Kentucky, celebrating the history and art of distilling bourbon whiskey. The festival originated in 1991 as a small dinner and tasting for 250 people but has since grown significantly, attracting over 50,000 visitors annually from more than a dozen countries, including Japan and the United Kingdom. Bardstown, known as the "Bourbon Capital of the World," has been home to bourbon distilleries since 1776.

The festival features a variety of activities, including concerts by artists like the Kentucky Headhunters, commemorative displays by local distilleries, food and craft vendors, and the world championship bourbon barrel relay race. It also hosts tasting events, cooking demonstrations, competitions, and tours related to bourbon history. The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History at Spalding Hall is a popular attraction during the festival.

In 2021, the festival was reimagined as an adults-only (21+) event, changing its previous family-friendly nature. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the festival moved online for the first time, but since then, it has returned to its traditional in-person format in Bardstown.