Discover the Bluegrass State: Top 10 Fun and Exciting Facts About Kentucky for Kids!
1. Horse Retirement Home
Horse retirement homes: not just a neigh-borly gesture! At Kentucky's Old Friends farm, over 200 hoofed retirees, including a Kentucky Derby champ, canter into the sunset while visitors trot along by reservation: this top-rated tourist spot is also home to several programs supporting retired racehorses, who have collectively won 2,982 races and earned a jaw-dropping $281,809,640 before hanging up their horseshoes.
Source => oldfriendsequine.org
2. Professor Bourbon's Secret
Kentucky: the land where corn gets a PhD in deliciousness to become the esteemed Professor Bourbon! But what's the secret ingredient to their academic success? The answer lies beneath their feet: Kentucky's vast limestone reserves lend a helping mineral hand to the local water, gifting the bourbon its distinctive taste – so much so that 95% of the world's bourbon is produced here, amidst over 68 distilleries that leave more barrels of bourbon than people in the state!
Source => kentuckytourism.com
Did you know that Colonel Sanders first created his iconic fried chicken recipe in a small café in Corbin, Kentucky? Learn more about the birthplace of KFC and its history of rising from literal ashes! 🍗🔥
=> Fun Facts about Kentucky
3. Kentucky Clog Dance Party
Get ready to tap into your dancing roots, kids, because we're about to do the Kentucky clog: turns out, the Bluegrass State's official dance is clogging, a fancy footwork fusion of Irish step dancing, Scottish and German influences, Cherokee steps, and a pinch of African rhythms. Who knew Kentuckians could be such a diverse dance squad?!
Source => en.wikipedia.org
4. Fried Chicken History
In the land where chickens fear to tread and herbs and spices hold the keys to deliciousness: Colonel Harland Sanders cooked up his finger-lickin' good Original Recipe® in Corbin, Kentucky, over 75 years ago at the Sanders Café - which started as a simple gas station along U.S. Route 25, grew to include a motel and café, and now draws thousands of KFC enthusiasts from around the globe to explore an expanded museum, herb and spice room, and a souvenir shop.
Source => sanderscafe.com
5. Climbing Adventures in Kentucky
Ready for a gorge-ous adventure in Kentucky? Think Indiana Jones meets a rock climber's paradise: The Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest boasts over 100 natural sandstone arches, rugged cliffs, and awe-inspiring natural bridges, making it a world-class destination for hiking, rock climbing, and rappelling enthusiasts.
Source => visitwinchesterky.com
6. Elk Reintroduction Success
Elk-ome to Kentucky, where we've definitely herd it all: Kentucky reintroduced 1,559 elk to their native habitat since 1997 and now boasts an impressive population of 13,000 to 14,000, making it one of the few eastern states with a thriving elk community – all thanks to a little help from the coal mining industry's reclaimed mountaintops!
Source => iwla.org
7. The Bourbon Limestone Connection
Kentucky's secret recipe for happy barrels and tipsy taste buds? It's in the water! You see, this southern state is blessed with a mischievous limestone water that loves playing a role in making spirits dance : Kentucky's bourbon industry thrives thanks to the unique limestone water found in the state. With a high pH, the limestone water filters out impurities and adds minerals like calcium which aids in fermentation, making it an essential ingredient for distilleries like Maker's Mark and Old Forester.
Source => lpm.org
8. Derby Hat Fashion Show
Hold on to your Derby hats, folks: The Kentucky Derby's fabulous hat tradition was kick-started by real estate agent Cora Jacobs, who strutted her stuff in a daring outfit with a white ostrich-feathered hat adorned with hundreds of red organza roses back in 1971. Though these days, nothing quite matches the royal wedding for some extravagant headgear showdown!
Source => slate.com
9. Mutton-Loving Bar-B-Q Paradise
What do you get when you combine thousands of barbecue enthusiasts, a whole lot of ewes, and a pinch of Southern charm? A mutton-lover's paradise: Owensboro, Kentucky, hosts the annual International Bar-B-Q Festival attracting barbecue buffs from around the world, with over 20,000 pounds of barbecued mutton cooked over open pits every May, keeping the BBQ fires burning since 1834.
Source => moonlite.com
10. Royal Named Cumberland Gap
In a noble effort to honor his royal lineage, the Appalachian Mountains' very own Cumberland Gap volunteered as tribute... to be named after Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II of Great Britain: This historically significant passageway near the meeting point of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee has long been a star-studded attraction, dating back to the days of pioneers like Daniel Boone traveling westward. Nowadays, the Cumberland Gap enjoys a lavish lifestyle as part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, entertaining over 1.2 million guests a year who come to hike, explore, and soak up the atmosphere of its glamorous past.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
