Before the leaves even begin to fully turn, Boyle County goes all in for fall festivals, beginning with September’s nod to Kentucky arts, crafts and music, continuing into October with two commemorations of a major historic event and ending on a nostalgic note at month’s end with good, old-fashioned family fun times.
Mark your calendars for these fall festivals:
Constitution Square Festival – Downtown Danville
Saturday, Sept. 16
The three-acre park at Constitution Square Historic Site will be lined with tents chockful of artisan-made goods for show and for sale during this family-friendly festival presented by Whitaker Bank, the Boyle County Farmer’s Market, Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce, and the Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County. Plenty of live music, food trucks and more will be served up all day long, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
See details here.
Perryville Commemoration Festival – Downtown Perryville
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7
Food trucks, vendors, live music, living history demonstrations, kids’ corner, Miss Perryville pageant, parade, ghost walk and more—Main Street Perryville presents the 161st Anniversary of the Battle of Perryville commemoration celebration.
Watch Civil War reenactors engage in skirmishes on the streets of Perryville. Join the crowd for Saturday’s parade, which begins at 11 a.m. and includes prizes for favorite floats.
(Merchant Row in Perryville will be busy with activity during the commemoration weekend events)
Tour the historic buildings on Merchants Row. Built in the 1840s, it is the country’s only remaining and intact merchant district of its time, a bustling commerce hub once filled with the shops and businesses of two centuries ago and today still abustle with antique and gift shops as well as the Main Street Museum and Visitors Center.
For more information, visit www.downtownperryville.com or www.facebook.com/events/1529921100827617.
161st Battle of Perryville Commemoration – Perryville Battlefield
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8
Also commemorating the Battle of Perryville is this event held at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site and featuring living history, memorial service, artillery demonstration, book signings, among a full agenda of activities.
“The Perryville Battlefield commemoration is a learning experience for the entire family,” said park manager Bryan Bush. “Learn about artillery drills during the Civil War and watch a live firing of an exact reproduction of a Civil War cannon. Learn about the battle through Larry Peterson’s lecture on his new book, Decisions at Perryville: The Twenty-Two Critical Decisions That Defined the Battle. Listen to Don Elmore as he portrays Confederate General Simon Buckner, who was from Kentucky and fought at the battle.”
(Canons and historic signage can be found throughout the grounds at the Perryville Battlefield Historic Site)
Additionally, Bush will portray Union Veteran Colonel John Beatty at Perryville and Gerald Fisher, author of Guerilla Warfare in Civil War Kentucky, will have a book signing at Civil War Hall.
Other activities: guided tours of the battlefield, a nature walk provided by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and a chance to explore original artifacts from the battle at the Museum.
Visit www.perryvillebattlefield.org for activities schedule, tickets and museum admission.
Forkland Heritage Festival & Revue
Oct 13-14, 2023
An Old Country Supper Theatre, pancake breakfast, classic car show and silent auction are part of the 52nd Forkland Festival and Revue, a celebration of the rural heritage of Boyle County’s Forkland community, held at the Forkland Community Center.
Dig into a traditional bean supper on Friday or Saturday evening followed by a play written and performed by local actors. Tickets for the Old Country Supper Theatre are $20/person and reservations are recommended. (Contact Janie Drye at 270-402-2768.) Line up for the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast or sign up for the Fox & Hound 4K Race for a scenic run through the knobs of the Fork.
(Wagon rides are among the activities to enjoy during the Forkland Festival)
Tour the Forkland Lincoln Museum and Old Farm Equipment Museum, place your bids for the handmade crafts and other items donated for the silent auction and enjoy demonstrations of old-time skills, festival foods, live country music, local historical exhibits, horse-drawn wagon rides, kids’ activities and more throughout the weekend.
For more information and admission fees, visit www.rya.uab.mybluehost.me.
(Blog post written by Kathy Witt)
