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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Frankfort Rolls Out the Welcome for Visitors to 59th Inauguration
Family-friendly Fun Planned at Center for Kentucky History; Businesses Participating
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky’s historic capital city, the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) and local businesses will welcome visitors to Frankfort on Dec. 13 for Inauguration Day activities.
Special family-friendly events are planned at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, which also will be the site of a public afternoon reception for Governor Steve Beshear. The theme for the all-day activities is “I Love Kentucky History,” which complements the overall inaugural theme of the 59th Inauguration, “Kentucky Tomorrow.”
Following the 2 p.m. swearing-in activities at the Capitol, Gov. Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear, and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson and Madeline Abramson will be the honored guests at a 3:30 p.m. public inauguration party at the Center for Kentucky History. The public is invited to join the celebration as local residents, representing their fellow Frankfort citizens, bear country ham, biscuits and white cake in a popular Kentucky tradition dating back at least 100 years.
Refreshments will be available. There is no admission charge for the party.
“Frankfort residents are honored to host the inaugural festivities every four years, and be a part of history in the making,” said Joy Jeffries, executive director of the Frankfort-Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission. “We hope other Kentuckians will join us this year, especially since a new route will take the Inaugural Parade through the heart of our downtown district. We’re excited to showcase some of what makes Frankfort a unique place, rich in history and a vibrant place for business.”
The Frankfort-Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission has produced an Inauguration Day Survival Guide brochure with a schedule of events, lists of local shopping and eating establishments, and a map. There is information on street closings, parking options and parade and shuttle routes. The guide will be available at the commission’s office at the corner of Second Street and Capital Avenue, and from downtown stores on Broadway.
Information about street closings is also available on the inauguration website: http://governor.ky.gov/inauguration. With this year’s parade route traveling along Broadway in Frankfort’s historic district, a variety of downtown merchants and eateries, as well as other local businesses, invite Inauguration Day visitors to check out some of the capital city’s unique offerings. Several businesses on Broadway will be offering lunch specials or Inauguration Day sales or discounts, according to Downtown Frankfort Inc.
At the Center for Kentucky History, families can enjoy musical performances and brief historical plays. Guests also may take a special tour of the center’s research library, where the Ron Morgan Postcard Collection features more than 10,000 images from Kentucky’s past.
Exhibitions at the Center for Kentucky History are free of charge on Dec. 13, including the newly renovated “Toyota Kentucky Hall of Governors.” The inaugural gown worn by First Lady Jane Beshear in 2007 will be on display. Also open on inauguration day are the other properties of the KHS campus, the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Military History Museum. Those sites also are admission-free on Dec. 13.
For a full schedule of all the inaugural events, including the nondenominational worship service, parade, public swearing-in and ball, please visit www.governor.ky.gov/inauguration.
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