Department of Parks
Pioneer Life Week at Carter Caves July 23-29

OLIVE HILL, Ky. – You can experience what Kentucky was like more than 200 years ago, during Pioneer Life Week, July23-29, at Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill.

This annual event allows visitors to see how pioneers and Native Americans lived. Most events are free to the public. The pioneer encampment near the park campground is open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 29.

Some of the programs include tomahawk throwing, black powder rifle demonstrations, flint knapping, spinning and weaving demonstrations, cabin chinking, primitive fire making demonstrations, and pioneer clothing interpretation.

Evening programs will include “Plants used by Native Americans and Pioneers” on Monday evening; Hatfield and McCoy feud presentation on Tuesday evening; first-person presentation of the Cherokee leader “Ostenaco” by Doug Wood on Thursday evening; frontier stories by the fire at the campground on Thursday night and a dance at the shelter house at the campground on Friday night.

Country Fair Day will be Saturday, July 28, featuring old farm tools and machinery, woodcarving, seed spitting, horn smithing, pottery making, pioneer toys, flute music, a pie auction and more. A free ice cream social will be at 4 p.m.

Carter Caves State Resort Park also offers cave tours, canoe trips, hiking, golf, mini-golf, fishing, camping, horseback riding and swimming. The park also has a lodge and restaurant. During the week, the restaurant will have a buffalo buffet including buffalo ribs and roast on Friday, July 27.

For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0059 or 1-606-286-4411.

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