Department of Tourism
Springfield Area's Farming Heritage to Be on Display

SPRINGFIELD, Ky. – The proud farming heritage of Washington County and its surrounding central Kentucky region will be the focus of the first annual Kentucky Crossroads Harvest Festival in Springfield, Friday and Saturday Oct. 12-13.

Organized by the Springfield-Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the festival aims to celebrate the harvest season and the abundant farming heritage throughout the eight counties known as the Kentucky Crossroads region, including Washington, Boyle, Green, LaRue, Marion, Mercer, Nelson and Taylor.

“We’re enhancing and expanding our previous festival focus, which was a local community event, to a regional, more encompassing farming festival,” said Todd Allen, chamber president.  “This event includes the surrounding counties and their diverse, thriving agricultural livelihood.

“This festival will be bigger and better than ever. It will feature a chili and barbeque cook-off, Kentucky Proud cooking demonstrations, and harvest arts and crafts show and sale. It will be great family fun, offering something for everyone,” Allen added.

Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winners of the chili and barbeque cook-offs, which have a $25 entry fee. Space is still available for competitors to enter. The cook-offs will feature three categories – professional, amateur and emergency/rescue personnel.

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, at the Springfield Opera House, a cooking demonstration by three professional chefs featuring local Kentucky Proud produce will be the highlight, followed by a locally produced wine and cheese reception from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A $20 admission fee gets you into both events.

Friday evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., a Kentucky Crossroads Harvest Dinner will be served, featuring food producers throughout the region.  A free Farmland Preservation Benefit Concert featuring two of the region’s best country and bluegrass groups, Stingray and Jordan Leigh, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On Saturday, beginning at 7 a.m., festival goers can start the day with a pancake and country ham breakfast, again featuring local producers. It will be accompanied by a gospel quartet singing competition that will offer prizes, and the winners will be the designated regional representatives at next year’s Kentucky State Fair competition. Free live entertainment will perform all day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Throughout the day on Saturday, activities will include a harvest parade, antique tractor show, 5K run, corn hole contest, horse and carriage rides, extensive children’s fun and games activity area and several food vendors. Also featured will be a Washington County Fair & Kentucky Crossroads floral hall exhibit, and wine and cheese tasting.  Area farmers will be selling their produce at the new Springfield Farmers Market.

On Saturday night from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., another free concert featuring the well-known Monarchs from Louisville will liven up the action with a street dance on Main Street.

Entries for all the contests are still being accepted. For more information, visit www.kyharvestfestival.com or contact Festival Coordinator Dawn Pettus at info@kyharvestfestival.com or call 859-481-1556.

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