Yes, it's super weird. And it completely captures the zeitgeist of 21st century 'merica. (So maybe…read morenot that weird?) First and foremost, it's a conflagration of all the state's major political players, who either have to show up to run the gauntlet or they can risk avoiding the event and likely be excoriated by the opposition for their absence. What makes it fairly unique as political theater is that most everyone present is forced to deliver to an audience that is a combustible stew of highly charged partisans from both sides, only a thin buffer of a giddy media in the middle. All the big incumbents are pilloried by disapproving and chanting opposition. And everyone panders to God, country, flag, and tradition. As a nonreligious resident who had the audacity to lack Kentucky roots and even be educated at a reviled school (for sports reasons -- the most important reasons) in North Carolina, I personally enjoyed resounding disapproval from all camps. Nothing of real substance is shared. Nobody's mind is changed. Hopefully the peace is kept. And the locals quietly play bingo a few yards away while all the political junkies fry their vocal folds. The backdrop couldn't be more perfect. The politicians get to glorify the yeoman myth of the rural entrepreneur in the shadow of a small town church steeple, surrounded by smoking meat, bingo games, church raffles, and automobiles parked on every free square inch. There's an extra star up there for the mutton sandwich. Someone out here knows a thing or two about smoking meats. The pork BBQ is excellent too, but go with the mutton for the novelty of it. The biggest surprise for me may have been the fact that it's not very commercialized, perhaps a consequence of this event being so far from any population center. Sodas and ice cream can be purchased for $1 for cryin' out loud. Ultimately, the event is a mix of fascinating and soul-crushing. Any solution to what ails American democracy won't be provided here. In light of that, I have a couple of very modest suggestions to the organizers: - For the love of God, invite an actual comedian here. Kentucky politicians are not themselves good at roasting each other and they can't afford good speechwriters. Comedy is hard, and most of the speeches given are hard evidence of that fact. - Offer a veggie, please! Even if it's swimming in bacon, it would be nice to have something alongside that mutton sandwich. The only veggie option I saw here today was Lay's potato chips (regular or bbq), despite the fact that this event is held in the dead of summer, when local produce should be at its peak. If you all love your farmers as much as the rhetoric suggests, you'd acknowledge them by bolstering someone other than the pig and sheep farmer. It's good for you and it tastes better than socialized medicine.

Full disclosure, I work in politics. My family has deep roots in it. I am really into state and…read morenational politics all around. Going to Fancy Farm is going to make me giddy like a little kid. It is like Graceland for Kentucky political nerds. Everything I heard about it was true. There was booing and howling. People got into it with each other. Jabs and jokes at every politician running was brought up. Reporters were everywhere. People that loved their candidates were not shy about voicing their opinions. It was not uncommon to see groups get into it with each other. Entertaining to say the least, not to mention some good people watching. The food was not bad either. It was very fairly priced (bottle water was a 1$, two scopes of ice cream on a cone was 2$). Obviously, I tried the BBQ. I had mutton to be exact. It was not bad, but I will always prefer pork. There were several booths, Time Warner handed out free water which was a great gift during the heat. You could play tabs or 5 card showdown poker. There was even a photo booth. I would not mind traveling to Fancy Farm. Something to see and I marked it off my bucket list.

I have been to the Apple Festival. I had a great time at it. The rides were great and the food…read morewas great. I went to the Apple Festival while attending SIU. I definitely would go again if I were living in the area. I didn't have any issues with parking but I did have to walk a little to get to the festival.

I was so excited to hear that that Kingfish was performing at the annual blues festival in…read moreHenderson, KY in 2021!! I was fortunate enough to be sitting next to his mom, Princess Pride, in Clarksdale, MS 7 or 8 years ago when he was only 15. We'd never heard of him before, but we knew then we were witnessing something amazing. Since that time we've been to more than a few of his concerts, traveling quite a ways and he's worth it! Two years ago he played in Nashville with Buddy Guy. It was AWESOME!!!! The blues festival was fun, and if possible and you like the blues, don't miss it in 2022!

My favorite street festival with all the fried things! The West Side Nut Club is an institution in…read moreEvansville, Indiana and the best kept secret outside southern Indiana. Grew up going every year and hadn't been able to make it down for close to 10 years, but finally was able to have a homecoming and on their 100th anniversary too! Some favorites include Stromboli's from the TKE booth, fried green beans and mac & cheese from the Vanderburgh Humane Society booth, Italian beef, chicken & dumplings and fried cookie dough. This year I also found a Ski slushy. What's Ski, you ask? It's a lemon lime drink that has a cult following in the tri-state region and one of the only places it's sold. Next October, if you're looking for a fun food time, make the trip to Evansville, grab a munchie map and start walking down Franklin St.!

We've been coming to this fall festival each year able for around a decade. It's become a tradition…read moreto meet up with good friends and check it out, splitting foods and tasting a bit of everything on offer. There are a LOT of food options and while basically NONE of it is healthy, quite a lot of it is TASTY. Plan to bring $50 or so in cash and an appetite. If you're here at a peak busy time there will be a crowd and a line at the more popular booths (e.g. the "Donut Bank Burger"). I will say that in recent years the festival has cleaned up a lot--it used to be overflowing with garbage and just a general mess which in some ways was part of the appeal, it was not formal in any way and it's a people-watching extravaganza. But this recent year (2023) things were orderly, clean, and neat. Some of the booths seemed to be phoning it in a bit, we all had to say (e.g. that aforementioned "Donut Bank Burger" used to be a primary draw for us but this year they didn't even bother to melt the cheese on the burger) but there's still plenty of good food to be had and a lot of churches and charities to support (from across the spectrum, so if choosing to support or not support a specific cause is of interest to you, you can do that).

This was my first visit and my g/f's second time here. The town is very charming and the people…read morethere are very friendly. The labyrinths are fantastic and worth a visit. The history of this small town is fascinating and the Owens did a magnificent job of creating and maintaining many original historic buildings. We had some fun by taking a walking tour of the haunted side of New Harmony with the folks at Haunted New Harmony ghost walk. https://jonimayhan.com/ This town is the perfect respite from the everyday hassles of the outside world. It's only an hour+ ride from Garden of the Gods in IL. I was surprised it wasn't more of an arts community hangout. This town has a Woodstock, NY vibe just under the surface.

New Harmony was founded by the Harmonists, a communal religious group, in 1814. In 1824, the…read moreHarmonists left and sold the town to Robert Owen, a utopian socialist who established a commune there, complete with communal living, public education, and the abolition of private property and money. From its lofty beginnings, things turned out pretty much as you'd expect a social experiment like New Harmony to turn out: residents quarreled, public goods were neglected, and the town was dissolved within a few short years. Well, sort of like the New Harmony of the early 19th century, the New Harmony of today promises a lot more than it actually delivers. Useful information on the town, and the much-vaunted "Atheneum" visitors' center, is hard to come by; and the Disneyesque city streets, though clean and pleasant, comes off as sterile and uninteresting. Though I went there on a pleasant day in early May, the streets were empty and many of the shops were closed -- even those with signs indicating that they 'should' be open. We eventually tried to satisfy our museum craving at the Working Men's Institute Library and Museum, finding it open despite a sign indicating that it 'should' be closed! Much like the rest of New Harmony, the Working Men's Institute sounded a lot better than it actually was. Full disclosure, we got to the Atheneum at 3pm, and thus missed the last tour which left at 2. But the fact that no tours were listed on the website meant that we didn't even know why we were going there or what the Atheneum was supposed to offer. The nice lady who greeted us told us that "the upstairs was closed", but it's only now that I learn that the upstairs offers a museum and a film -- two things that, like Socialism itself, sound nice in theory but are remarkably hard to enjoy in real life. The upshot is that New Harmony is better in theory than it is in practice. In that sense, they seem to get the historical accuracy just right.

As you drive into the pristine vineyard with their chambering grapes growing on well groomed lines…read moreit looks a bit like old Tuscany. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Their Seyval is tasty as is Cabernet Franc. We do enjoyed the spinach dip and freshly baked pita bread.

The family is very sweet. The service is very quick. And it is a family friendly place, the kids…read moreloved it there. I will be returning.

Von Jakob was the last stop on our ladies Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Spring tour. There is plenty of…read moreon-site parking. Our group enjoyed some beer. There was lots of inside seating, but it was extremely loud (and crowded) when we visited. The front room is decorated like a German beer hall. We sat in a large room off to the side that looks like it would be used for wedding receptions or large parties. There is also a patio with seating but it was a cold day so we stayed indoors. The patio looks like it could use a refresh but the view is very nice.

Von Jakob winery and brewery in Alto Pass is a must stop on the Shawnee Hills wine trail. Walking…read moreinto this non descript one story widely spread out building leaves much to be explored. We were invited into this large bar space with ample seating and easy access to another attached large space that had even more seating which led to even another large seating space outside with a view of the valley. Von Jakob offers, wine, beer, and limited bourbon which we were told was really a one time offering, and once the bourbon is gone, that's it. We were only there for a tasting and did pick up a few bottles. I never felt rushed and the host was knowledgeable and offered information on all that was available as the tasting list was extensive. There was no live music while we were there but I would not hesitate to come back for that. A solid experience.

Cute little Artisan and Craft Fair. First annual at Burdette Park. The setting is absolutely…read moreperfect and the fall colors make this a relaxing shopping experience. Excellent vendors set up and super friendly customer service!! The food vendors were really good and delicious! Hopefully this event will become a yearly event and offer even more each year! The live band did not set up until 2:00 which was a little disappointing. But overall I think this event was great and a fun shopping day!