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WWE’s Smackdown Live is back in the Commonwealth for another round on Tuesday night. For the first time in nearly six years, a live televised WWE event will be held at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
“It’s great to have WWE back in Kentucky for another live televised show,” said Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission (KBWC) Chairman Chad Miller. “More shows translate to more dollars for local economies, and the Commission is thrilled that our efforts are paying off for our wrestling fans, athletes, local businesses, and the combat sports industry in Kentucky.”
Since 2016, the Commission has repealed nearly 40 percent of the state’s combat sports regulations as part of Gov. Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative. The “cut rule,” repealed as part of the initiative, required an athlete to leave a match if he or she bled. The regulation prevented live televised matches from being held in Kentucky. Since the repeal, WWE has hosted several shows in Kentucky, including a Smackdown Live show earlier this year at the KFC Yum! Center.
“There is no doubt that the growth we are seeing in combat sports is directly tied to a transparent and fair regulatory environment,” added Miller. “The Commission continues to look for ways to promote efficiency while also ensuring athlete safety. Athletes can now apply for licenses online, and the Commission has streamlined and repealed approximately 55 percent of the forms an athlete could be required to complete for licensure. We believe that all of these measures will further a strong combat sports industry in Kentucky.”
As of Oct. 26, Governor Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative is responsible for repealing 188 regulations and targeting an additional 341 regulations for repeal. Over 2,208 of Kentucky’s 4,700 regulations have been reviewed as part of the initiative. Visit http://redtapereduction.com/ to learn more.
The KBWC oversees all professional boxing, wrestling, and full contact competitive bouts and exhibitions in Kentucky. Learn more about the commission at http://kbwa.ky.gov.
Credit: KY State Parks
Barren River Lake State Resort Park will host its Sandhill Cranes tours on two weekends in late January, 2018.
Thousands of sandhill cranes make Barren River Lake a winter stop as they congregate in huge numbers to migrate. The lake’s exposed mud flats in winter provide the birds with a perfect spot to rest and socialize as they settle in for the night. Area farmlands and wet meadows offer plenty of food.
Sandhill cranes are tall, gray birds reaching heights up to 4 feet, weighing up to 12 pounds with a wingspan of 6-7 feet. They have two distinct features about them: one is their appearance of a crimson, red-crowned forehead, white cheeks, and fluffy rear end; the other is when in flight, the long dark legs trail behind and the long neck is kept straight out rather than tucked in towards the body.
Barren River offers van tours for guests to learn more about these intriguing birds with a unique sound. The tours will be Jan. 20-21 and Jan. 27, 2018. Registration is required due to limited seating.
Each weekend also includes an educational session conducted by a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources on Friday evening at 7 p.m. Registration is $45 per adult and $30 per child 8-12 years old (must be at least 8 years old to go on van tours). The fee includes all educational sessions, a box lunch, and a T-shirt. Free guided nature hikes are also available at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Jan. 20 and 27.
Discounted senior tours for guests ages 55 and older will be on Wednesdays, Jan. 17 and Jan. 24, at $40 per person.
Families and individuals can enjoy other entertainment and lodging opportunities at the park. Barren River Lake State Resort Park features a lodge, cottages, the Driftwood Restaurant, a seasonal campground, 18-hole golf course, marina, fishing, tennis courts, hiking trails, and gift shop. For more information about Barren River Lake and other Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov
The park is located at 1149 State Park Road in Lucas. From the Louis B. Nunn Parkway, take the Highway 31E exit south toward Scottsville.
For more information contact Kody Thompson at kody.thompson@ky.gov or call 270-646-2151.
Credit: KY State Parks
The Kentucky State Parks are open for the Christmas holidays with decorations, candlelight tours, special meals, entertainment and other unique events.
The historic homes, Waveland, White Hall, and My Old Kentucky Home, all have special Christmas tours planned. Resort parks are planning special meals and events for the children. See a list of events at: http://parks.ky.gov/holiday-events/
State parks are a great place for Christmas and holiday gatherings. The resort parks have restaurants, meeting areas and gift shops that offer unique gift ideas. That includes Kentucky Unbridled Spirit gift cards, which are valid at Kentucky State Parks, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.
All resort parks will be open for lodging seven days a week this winter and make for a wonderful weekend getaway or a holiday party.
Many state resort parks will also hold New Year’s Eve parties and dinners Dec. 31. To get more information, buy a gift card or to make a reservation, visit www.parks.ky.gov.
Newport-based Kentucky Symphony Orchestra has been selected as the Kentucky Arts Council’s Featured Artist for November and December.
The ensemble, begun in 1992 as the Northern Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, is a member of the arts council’s Performing Artists Directory.
According to its artist statement, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra believes live performance is key to keeping music vital, fresh and engaging for new generations. Using technology to enhance the educational and entertainment aspect of each performance remains an evolving component to KSO performances.
Throughout its 25 years, the symphony has gained national acclaim for its thematic programming. Programs include visual elements such as video, dancers, distinctive lighting and staging, and a wide range of musical genres.
To learn more about the orchestra, visit the arts council’s website. The featured artist’s page includes a story about the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and contact information for the ensemble.
Original Santa sculpture by Lindy Evans
The Kentucky Artisan Center celebrates the holidays with a wide array of arts’ events and music. Come watch artists demonstrate, meet Kentucky authors, listen to artists perform Christmas music, and enjoy your holiday shopping. At the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea you can find special gifts by over 750 Kentucky artists!
Lindy Evans of Berea will sculpt Santas from polymer clay in her demonstration on Dec. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Center.
Evans creates one-of-a-kind, limited edition Santas and dolls developed from studies of real people. She sculpts the faces from polymer clay, paints the features, and uses vintage fabrics to sew the clothing she designs.
There will also be live music and a book signing on Dec. 2. Musician Gary Bertram, of Georgetown, will sing and perform holiday favorites on the guitar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center.
Jim Shields of Lexington will also sign copies of his children’s book “Starbird’s Special Gift” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day at the Kentucky Artisan Center. Shields’ story is about a young boy who cares for a bird that he finds struggling in the snow. The story offers readers numerous life lessons with illustrations that bring the story to life for all ages.
Kathy Conroy of Pleasureville will demonstrate her intricate scratchboard techniques on Dec. 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Center. Conroy creates realistic images from her drawings and photographs on scratchboard. Scratchboard is a form of direct engraving where the artist starts with a Masonite panel coated with white clay. This clay layer is covered with a thin layer of black India ink leaving the artist a solid black panel as a starting point. Lines are then cut or scratched through the ink to the clay surface and color is added with a brush onto the exposed clay areas.
Photographer, geographer, and writer David Zurick of Berea will also be at the Kentucky Artisan Center on Dec. 9. He will sign copies of his new book, “Morning Coffee at the Goldfish Pond” as well as his book “Southern Crossings” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Zurick, winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Award, recounts an event in his life that seems exceedingly uncomplicated: he builds a goldfish pond in his backyard yet there is more to a goldfish pond than meets the eye. Zurick’s compelling story travels the world, encompassing places of extraordinary beauty and rich cultural traditions. “Southern Crossings” is a photographic journey to places and people of the southern United States.
Live music on Dec. 9 will be performed by the trio Na Skylark made up of Lorinda Jones on Celtic harp, Cathy Wilde on Irish Uilleann Pipes, and Janelle Canerday on fiddle. They will perform holiday favorites and selections from their new CD “Old Ceol” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Three members of the Berea Welcome Center Carvers will demonstrate a variety of woodcarving styles and techniques on Dec. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Center.
Lexington musician Jan Hill will also play a selection of holiday music on her harp on Dec. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center.
Born in Nebraska and raised in Oklahoma, Hill dreamed of playing the harp after hearing it played when she was a child. Hill purchased a harp, taught herself to play, and then took harp classes in Singapore and the U.S. Hill will be playing a selection of holiday favorites from her CD “Christmas Harp Carols from the Hills” available at the Center.
Artists Donna & Donnie Smith will demonstrate their painted gourds and ornaments on Dec. 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Center.
When Donnie and Donna Smith planted gourds by their back porch, their journey as craftspeople began. First, a design is drawn on the gourd with pencil and then the design is burnt into the gourd surface with a wood burning tool. After that, they paint the designs with watercolors, inks, dyes, and water-based stains with each gourd being sealed with a clear acrylic.
The trio Raison D’Etre will be performing holiday music with clean harmonies accompanied with guitars, drums, mandolin, and keyboards on Dec 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center.
The Kentucky Artisan Center will be closed Christmas Day.
Carl Von Fischer of Mount Vernon will demonstrate his oil painting techniques on Dec. 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Center.
Von Fischer attended the Central Art Academy, studying commercial art and graduated with top honors. He then worked for advertising agencies in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Greenville before moving out west to Missoula, MT where in the open spaces of the west, he began to teach himself to paint. In 2003, Von Fischer moved to Kentucky to be near his son and grandchildren where he now paints full-time. Von Fischer paints rural landscapes and animals.
The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is located at 200 Artisan Way, just off Interstate 75 at Berea Exit 77. The center’s exhibits, shopping and travel information areas are open daily, year-round, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the cafe is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information about center events call 859-985-5448, go to the center’s website, or visit the center’s Facebook page.
BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Convention returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center January 6-7, 2018. The event builds on LEGO’s popularity and ingenuity with awesome attractions centered around everybody’s favorite plastic building blocks.
At past events, thousands of LEGO fans have enjoyed live LEGO builds, galleries of life-sized LEGO models, and a Building Zone with a myriad of LEGO bricks for attendees to build with.
Professional LEGO artist Jonathan Lopes of San Diego, California will showcase over 30 of his select LEGO displays and will be at the convention all weekend. He will also talk to attendees about his life as a professional LEGO artist and how they can become LEGO master builders.
Additionally, Chicago-based LEGO artist Rocco Buttliere will bring over 50 LEGO models of world famous landmarks. Attendees can see the largest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa, the full Westminster Palace in London, and other famous landmarks built from LEGO bricks.
The Fan Zone at BrickUniverse features fan-built LEGO creations by the world’s best LEGO Fan builders, including some from Kentucky. Fan models include LEGO cities, towns, trains, castles, and more.
Other attractions include:
- LEGO Friends Building Area
- Big Brick Building – For those who are 5 and under, build with our thousands of LEGO DUPLO bricks in Big Brick Building.
- LEGO Retail
- BIONICLE Warrior Building – Construct the ultimate warrior in the LEGO BIONICLE play stations
- Star Wars Zone
- The Challenge Zone – Timed brick challenges that will test your building and speed skills. This area is great for families and individuals of all ages.
The opens at 10 AM each day and tickets are available for advance purchase online for $15 per day.
For more information, visit https://www.brickuniverse.com/louisville.
Romantic Valentine evenings await on February 13 and 14 at Jefferson Memorial Forest. For only $35, couples will be treated to a romantic candle-lit hike that ends with a view of Louisville’s lights from the scenic Manor House, where couples will enjoy hot beverages, rich hors d’ouvres and desserts, and the cozy warmth of a hearth.
“The natural beauty of Jefferson Memorial Forest is a great fit with Valentine’s Day,” said Rebecca Minnick, Program Manager at Jefferson Memorial Forest. “Couples can have a romantic evening by taking a stroll through the woods, then relaxing in front of the fire. We have many couples who have made this part of their Valentine tradition.”
Jefferson Memorial Forest is located near Fairdale, just 15 minutes from downtown Louisville. The evening begins at 7:00 p.m. and is expected to wind up by 10 p.m. The hike is on flat terrain, but closed-toe shoes with tread are recommended. Couples are also invited to bring flashlights to the hike for added visibility along the trails. Hikes meet in the Horine Reservation main parking lot at 12304 Holsclaw Hill Road, Fairdale KY.
Reservations must be made by Tuesday, February 7th. To register, call (502) 368-5404 or email the Forest at forest@louisvilleky.gov. In case of inclement weather, those registered should call the (502) 368-5404 number for cancellation information.
