These Small Kentucky Towns Are Celebrating Big Birthdays In 2025
Kentucky’s 2025 events calendar is chock-full of exciting milestone anniversaries, each providing travelers with an excuse to get out and explore the Bluegrass State. From Revolutionary War celebrations to a salute to Daniel Boone’s first fortified settlement, the coming year strings together numerous reasons to want to join in the fun.
Because these anniversaries are spread across some of Kentucky’s most interesting small towns, they’re all easy to get to from major cities like Louisville and Lexington, as well as out-of-state urban areas like Cincinnati, OH. So, whether it’s sampling a limited‑edition Kentucky bourbon or walking the original Wilderness Road, visitors will find Kentucky’s fascinating past front and center throughout 2025.
Frankfort
Famed as America’s “National Guest” for his pivotal role in the country’s struggle for independence from the British, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Kentucky’s capital on May 31, 1825, during his Farewell Tour. Nearly 200 years later, Frankfort is recreating the hero’s visit with heritage balls and galas, as well as period-themed military displays and re-enactments.
The flagship event, the Lafayette Fête: A Grand Finale 200 Years in the Making, unfolds on May 17 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. This much-anticipated event includes period music, historically inspired food, and a commemorative souvenir bearing Lafayette’s portrait. Earlier in the week, the Paul Sawyier Public Library hosts a two‑part lecture series examining Lafayette’s role in the American Revolution and his 1825 reception by Kentucky senator John Brown.
Other notable events include a Lafayette‑themed walking tour that links elegant Greek Revival townhomes to the 1909 Kentucky State Capitol, and a pop‑up exhibit of 19th‑century French fashion at the Capital City Museum. Consider yourself a bourbon enthusiast? Join the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery for special tours and samplings of French oak‑finished barrels released only for the bicentennial.
Richmond
Daniel Boone began laying out Fort Boonesborough on the Kentucky River in April 1775, a reconstruction of which now stans on the very same site. The 250th anniversary of the stockade’s construction will be commemorated June 7-8 with one of the largest living history assemblies ever staged on the site, including re‑enactors in militia and Native attire camping along the river.
Other highlights include flintlock salutes and demonstrations, as well as recreation of important Kentucky events that took place at the original fort, including the colony’s first legislative meeting beneath the Divine Elm tree. In addition, Boone Trace 250 organizers have coordinated a 250‑mile commemorative hike that begins in Kingsport, TN, and arrives at the fort in time for the Saturday morning color-guard ceremony.
Demonstrations of 18th‑century blacksmithing, salt‑kettle boiling, and linen production will also be undertaken, while leading Boone biographers and archaeologists who excavated the site will be on hand for fascinating talks. Exhibits in the park museum will display period muskets recovered from the Kentucky River silt, and a limited run of 250th‑logo bronze medallions will be available as souvenirs. For an indication of just how popular an event this will be, camping reservations for the weekend opened in January and sold out in six hours.
Brownsville
Located mid-way between Louisville and Nashville, Edmonson County turned 200 in January and plans to celebrate this landmark event throughout 2025. Founded in 1825, the county was named after Captain John Edmonson, a local killed in the War of 1812 at the Battle of Frenchtown. Much of the action takes place in and around the small town of Brownsville, the county seat and home to the Edmonson County Historical Society. While details of this local group’s bicentennial birthday celebrations are as yet unconfirmed, it is anticipated they’ll focus around the town’s courthouse, opened in 1875 and itself 150 years old.
Located just a short drive from Brownsville, Mammoth Cave National Park marked the 100th anniversary of legendary cave explorer Floyd Collins’ 1925 entrapment and death in February. While a limited series of special Floyd Collins History Tours were offered to mark the occasion, you can learn a great deal about the tragedy that led to his death through displays at the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center and on fascinating ranger-led tours.
You can also visit the Sand Cave Overlook to see the pot where rescuers labored for 17 days trying to free Collins, as well as his family homesite and the Mammoth Cave Baptist Church cemetery where he’s buried. If you’re going to be in New York City between May and June, catch a performance of the Broadway production of the Floyd Collins musical at the Lincoln Center Theater (it runs until June 22, 2025).
Jamestown and Russell County
Jamestown and the Lake Cumberland region are marking 200 years since Russell County’s 1825 creation with a year-long program of community events. Bicentennial banners already line the route into Jamestown, and the Old Courthouse lawn is hosting monthly heritage markets featuring heirloom‑seed swaps, barrel‑making demonstrations, and gospel quartets.
Other events include an Independence Day lake‑flotilla parade viewed from the Wolf Creek Dam overlook, a Heritage Harvest Festival in August featuring sorghum pressing and quilt raffles, and December’s Candlelight Tour of Historic Downtown Jamestown with late‑19th‑century storefronts featuring displays related to the county’s big birthday.
Lake Cumberland State Resort Park joins in the fun with guided sunset cruises to the mouth of the Cumberland River. These fun excursions are narrated by park naturalists who explain how the steamboat trade fueled the county’s early prosperity. You’ll also want to tour the Russell County Historical Society Museum’s exhibits on local Civil War home‑guard companies and area farming methods.
Stanford
Founded in 1775 as Logan’s Fort on the Wilderness Road, Stanford predates the founding of the United States by a year, marking its big birthday in 2025. The main events of the town’s 250th celebrations fall on its September 18-20 anniversary weekend, kicking off on Friday night with a community supper served on 400 feet of joined farmhouse tables running along Main Street. This fun community dinner will be followed by a “Memories on Main” photo‑lightbox exhibit projected onto the old L & N Depot’s brick façade.
Saturday’s schedule features a classic car cruise with presentations by frontier interpreters from Logan’s Fort Historic Site, including black‑powder musket drills. For fit folks who enjoy running, sign up for the Kentucky Wilderness Road Marathon, a certified Boston qualifier that follows the historic Boone’s Trace route across rolling Bluegrass farmland.
Lincoln County Public Library augments the weekend with author talks dealing with topics ranging from early Baptist congregations to the 25,000 Kentucky volunteers who signed up to fight in the War of 1812. A visit to William Whitley House State Historic Site is also recommended for its Kentucky Derby‑themed brunch and tours.
Paducah and McCracken County
Founded on January 15, 1825, McCracken County started its 200th anniversary with celebratory meals and events on the same date in 2025. But don’t worry, you won’t miss all the fun. Additional events to mark the bicentennial include a monthly series of family bike rides along the Greenway Trail in Paducah, as well as the sealing of a time capsule in December at the 1905 courthouse.
A neat addition to the celebrations, the launch of a new coffee‑table book is worth mentioning. The Bicentennial History Book photographs from community groups, churches, local businesses, as well as residents, covering the past 200 years.
The Final Word
There’s little doubt that 2025 is a great year to visit Kentucky. From commemorative events at Daniel Boone’s frontier fort to anniversaries of events that were to lead to the founding of a whole new nation, these celebrations invite travelers to get out and really explore the Bluegrass State. After learning about why these small Kentucky towns are celebrating big birthdays in 2025, start planning a trip of your own to this historic state. For tips, tactics, ideas, and inspiration, check out the state’s official tourism website.
