This Kentucky Town Has The Biggest Heart
“Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place,” American explorer Daniel Boone is thought to have said as he looked out upon the endless wilderness of the colonial territory. More than two centuries later, Kentucky still inspires with its natural beauty, social grace, and a spectrum of world-famous cultural traditions ranging from bourbon and bluegrass music to the Kentucky Derby, the annual celebration of sleek Thoroughbreds and colorful, wide-brimmed hats.
For millions of residents and visitors, Kentucky is something more basic, a state of mind best defined in one word: home. As former governor, senator, and baseball commissioner Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler put it: “I never met a Kentuckian who wasn’t either thinking about going home or actually going home.”
Home is where the heart is, and many say the biggest heart and most welcoming embrace in Kentucky can be found in Shelbyville, a small but growing town between Louisville and Lexington.
Blue Ribbon Friendliness
That geographic location has long shaped Shelbyville’s character. Lexington is often referred to as the equestrian capital of Kentucky, and Louisville is home to both the Derby and Churchill Downs. For its part, Shelbyville calls itself the Saddlebred Capital of the World, based on its reputation for raising American Saddlebred horses, a breed developed in Kentucky and prized for its elegant gait and myriad blue ribbons in show and riding competitions.
The city highlights this breed each August in the annual Shelbyville Horse Show. Beyond Saddlebreds, horse farms in Shelbyville and surrounding areas also breed Thoroughbreds, Kentucky Mountain Horses, Missouri Fox Trotters, Quarter Horses, and Standardbreds, which excel in harness racing.
Shelbyville’s reputation for big-hearted kindness is not unrelated to its love of horses. Novelist Mark Helprin once wrote, “A horse is a beautiful animal, but it is perhaps most remarkable because it moves as if it always hears music.” Admirers of the lyrical grace of horses have a deep appreciation for beauty. And the mind that elevates beauty takes on a special character, a spirit of generosity.
Welcome to Family Fun
In Shelbyville, horses aren’t simply the passion of a small group of professionals, but rather are enjoyed by enthusiasts of all ages. Visitors can tour horse farms, attend equestrian shows, and take riding lessons. At Shelby Trails Park, residents bring their own horses, while tourists rent horses for guided outdoor adventures.
For just the Saddlebred breed alone, there are more than 80 horse farms arrayed across the gently rolling blue-green landscape. In magnificent estates, horses train, gallop, and explore lush pastures. Visitors find beauty and serenity as they drive along scenic routes winding through the majestic countryside.
Beyond Shelbyville’s equestrian culture, there are many other fun activities for families to enjoy. Gallrein Farms features a petting zoo, corn maze, and rides through the abundant fields. For something truly unique, Little Crooked Creek Safari offers interactive encounters with such exotic animals as sloths, capybaras, zebras, and kangaroos.
Downtown and Seasonal Events
Downtown Shelbyville is an ideal destination for history, shopping, and great food connoisseurs. Its ornate Victorian, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne-style buildings tell a story of the town’s late 19th-century agricultural prosperity, ignited by the construction of the Shelby Railroad Company line in 1870.
Despite its growing population over the decades, Shelbyville has managed to preserve its small-town character and, with it, its open-arms embrace of community, fine manners, and traditional values.
Seasonal festivals are one way the community comes together, showcasing its Southern-fried hospitality to hundreds of visitors. The Dogwood Festival celebrates spring with more than 100 local artisans, craftsmen, painters, and musicians, along with food trucks and family activities. The Dogwood Artisan Showcase highlights the talents of homegrown artists.
Other key events on the cultural calendar include the rousing July 4th parade, the Shelby County Fair, and Bourbon, Blues & Boots events, animated by Kentucky's famous spirits and music. Just outside city limits, the Jeptha Creed Distillery is one of the stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Many other bourbon tasting opportunities are close by.
Conclusion
Once a year in nearby Louisville, the winner of the Kentucky Derby is draped with a blanket of roses, celebrating the triumph and splendor of the champion Thoroughbred. In Shelbyville, visitors are garlanded with a subtler type of beauty — a warm smile, a welcoming embrace, and an invitation to join the town’s daily festival of fun. It’s what makes this big-hearted community a special destination; a place which lives in memory and imagination, and always feels like home.
