Baby Animals, Shaker Boxes, Blue Herons and 400 Miles of Bargains

Jan. 31, 2012 - PRLog -- Two of Harrodsburg’s major attractions – Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and Old Fort Harrod State Park – will stay busy this spring with activities that include welcoming baby chicks, shearing sheep, learning the art of making Shaker boxes, sternwheeler cruising to see blue heron, a chamber music festival and taking tea with historical figures. Harrodsburg will also be a stop on the 400-mile Antiques, Collectibles & Stuff Sale. Visit http://www.HarrodsburgKY.com and click on the Calendar of Events to see what’s planned.

A lot shaking at the Village
New to the Village this spring are Guided Nature Hikes through the 3,000-acre Nature Preserve. Beginning April 7 (through Oct. 27), the free hiking adventures will take in wildflowers, wildlife and waterfalls. Another new event, “Breakfast with the Babies,” happens on April 14, 21 and 28 with a kid-friendly (no pun intended) meal followed by hands-on introductions to the newest additions to the farm family, including lambs, kids, calves and chicks.

Learn a singularly unique Shaker craft on April 20 and 21, “Making Shaker Oval Boxes” with woodworker John Wilson. Participants will construct a nest of five oval boxes during this day-and-a-half program that includes three meals, instruction, materials and use of tools, plus a 10% discount off overnight rooms at The Inn at Shaker Village. Sheep Shearing at the Farm runs April 23 to May 11. The Dixie Belle, docked at Shaker Village, resumes narrated riverboat rides Apr. 28 through Oct. 28, cruising through the scenic Kentucky River Palisades of steep gorges and 200-foot tall limestone outcroppings.

The Dixie Belle embarks on Wildlife Cruises to the Blue Heron Rookery on May 5, 12 and 19 for an up-close view of a breeding colony during nesting season. A Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources biologist will guide the cruise through the rookery. Rounding out the spring season at Shaker Village is the Chamber Music Festival of the Bluegrass, featuring New York’s Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, on May 26 and 27. Spend the weekend with world-acclaimed chamber musicians in magical settings that include the Shaker Meeting House and a restored barn, with special suppers and more.

Get in character
Old Fort Harrod State Park, a full-scale replica fort that recalls the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains, pulls on its white gloves for Tea with the Taylors. Held on the fourth Sunday of each month (April 22 through October 27), tea time introduces historical character Major James Taylor, local attorney and civic leader, and his wife in their home – now the 1800s Mansion Museum exhibiting Kentucky and Indian artifacts, Civil War relics, music boxes and a Lincoln collection. Guests are invited to dress in period clothing (1810-1925), but those in modern dress may also join the fun.

The big one
Four hundred miles of bargains await during the Antiques, Collectibles & Stuff Sale beginning on May 31 and running through June 3. The sale sets up along Kentucky Scenic Byway 68 and right through Harrodsburg. Yards sale finds, antique shop treasures, collectibles and stuff – it’s all there, along with plenty of food vendors and a thrill of the hunt on a grand scale.

Visit www.HarrodsburgKY.com and click on the Calendar of Events for details of these springtime events and more.


MEDIA CONTACTS:
Karen Hackett, Executive Director, KHackett@HarrodsburgKY.com
Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission, www.HarrodsburgKY.com
800-355-9192 or 859-734-2364

HI- and LOW-RES photos available.

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Founded in 1774, Harrodsburg is Kentucky’s oldest city with 4 National Register Historic Districts and a town that bursts with historic charm and superlative attractions: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, the largest restored Shaker community in America; Beaumont Inn, the state’s oldest family-operated country inn; Old Fort Harrod State Park with full-scale replica fort that stands as a tribute to the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains; an authentic sternwheeler, the 115-passenger Dixie Belle, which gives an up-close view of one of the most unique ecosystems in the country at the geologically ancient Kentucky River Palisades, a channel of steep gorges and 200-foot tall limestone outcroppings that unfold in scenic splendor. Located in the heart of Kentucky’s famed Bluegrass region, Harrodsburg has a hometown atmosphere, with streets lined with architectural treasures, shops given over to period crafts and restaurants dishing up traditional Southern cooking.