My Old Kentucky Holiday

Plan a getaway to picturesque Bardstown, about an hour from Louisville

- CAROLINE ROGERS

IT’S NO SURPRISE to us that Bourbon Country is a great place to find good cheer during the winter months. Amid the rolling hills and charming towns, Bardstown has always stood out as one of the most festive. While it’s located in a slice of Central Kentucky best known for its distilleries, there’s even more to enjoy in and around this area in December. From rides on dinner trains accompanied by Santa and Mrs. Claus to the must-try tasting flights at stops along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it couldn't be easier to plan an exciting getaway in the Bluegrass State.

JOIN THE CELEBRATION

If you're a first-time visitor, set your sights on the Bardstown Historic District for the full holiday experience. The Old Nelson County Courthouse, which dates to 1892, glows red and green once the sun goes down. Its annual lighting ceremony in late November is a big event that draws people from all over to admire the decor that unfurls along North Third Street, filling shop windows with snowy scenes and festooning doors and streetlamps. 

Head to the Old Talbott Tavern, one of the most historic stagecoach stops in the country, for Kentucky cuisine. The building was constructed in 1779 and has seen its fair share of travelers seeking a hot meal and shelter from the winter chill. Nowadays, you can still find a seat in the dining room and order your fill of classic regional dishes and desserts like the Kentucky burgoo, a hot brown, and their famed Talbott Tavern Pie, all of which evoke bygone days eating home cooking by a crackling fire.

HOP ABOARD A DINNER TRAIN