BARDSTOWN, Ky. — A festival that shows off one of Kentucky’s iconic products is being postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials said the Kentucky Bourbon Festival was pushed back a month and is now scheduled for Oct. 15 to 18 in Bardstown. The festival's website says last September’s 28th annual festival drew some 50,000 visitors from 40 states and more than 20 countries for its activities and concerts.
Festival President and COO Randy Prasse said officials will continue monitoring government, health and tourism industry advice and also rely on its own best practices as planning continues.
“We are regaining 30 days of planning with this decision. We feel that with this short delay, we have time to still produce a quality event - and do it safely. We will continue to monitor the CDC, the Governor’s office and the tourism industry, and implement our own best practices developed over our 29 years in existence,” Prasse said.
Prasse said if conditions are still unsafe in October, the event will be canceled.
"If we do have to cancel the event, we will but we owe it to our supporters and bourbon industry partners to make every effort to produce the 2020 Festival," he said.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival has been held every year since 1991 and is normally held during the third weekend of September. Tickets for this year's festival will be available for purchase at a later date, if the event is still on.
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