LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Bourbon Festival has delayed this year's event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival is expected to be held on October 15-18, organizers say.
According to a news release, the decision comes after thorough evaluation and consideration by Festival leadership, its Board of Directors and partner distilleries. KBF President and COO Randy Prasse said the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, business operations guidelines and the time lost during the key event planning time this spring, ultimately led to the decision.
“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. “Unlike some of our region’s larger events, we are smaller and more agile and can make decisions a lot closer to the target. 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.”
“We are doing everything we can to plan for and execute a new and reimagined 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival,” said KBF Board of Directors Chairman David Mandell. “At the same time, we’re working to ensure the health and safety of our attendees and valued partners. If that means we need to make adjustments in the coming weeks, we will do so.”
Tickets for the 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival will be made available for purchase at a later date. Please continue to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Festival's website to stay up to date on the latest Festival happenings and developments.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.