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Wickland historic brick mansion in Bardstown, Kentucky
Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA

Bardstown

Bardstown, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival (16 to 19 September 2027) and a base for distillery tours on the Bourbon Trail.

  • 1food festival
  • 1culinary experience

Food festivals in Bardstown

Bourbon barrels lined up on the grass beside a stone rickhouse at a Kentucky distilleryKen Thomas, Public domainSpiritsSep 16 to 19

Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Bardstown’s bourbon festival at Spalding Hall, 16 to 19 September 2027: more than 200 brands from over 70 distilleries, tickets and distillery tours nearby.BardstownView

Culinary experiences in Bardstown

Willett Distillery buildings and tower in Bardstown, KentuckyNheyob, CC BY-SAProducer visit70 to 75 minutes

Kentucky Bourbon Trail distillery tours

Distillery tours with tasting on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: free at Buffalo Trace, 30 to 40 dollars at Jim Beam and Woodford Reserve, 70 to 75 minutes.BardstownView

Map of Bardstown

Bardstown is a small town in Nelson County, Kentucky, south of Louisville. It hosts the Kentucky Bourbon Festival every September on the historic grounds of Spalding Hall, 114 N. Fifth Street. The 2027 edition is set for 16 to 19 September 2027. The festival calls the town the Bourbon Capital of the World.

Practical notes

  • Louisville has the nearest large airport. There is no scheduled passenger train service to Bardstown: plan on a car.
  • The Jim Beam distillery in Clermont lies between Louisville and Bardstown. Buffalo Trace (Frankfort) and Woodford Reserve (near Versailles) are further north-east.
  • Book rooms early for festival week, or stay in Louisville.