If you’ve already let your New Year’s resolutions fall through, we’ve got a to-do list that you can get on board with. We’ve compiled our top 19 things to do in Hopkins County this year. If you’re looking for new adventures, fun events, and yummy food, this is your guide for 2019.
1. Visit The Ledge VR, a premier virtual gaming center in downtown Madisonville. Immerse yourself in the virtual experience of fantastical globetrotting or an action-packed game. Book your session online and see available game titles.
2. Skyview Skatepark is an indoor skatepark on Franklin Street in Madisonville. Get a new board or other gear at their shop. Don’t know how to skateboard, but you’ve always wanted to try? You’re in luck, they offer lessons. Be sure to go by our professionally-designed outdoor skatepark on Sugg Street.
3. Get close to nature at Mahr Park Arboretum. Take a guided hike or attend a class in their learning series, with topics such as animal habitats and native flowers and plants. Visit Madisonville City Park for a round of mini golf, walk the trails, go fishing, play disc golf, and much more.
4. If you ask us, we’ve got some of the best barbecue around. And we take it pretty seriously. If you’re a foodie, you need to visit the Dawson Springs Bar-B-Q Festival held in July and the Christ the King Old Fashioned Barbeque Picnic held each September. Check our events schedule and you’ll find other community events throughout summer and fall where barbecue is the star.
5. Relax with the sun on your face and sand between your toes at the Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park beach, boasted as the most pristine beach in the state. Paddleboats and kayaks are also available to rent at the boat dock, adjacent to the beach.
6. Hopkins County is home to two Kentucky governors, including 43rd governor, Ruby Laffoon. Tour the log cabin where he was born, originally constructed in the mid-1800s, and now located on the lawn of the Historical Society Museum of Hopkins County. Among the exhibits is an original 1910 Buick Buggybout, one of only three left in the world!
7. See a performance at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts. Each season, classical and popular music acts, award-winning plays, and top-name entertainers take the main stage. Peruse exhibits in the Anne P. Baker Gallery, housed within the arts center.
8. Visit the community of White Plains for its annual Civil War Festival held each April. In addition to a battle re-enactment, the festival features a ladies’ tea party, car cruise-in, and a community yard sale.
9. Have fun with your whole family at the annual Dawson Springs Mule and Draft Horse Days, held in May each year. Watch horse and tractor pulls and wagon and riding shows. Walk through the classic car cruise-in, enjoy live music, ride some carnival rides, and much more!
10. Stop by Historic Downtown Hanson and browse unique shops or get a bite to eat at one of the restaurants housed in the charming historic buildings, dating back to the early-1900s.
11. Madisonville 4th Fest is Hopkins County’s premier summer celebration! Visit us on July 4th weekend for outdoor concerts, summer collegiate baseball, kids’ activities, fireworks, and fun for the whole family.
12. Take a walking tour and discover downtown Madisonville. Stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a Walk Madisonville! guide and choose from three, 1-mile tours that highlight the artistic, historic, and patriotic points of downtown.
13. Take everyone out to the ballgame! The Madisonville Miners are a summer collegiate baseball team which calls Elmer Kelley Stadium its home. Games are held in June and July. Admission is only $5 and children 12 and under are free!
14. Learn about the history of Dawson Springs as a health resort destination and grounds for minor and major league baseball spring training. Other exhibits at Dawson Springs Museum and Art Center include memorabilia honoring former Kentucky governor and Dawson Springs native Steve Beshear.
15. Rent a kayak or canoe from Tradewater Canoes and Kayaks in Dawson Springs and take a scenic trip down the Tradewater River. Choose from a 2-mile, 5-mile, or 7-mile trip with ferry service available.
16. There’s more to our agriculture industry than just row crops! Visit Reclamation Acres, a 200-acre farm in White Plains, for their annual craft fair Handmade Market, held in October. Be sure to get delicious, locally grown produce from several of our local small farms at the Hopkins County Farmer’s Market, open May-October. Stop by the Brumfield Farm Market, open year-round.
17. Attend a free outdoor concert at Madisonville’s Friday Night Live festival, held on various Friday nights throughout the summer. Friday Night Live also features a Kidz’ Zone with inflatables, live characters, and other activities. Shop local vendors for delicious food and fun merchandise.
18. If shopping is your bag, don’t miss the downtown Madisonville shopping district, with specialty shops, street art, and delicious eateries. Venture outside of Madisonville to find more cute shops.
19. Visit the one-room Munns Historic Schoolhouse during Christmas at Munns, and shop handmade crafts and other items made with herbs and natural ingredients. Munns Schoolhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and is open to visitors once a year during this event.
Check our events calendar throughout the year to see what’s new.