Blog

Jill Hamlin is the Executive Director of Tourism for Winchester-Clark County, Kentucky, where she leads innovative initiatives to promote the region’s unique culture and heritage. With a deep passion for the Appalachian region, Jill has dedicated her career to uplifting the arts, entertainment and tourism sectors.

We asked Jill about her plans for Winchester, what she loves about this community and how she plans to help more visitors discover its charms. Read about Jill’s plans, then learn about her background in “More About Jill” following this Q&A:

An afternoon feting Fanny Cole and a magical evening with Harry Potter. An open-flame feast and a drive-through spookfest. Ghost hunts and ghoulish storytelling. All the magic of the season sweeps into Winchester in October.

Winchester Haunted Walking Tour – 7:30-9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays through October, beginning on Saturday, Sept. 28: Hear tales of murder, mayhem and ghostly apparitions on a 90-minute, two-mile walk along the original brick sidewalks of Winchester’s historic Thomson neighborhood and downtown Main Street. Ghost Host Jamie Gillette delves into Winchester’s ghoulish past as she discusses the history of the buildings and neighborhood found during her research. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Flashlights will be provided. Tickets ($21/person) may be purchased here. A portion of tour proceeds will be donated to the Clark County Animal Shelter.

Winchester is known far and wide as the Birthplace of Beer Cheese and the home of “Kentucky’s Official Soft Drink”— Ale-8-One, the only soft drink invented in the Bluegrass state still in existence. But there are some lesser known facts about Winchester and surrounding Clark County you may not be familiar with. For instance . . . 

Did You Know . . . 

The 1992 movie, “The Last of the Mohicans,” was inspired by the 1826 novel of the same name, which was inspired by a true-life incident that took place on grounds now occupied by one of the Beer Cheese Trail stops—the Waterfront Grill: the 1776 kidnapping of Daniel Boone’s 14-year-old daughter, Jemima, and her two friends, sisters Betsey and Fanny Callaway, by a band of Shawnee. Daniel Boone rescued the girls (unharmed) two days later. “We make [the incident] a part of our customer service throughout the day by educating locals and travelers coming into the area about this historical event,” said Waterfront Grill owner Deborah Garrison. 

Kids won’t mind going back to school when the class is “Adventure 101.” Head to these outdoor classrooms in and around Winchester for fun, recreation and lots of learning opportunities:

Legacy Grove Park: Unlimited opportunities for learning are found within this park’s two-acre Adventure Play area. Wildland habitats: Get close to nature by watching the insect hotel, wren and chickadee house, butterfly shelter, mason bee house and bat box along the nature path. Building Maze and Loose Parts Play: Explore the field maze to find music, art, stepping stones and fort building areas around each twist and turn. Work with friends new and old to use loose parts to build fanciful creations and fabric squares to make a new maze. 

Join a guided nature walk along ADA-accessible paths to explore the park’s nature features. Held the last Tuesday of the month, the walks are led by Legacy Grove staff and provide an educational and immersive experience, allowing visitors to learn about local flora and fauna while enjoying the benefits of the outdoors. Find your beat at drum circle, held at 6 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month and ideal for both seasoned musicians and complete novices—anyone seeking a more musical form of connection. “This inclusive, intergenerational gathering encourages participants to express themselves through the universal language of rhythm,” said Anna Campomanes, events coordinator.

Pitched a tent along water’s edge and watched the sun rise each morning.

Paddled 450 million years back in time to a cliff-lined gorge hiding caves and harboring rare plants.

Learned how to dip candles the way the pioneers did near the original site where Daniel Boone built a fort.

Spent family time sharing ghost stories around the campfire and making memories beneath the stars.

This could be how your travel journey reads at summer’s end with visits to some of Winchester’s favorite vacation getaways. Here are four:

Red River Boat Dock and Campground: Laidback, leisurely and lots of fun—the kind of place made for families longing to escape for a long weekend that combines together time with downtime. This peaceful retreat spread out along the shoreline of the Red River offers tent sites, RV hookups and air-conditioned cabins and plenty of active fun: camping, fishing, hiking, kayaking, cornhole tournaments and more. But when it’s time for peace and quiet, there’s plenty of that, too.

Sunshine, good friends, chilled wine. Summer has arrived at the vineyard and Harkness Edwards Vineyard is celebrating with a lineup of hands-on classes designed to show off the season’s attributes—colorful flowers and sun-loving succulent plants, fresh-made jam to pair with coffee for those porch-sitting mornings and painting a posey with inspiration cued up by the vineyards’ beautiful setting. 

On the second floor of the Bluegrass Heritage Museum in the Williams-Holloway Room, a battered 161-year-old heirloom sheltered within a glass case connects two families who were on opposing sides of the Civil War.

James H. Holloway was a colonel in the Union Army who fought with Ulysses S. Grant. Molly Williams, who lived with her family on a farm called The Pines in Clark County, was the daughter of a general in the Confederate Army, John S. Williams—who would later become a U.S. senator—and his wife, Ann. Eventually James and Molly met, fell in love and married.

Fortunately, this family drama did not play out like the Capulets and Montagues, or to put a Kentucky spin on it, the Hatfields and McCoys. Rather, following the war the families united as one and peace prevailed between them. In fact, James and Molly lived at The Pines—Ann’s family home.

Among the portraits (including one of Williams), bullets, buttons, buckles and other Civil War memorabilia on the walls and in the cases in the Williams-Holloway Room are personal effects that belonged to James, including his Union coat.

Another is a black leather-bound diary that James kept during his time fighting for the Union, from 1860 to 1863. In the journal, James recorded his thoughts about the battle at Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, which fell on February 6, 1862, and at Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, which took place February 13 to 16 of that same year.

Both rivers were key to the success in the Western Theater. For the Union Army, a win would mean forcing the Confederacy to give up southern Kentucky and much of Middle and West Tennessee. Both battles, led by Grant, were decisive victories for the Union and immediately thrust the general into the national spotlight.

It was also something of a milestone for Col. James Holloway.

In his diary James wrote: “At Fort Donelson on Feb 15, 1862, in presence of General Grant and staff, with my company I was ordered to intercept Col Forest who attempted with his regiment of cavalry to cut their way out south through our lines. We succeeded in turning them back and with this incident and other successful action in 50 battles General Grant brevetted me Major.”

The diary provides a soldier’s factual but personal perspective about moments in the Civil War—both significant and every day—and the role he played in those moments. For instance, James also writes of pursuing John Hunt Morgan into Ohio. Morgan, the Confederate general who raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment and fought at Shiloh, launched a raid in Kentucky in 1862. In the case of James’ pursuit, Morgan escaped along with many of his men.

The James H. Holloway Diary is considered such a treasure that it has been transcribed and published. The book ($16) is sold exclusively in the museum’s gift shop. For more information about this Civil War diary and other treasures to be found at the Bluegrass Heritage Museum, visit www.visitwinchesterky.com/contact/bluegrass-heritage-museum. Museum hours: 12-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Admission: $5/adults; $2/ages 6-18 and seniors.

Think Pink!

With National Barbie Day celebrated on March 9 and “Barbie” the movie vying for eight Oscars during the Academy Awards presentation on March 10, the iconic fashionista and arbiter of all things pink is clearly the toast of the town this month.

Here’s how to embrace your Barbiecore and still be Kenough in Winchester:

1: Polish off some pink: Don’t even try to resist the Decadent Pink Champagne Petit Fours at Cupcake Apothecary, perfect squares of fluffy pink champagne cake filled with silky sweet vanilla buttercream and topped with a gorgeous frosting bouquet. Look like something Barbie would love to pretend to eat? Yes! But you can enjoy every sinfully delicious crumb of this confection. Pick one up at the shop or pre-order. Bite into one of Frank’s Donuts’ freshly baked yeast donuts covered in pink frosting and topped with sprinkles. Playful and multidimensional. Just like Barbie.

2: Browse for Barbies at Winchester Peddlers Mall. And not just for dolls—although there are lots of those to be found. Shoppers with a keen eye will might come across Barbie accessories like the Barbie Jeep and the coveted fold-up Barbie Vacation House, too.

3: Power up your pink: The world’s most famous plastic blonde has a bit of sass, to be sure. And the shop, A Bit of Sass Boutique, has plenty of it, too. Not only on the walls and door, but in jewelry and handbags as well as tops and tees with fun sayings and designs in pink—like the “Mama” tee-shirt accented with brow cow spots.

4: Elevate your Kenergy: If, like Ken, you’re lucky enough to do “just beach” as your job, then you’ll need the right accessory. Rock shades like the guy who told Barbie she needed someone who is a professional in beach: The Ray-Ban Elliot Sunglasses in black, available at Hibbitt Sports, have all the Ken vibes and more.

5: Gather up your friend group for an “Every night is girls’ night” outing at Created By You Studio or sign up for one of the shop’s events and paint a piece of your own customized pottery or create a unique art piece with resin over a mixed media canvas.

6 : Clink Pink – Harkness Edwards Vineyards has several rosé wines, including bestselling Danger Blush, as captivatingly sweet as Barbie and equally as complex, its pink hue suggesting the promise of warmer days. At Hamon Haven, the sweet red June’s Blend also hints of summer days and Barbie’s empowering ways.

Winchester Wanderings

February blog

Celebrate Black History Month Moments

In celebration of Black History Month, the Winchester Black History and Heritage Committee will be posting Black History Moments on its website throughout the month of February.

Here are two moments:

Between the Lines Book Club

Read the book, The Untold History from Slave Ship to Horse Racing, by Winchester native Wallace Howard, then join the discussion at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 10, at the Clark County Public Library. The facilitator is James Robinson. Howard will be in attendance for a Q&A session.

Fanny Cole at Holly Rood 

In 1840s Kentucky it was virtually impossible for a Black woman to accumulate meaningful financial assets, even if she was among the small minority that was no longer enslaved—yet Fanny Cole did just that. See “Fanny Cole: A Most Enterprising Woman,” portrayed by Jane Burnam, at Holly Rood. Performance at 6 p.m. on February 20.

Check the website for updates. In the meantime, experience more Black History moments at these Winchester attractions:

African American Heritage Trail

Open year-round, the trail presents eight educational signs in downtown Winchester that highlight significant people and places of the African American community, including these:

• West Washington Street, locally known as “Bucktown,” was the center of Black businesses and social life in Winchester.

• After starring in football, basketball and baseball at Oliver High, Robert Arthur Brooks played his senior year at Winchester High. In this first year of integrated schools, he led the football and basketball teams to their first winning seasons in many years. He made Little All American in football at Ohio University and went on to play for the New York Titans in the American Football League.

• In 1953, Coach Joe Gilliam, with William Didlick, Emmett Menifee, Walter Mack, Walter Newell and Harvey Robinson, organized the Winchester Little League for African American youth at Harmon Field.

Learn about these significant figures and landmarks and others on the African American Heritage Trail. Find more details and personal recollections on the Winchester Black History and Heritage website.

Bluegrass Heritage Museum

When the museum reopens in March for the season, plan to visit the second floor to learn about Peter Bruner (1845-1938), author of A Slave’s Adventures Toward Freedom: Not Fiction but the True Story of a Struggle. Born into slavery, Bruner ran away to Camp Nelson and enlisted in the army.

Bruner was assigned to the 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery and engaged in combat in Kentucky and Tennessee during the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Oxford, Ohio, and published his autobiography. Read Bruner’s story here. Learn more about his accomplishments, including being proclaimed Mayor for the Day, at the museum.

Civil War Fort at Boonesboro

In 1863, African American Union soldiers built the Civil War Fort at Boonesboro, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These soldiers also took control of the fort, which was to protect a ford and ferry from Confederate invasion.

Although little remains of the earthen fort today, a wooded one-mile loop trail to the site rewards visitors with amazing views of the surrounding countryside and the Kentucky River valley.

Self-guided tours and cell phone tours are available. For the latter, dial 859-592-9166. Learn more about the fort, its history and its role here.

January blog

Get your sweat on at Winchester’s College Park Health and Wellness Center

College Park Health and Wellness Center is inviting you to stress less and salsa more. Or spin, Zumba, take it to the swimming pool or crank it up to an Olympic-caliber workout.

The facility, managed by the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Department (WCCPR), has full lineup of fitness programs and classes, from beginning gentle yoga to high-intensity interval Tabata training. Classes are scheduled year-round, offer a huge variety and are available for all ages and levels of fitness.

Barre, which combines of ballet, yoga and Pilates; HIIT (high intensity interval training); TRX (total-body resistance exercise); pickleball; Kid Fit Camp; Aqua Blast and Aqua Boogie sessions; strength and toning classes—these are all on the fitness menu at College Park—along with dozens more.

According to Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Lewis, the facility was renovated in 2004 and the natatorium was added onto it in 2010. Scheduled activities take place in the gym. A weight room welcomes those 18 and older (ages 12 to 15 when accompanied by an adult). A fitness room orientation is provided by a WCCPR trainer.

“A walking track, open during facility hours, is completely free to the public and we have provided several pieces of hydraulic shock equipment up there that are free as well,” said Lewis.

Day passes are available for entry to the fitness rooms and pools. Also offered are all-inclusive memberships for the entire family (use of fitness rooms, pools, fitness classes, gymnasium, sauna and ChildWatch), that have multiple options for discounts and monthly payments. Parents can take advantage of the ChildWatch program for their kids while they are working out at the facility. CPR-certified staff are always on the premises.

Interested in checking out the options? Take of tour of the facility or call 859-744-9554 for more information. Check the WCCPR Facebook page the most up-to-date information and announcements as well as class hours and instructors. Visit the WCCPR website for more information about the facility and passes and memberships available as well as for details about all the parks in Winchester-Clark County, their locations and individual amenities.

December blog

Skip the partridge and the pear tree for Winchester’s 12 days of Christmas experiences

Has anyone ever really wrapped up and given away a partridge in a pear tree? Who would want it? And who would shell out $319.18 for one—the cost of this item, according to PNC Bank’s annually updated price index of the gifts mentioned in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song?

Fortunately, Winchester has 12 offerings for true loves and others that are not only more affordable, but plenty of fun, too. And although the 12 Days officially begin the day after Christmas, these holiday experiences can be enjoyed as early as the beginning of the month.

• Time travel to Christmas Past. Return to the Kentucky frontier and step into an 18th Century Christmas at Fort Boonesborough State Park. Presented by the Fort Boonesborough Foundation, this event takes place 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, and 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, and includes period music, decorated cabins, activities, refreshments, displays of early life on the frontier, candlelight and . . . one very special guest. Admission: Adults/$8; children 6-12/$5; free under 5 free.

• Bring your shopping bags to Depot Street and plan to load them up during the Winchester/Clark County Farmers Market Christmas Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

• In addition to being open 5-9 p.m. during the Dec. 2 Winchester Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, the Hall Coffee & Social Club is planning a couple of fun holiday happenings. Dig out your ugliest holiday sweater for Hall’s Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Party, 7-11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. On Dec. 28, gather for the Heartstrings Songwriter Circle, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

• Order a “Let It Snow” or “Deck the Halls” cookie decorating kit from Winchester’s own Sugar Belly Baking and have a family fun night at home, adding icing and sprinkles to snowflakes, Christmas trees and other shapes. Kits are $20 each, and available for ordering until Dec. 8. The kits, along with Sugar Belly’s large ($30) and small ($15) cookie boxes, will be available for pickup in Winchester between Dec. 16-19.

• Abettor Brewing hosts its annual Christmas Market, 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Lots of vendors with a wide variety of goodies for under the tree and in the stocking: tumblers, custom ornaments, baked goods, candles, craft soap and more. Food truck yummies round out the fun.

• Sign up for the Festive Holiday Foliage Wreath Making Class at Harkness Edwards Vineyards, 12:30-1:30 and 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. All experience levels can have fun creating a wreath while enjoying a glass of wine. Materials provided. $45/person

• Join Harkness Edwards Vineyards for one of the most beloved traditions of the season, a Gingerbread House Workshop, 2:30-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, and craft your perfect gingerbread house. Enjoy holiday music and a glass of wine. Supplies provided. $57/person

• Stroll through downtown to see the Christmas tree aglow with lights and storefronts decorated for the holidays and stop at 21 North Main Street to see the newly finished mural, “This is Boone Country.” The 24 by 14 foot mural, painted by artist Kevin Osbourn, is located on the side of Harper’s Pawn Shop.

• Treat yourself to a Snow Globe Mug from Dirty South Pottery’s 2023 Limited Holiday Collection ($37). Pair with a packet of Creative Coffee’s Hot Chocolate ($4), also available at Dirty South Pottery. Sip while watching your favorite holiday classic movie.

• Here’s the place to wear your shopping shoes for a day of poking around to finish off your Christmas list and find the perfect holiday décor. The Ole Red Barn Mall is wall-to-wall booths filled with treasures galore, including those for holiday gift giving.

• Visit the gift shop at the Bluegrass Heritage Museum and pick up a copy of Harry G. Enoch’s newest book, Pioneer Voices: Interviews with Early Settlers of Clark County, Kentucky. The work is a “transcription of (Reverend) John D. Shane’s Clark County interviews with 32 individuals, plus five memorandums on people and places in the county as well as a memoir written by pioneer William Sudduth.” Enoch is the author of the popular Where In The World? Historic Places in Clark County, Kentucky book series, also available at the museum’s gift shop.

• Halls on the River has something special up its seasonal sleeve for the holidays. See the restaurant’s Facebook page for details.

November blog

Eight things to do in Winchester in November

Among hallowed Thanksgiving traditions are taking a nap, sharing gratitude and planning (and enjoying) the must-eats of the Thanksgiving spread. How about adding a few other traditions to the list throughout the month? Like creating a masterpiece to include on your Thanksgiving tablescape, taking a walk on the wild side and savoring seasonal sips.

Here are eight ways to add zing to the month of Thanksgiving:

1: Grab a bag of Pumpkin Spice, Autumn Spice or Snickledoodle coffee from Creative Coffees Roastery. Take a free tour with 24-hour advance notice (call 859-355-5412) and learn all about coffee origins, types of roasts, how coffee is flavored and the temps at which it is roasted. See how Creative Coffees makes its own K-cups. Tours are about 25 minutes; 45 minutes with a roast.

2: Hike nearby Red River Gorge for a chance to spot wild turkeys. Best viewing area for these befeathered gobblers? In the field behind the Gladie Visitor Center. According to A-Z-Animals, the humble turkey is a symbol of strength, courage and abundance. It also symbolizes gratitude, Thanksgiving and history, and can be a sign for new beginnings and good luck. That’s a lot of responsibility to lay on one bird—but you’ll likely see whole rafters of wild turkeys scrabbling about The Red.

3: Paint a piece of Thanksgiving- or fall-themed pottery at Created by You Ceramic Studio. Find a whole patch of pumpkins, gourds and scarecrows, along with serving dishes and planters to show off those seasonal arrangements. Make it an outing and schedule a group gathering or private class. And mark your calendar for Painting with Santa on Monday, Dec. 4. Check the studio’s Facebook page for event updates.

4: Visit the Bluegrass Heritage Museum to see the exhibit of an 1875 runabout buggy, the way families once traveled over the river and through the wood to grandfather’s house—at least according to the 1844 poem, originally published as “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day.” (Today’s version is more closely associated with a Christmas trip to grandmother’s house.) In the museum’s Quilt Room, you might spot an era-appropriate quilt that would have been tucked around the buggy’s occupants to ward off the “sting the toes/bite the nose” chill.

5: Shop for Thanksgiving host/hostess gifts, Thanksgiving home décor and accessories, etc. If there’s one day guaranteed to give a dinner party host dishpan-hands, it’s Thanksgiving. It’s Court Street Gifts to the rescue with Michel Design Works’ luxurious foaming hand soap made with shea butter in elegantly designed pump dispensers ($14.95). To spruce up the tablescape? Michel Design Works’ soft and sturdy Hostess Napkins ($7.95), featuring the themes and colors of fall.

Eve’s Uniques creates holiday ambience with handmade sweater pumpkins ($14-18) and handmade decoupage pumpkins ($16), so adorable for centerpieces, and 100 percent soy candles by Trubee Hill ($24)—an Eve’s exclusive—with fragrant fall scents, including bestsellers Autumn Apple, Pumpkin Harvest and Fall Foliage. (Halloween lovers can also pick up fan favorite Horror Stories, scented with dark bourbon, maple and toasted oak.)

Pick up supplies at Eve’s Uniques to DIY a hostess gift. Foolproof and reusable mesh stencils ($17-$24) can be used on fabric, wood, glass, ceramics and other materials. Shown is a photo of a wreath stenciled on a tray. Gell Art Ink ($13/tube) can be used on fabric to make custom napkins or pillows. (Inexpensive napkins and pillowcases can be purchased from Amazon.)

6: Take the Walk Through Time Walking Tour at Winchester Cemetery. Who will you meet along the way? A world-famous sculptor, victims of the 1918 Pastime Theatre tragedy, brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War and (possibly) the founder of Winchester. Be on the lookout for hidden messages in the cemetery’s many carvings and engravings—like a pineapple, the symbol for hospitality, so perfect for the month when families and friends gather together in thanksgiving.

7: Sample the beer, cider and seltzers that are on tap for November at Abettor Brewing—Southern Living’s pick for Kentucky craft brewery in the magazine’s October 2023 issue. Among the choices at the brewery’s 20 taps? Marzen Oktoberfest, Opossum Detainment Porter, VanderPumpkin Rules!! Pumpkin Ale, German Pilsner and Fanny Cole Hard Apple Cider.

8: It’s been call magical, a post-Thanksgiving holiday tradition, and like walking into a Hallmark Christmas Movie: Beech Springs Farm Market’s Christmas Market lives up to the hype. Taking place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, November 25, the event includes visits and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, live Christmas music, the nose-tingling aroma of freshly popped popcorn and other holiday treats and vendors, vendors and more vendors displaying irresistible gift items—many of them made in Kentucky and by Kentucky artisans. Make your lists, check them twice and spend the day in a Winchester Original way.