One of the region's best fall festivals is just around the corner. Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16 celebrate the splendor of autumn at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest with the sixteenth-annual Colorfest.
Bernheim is gorgeous every day of the year, but next weekend she will dawn her fall gown showing off her natural beauty while families participate in a plethora of fall-themed activities. There is truly something for the entire family: pumpkin painting, hayrides, live music by Porkchop and Pie a duo that plays everything from Loretta Lynn to Lynard Skynard, the Troubadours of Divine Bliss and bluegrass band Floyd Fork Ramblers, a Tai Chi demonstration, nature crafts, face painting, discovery stations featuring birds of prey, great food, a rope bridge, a fairly awesome hay maze, and KY craft artists booths.
Last year, a good time was had by my entire family, but heed this warning: get your pumpkin early. This is an extremely popular event (the line of cars snaking up the hill just about offsets the trees' oxygen output for the day; an estimated 12,000 visitors) and we waited too long to claim our pumpkin in the pumpkin painting station--and they ran out. Despite the crowd, however, we were still able to obtain a peaceful autumnal bliss, especially at the music station: a ring of percussion created from PVS pipes and mallets, drums, and shakers that created a spiritual sound atop the hill. The hay maze and discovery stations (they were able to pet a gigantic salamander) were a hit for the kids; a good time was had by all.
Colorfest runs from 10-5:00 on Saturday, October 15 and 12-5:00 on Sunday, October 16. The price is a $5 vehicle impact fee for non-members (I guess members' cars don't emit?). It is definitely a festival worthy of the drive down South 65.