shekinah village
Shekinah Village is a beautiful 35-acre youth camp/retreat center nestled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. It was started under the direction of Meridzo Center Ministries. The village is not only set apart by its unique design, but also by the presence of the Lord. The word “Shekinah” represents the glory of the Lord. Once entering the village, you will see that God’s presence rests on the area. From the peaceful setting of the water to the majestic mountains in the background, it promises to be a place where youth and adults will come into a true relationship with a loving God.
Shekinah Village offers a variety of amenities and activities including fishing, horseback riding, lakeside walks, an old general store, village cantina, village shops, cabins, camps, and gorgeous views!
At Shekinah Village there are four cabins available for rent. These beautifully decorated cabins each boast full kitchens, a living room and dining area, and a deck with a lovely view of the gorgeous Kentucky mountains and Pay Lake.
Visit their website here: https://www.meridzo.org/shekinah-village
606-446-6005
shekinahvillage@meridzo.org
southdown farm
FROM OUR HOLLER TO YOUR TABLE! South Down Farm is a small, family-owned business in Ermine, Kentucky, owned and operated by Seth and Sheryl Long.
They grow an amazing number of vegetables in a small area using intensive market gardening methods. They make value added products with the vegetables by baking and processing what they grow…think carrot cake scones, cucumber bread, jalapeno cheddar scones, grape jelly and jalapeno salsa. Their niche product is producing Kentucky Maple Syrup from maple trees on their steep hillside property. This produces fantastic maple syrup and a host of other goodies such as maple donuts, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more.
Since moving onto the 55-acres they call home in 1988, they raised a garden as a way to grow their own healthy, fresh food and teach their children how to grow their own food and the value of a day’s work. In 2016 they were introduced to a method of farming called Market Gardening, which allowed them to grow more produce on a small piece of land. Market Gardening techniques are a perfect fit for their farm as most of the eastern Kentucky property is steep hillside property which cannot be cultivated.
With the ability to grow more produce they started to sell their products at local farmer’s markets. They continue to learn how to grow their produce using organic practices. In 2017, they were introduced to 3/16th tubing which was the tool they needed to collect maple sap and produce maple syrup to sell.
They invite you to look around, learn about their operation and hopefully find yourself something from their holler for your kitchen table from their farm store.
Connect with SouthDown Farm:
southdownfarmky@gmail.com
southdownky.com
stables at creekside glen
The Stables At Creekside Glen is a ministry dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus Christ through the recreational use of God’s creation, namely the horse. We use the horses as a platform to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage the pursuit of Christ thereafter.
This ministry is located in Letcher County, Kentucky. God has blessed our ministry with 25 acres of pastures, 3 stables, 24 stalls, arena, trails, and a classroom that we are able to use in a variety of ways.
The stable ministry has proven to be one of the most unique ministries of Southeastern Kentucky. These are the different areas the Lord has chosen to use the horses this past year: riding classes, summer horse camps, helping horse program, trail rides, wrangler internships.
The Stables at Creekside Glen:
366 Pay Lake Road, Partridge, KY 40862
(606) 589-6910
thestables@meridzo.org
https://www.meridzo.org/the-stables
isom days festival
Isom days is a festival held every year on Labor Day weekend that is filled with fun activities for the whole family!
Isom days host a great carnival, a cruise in showcasing lots of cool cars, live music, a parade, cornhole tournament, food booths, vendors, and more. The biggest draw to the Isom Days Festival is its super entertaining rodeo! It you missed it, you definitely don't want to next year!
We just love the nostalgic feeling and togetherness a town festival gives its residents and visitors. Follow along for info on more festivals coming up soon!
neon days festival
For those of you who bleed purple and gold, don't miss the opportunity to head over to downtown Neon and fellowship with everyone attending the Neon Days festival this weekend! This year is extra special as they will be holding an all-class reunion!
Schedule of events:
FRIDAY -
Opening ceremonies at 11 am in the morning.
11:30-Janice Banks’s Litl’ Mr. & Miss Neon pageant
12:30-FNMS
2:00-Drake Brock, sponsored by Potter’s Monument
4:00-Roadhouse Band, sponsored by WARH
6:00-Neon Rain, sponsored by PVA, Rick Rose
8:00-Elvis and The Coupe DeVilles, sponsored by Tom King’s Collision Center
FLEMING-NEON ALL CLASS REUNION, ALL DAY!
Free Facepainting, 4-8, sponsored by Sexton’s Resources, LLC
Free train rides, 4-close, sponsored by MCHC
SATURDAY -
11:00 - Parade
11:45 - Awards Presentation
12:00 - Nellean Bentley's Cake Walk
1:00 - Brandon & Breydon Fields Appalachian Pet Pantry Dog Show
2:00 - The Fowlers
3:00 - The Dance Gallery
3:30 - Dave Perry's Amazing Duck Race
4:00 Jivin' Ivan's Auction
5:00 - Fleming-Neon All Class Reunion
6:00 FNMS Football Game
6:30 - Pure & Simple Band
8:30 - Dirt Famous
ky mist distillery
Looking for something to do in downtown Whitesburg this weekend? Stop in at Kentucky Mist Distillery - Whitesburg! Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or a curious newcomer, Kentucky Mist Moonshine will be thrilled to have you. Their store offers a wide range of handcrafted moonshines, each one steeped in tradition and made with the highest quality ingredients.
Feel free to explore their selection, which includes everything from classic corn whiskey to inventive flavors like apple pie, caramel apple, infused peach, infused grape and infused blackberry. Their knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you might have, share tasting notes, and help you find the perfect bottle for your needs.
Kentucky Mist also boasts an array of vodka and whiskey. If you’re interested in learning more about the history and craft of moonshine, they offer informative tours and tastings. They also have a selection of moonshine-themed gifts and accessories to complete your experience.
The Legacy:
Kentucky Mist Moonshine is a craft distillery located in the Appalachian Mountains. Born from a deep heritage of distilling spirits in eastern Kentucky, Kentucky Mist takes pride in distilling every drop of alcohol used in our products and making flavored moonshine using whole fruit for the most genuine taste.
We trace Kentucky Mist's roots back to Little Henry Holbrook and the days of American Prohibition, or the Dark Ages, as they should be rightly called. Distilling corn liquor and bootlegging in the Appalachian Mountains was more than a way of life for Henry and his kinfolk in those days. It was how Henry and his family survived.
Henry finally got caught bootlegging his corn liquor to folks in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, and the federal government sent him away to Atlanta in 1930 for a long prison stint in the federal penitentiary. While Henry was there, he formed a good friendship with fellow bootlegger, Al Capone. As the years passed him outside of his concrete walls, Henry became determined to not let his moonshine makin' be the end of his family's legacy.
Henry continued to bootleg moonshine, although he spent 17 years of his life in captivity. He died in 1986, but almost seventy years after he had served his time in Atlanta, Henry's grandson wanted to take up the craft that had landed Henry behind bars for nearly two decades. Colin Fultz decided he was going to turn the Holbrook family tradition into a legal business in 2015. Using trade secrets and recipes passed down for generations, Colin opened Kentucky Mist's doors to Whitesburg and east Kentucky, as determined as his grandpa Henry to share his family's legacy with the entire world. There are now two locations at Myrtle Beach, SC and One in Orange Beach, AL.
Connect with Kentucky Mist Moonshine:
606-633-8886
128 E Main St, Whitesburg, KY, United States, Kentucky
Visit their Facebook page or go to:
Kentuckymist.com
mountain heritage festival auto show
Traditions always give us a feeling of home and comfort. The Mountain Heritage Festival has been one of Letcher County's favorite traditions since 1983. The same year, the Mountain Heritage Auto Show was also founded. Somewhere along the way the auto shows were discontinued. We are happy to share that this year the auto show will be returning 41 years later! The show will take place this Saturday, September 21st at the James Wiley Craft Memorial Park beginning at 4:00pm!
This is a great event to bring your favorite car enthusiast and whole family out to enjoy some really cool cars, live music, food, games, vendors, and racing! Join us in supporting the return of the auto show in hopes that it will become a tradition for years to come! It's FREE!
*Photo from the 2nd annual MHF Auto Show in 1984
Mountain heritage festival
The Mountain Heritage Festival grew out of a countywide pig roast that began in 1982. The pig roast was sponsored by then-County Judge/Executive Ruben Watts, then -County Treasurer Phillip Hampton and the county’s five magistrates which involved hours of cooking and preparing to feed thousands during this countywide free cookout.
Following its huge success, a group of people throughout the county met to determine whether or not Letcher County could possibly host a festival.
As county judge/executive, Watts was eager for such a festival to succeed and offered the assistance of county resources in getting it started. The Black Gold Festival, held in Hazard, loaned its partitions to construct the booths under the “big tent,” which was located on Railroad Street and was home to the many craft booths and commercial exhibits.
Needing a name for the new festival, a contest was held to name it and Toby Davis, longtime employee of the old A&P Food Store, had the winning name, “Mountain Heritage Festival.”
The committee, hoping to involve all of Letcher County in the Mountain Heritage Festival, dedicated individual days for local communities to celebrate their community. Those individual days included Neon Day, Jenkins Day, Isom Day, and Blackey Day.
All of these community festivals have grown from one-day events to weekend festivals during the months of September and October.
Many days and nights are spent planning for this festival, which is now in its 42nd year. This week-long event was established to help promote and celebrate the mountain traditions and pride that make up our area’s heritage. The event brings together arts/crafts, food, free music entertainment, a parade, and an amusement midway. It is a tribute to our people, traditions, culture, and all the things that make Letcher County unique. People make their way to the festival village from all corners of Letcher County and many return home from across the country for a special nostalgic reunion. (and an apple dumpling)
Mountain Heritage is unique in the fact that all food and vendor booths are manned by local churches, civic groups, school organizations and non-profit organizations. It is designed to help give back to the communities we come from.
The first festival parade was a huge success and has continued to grow over the years. The Festival Parade is on Saturday morning, bringing hundreds of people to line the streets of Whitesburg for this event. The Mountain Heritage Festival parade has become one of the largest parades in southeastern Kentucky and lasts an hour or longer.
The Mountain Heritage Festival has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Kentucky Fall festivals for the years of 2012, 2014 and 2015 by the Kentucky Travel Industry Association.
As communities throughout the county are finishing their local festivals to promote our mountain traditions, let us stop and remember those who worked diligently to see that the Mountain Heritage Festival had the kind of start 42 years ago that would mean a lasting sentimental countywide celebration for years to come.
Information shared by the Mountain Heritage Festival Committee.
