Weekend Outlook: Veggies, cheese, bread ahead
Now that school is officially out, summer festivities are beginning to heat up with a local festival, mind-tugging theater and other fun on the schedule of this weekend.
To kick off the 10th annual Beer Cheese Festival with a philanthropic flair, The Big Cheesy 5K will take place at 6:30 p.m. today. The race, which was previously known as The Path Home and benefits the Clark County Homeless Coalition, starts at Community Trust Bank, 120 S. Main St.
Also tonight and in conjunction with the cheesy festival will be the first Rock The Block concert of the season. The previously scheduled concert was postponed because of rain.
The concert will be from 7 to 9 p.m. on the courthouse steps and will feature Encore of Lexington.
Additionally, there will giant Jenga, sidewalk chalk, a bouncy house, food truck and a West Sixth Brewing beer tent.
Downtown Winchester will be busy with a packed Saturday as well.
The Winchester-Clark County Farmers’ Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on historical Depot Street, and the Beer Cheese Festival is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Main Street.
The festival started in 2009 to honor Clark County’s place as the original place where beer cheese was made. Every year, there is a competition among professional cheese makers between judges and a popular vote. Festival-goers can buy a wristband for $5, which provides access to the beer cheese area and one vote in the popular vote contest
Nine professional beer cheese makers will compete for the top honors and offer samples throughout the day.
The Clark County Public Library is offering several events Saturday as well with the weekly yoga on the lawn session at 9 a.m., a LEGO Club meeting at 1 p.m. and the Scareeee Books program at 2 p.m. featuring The Mad Doctor of horror, James Gardner.
Gardner, a published horror story author, will lead visitors through dark, twisted genres of horror fiction
Finally, if you want to venture just a skip past the county line, there are two events this weekend at Fort Boonesborough State Park: “Our Daily Bread” and a plant walk.
At McAfee’s station, in 1788, Mrs. McAfee said, “Young man, I have just taken seven loaves of bread out of the oven, so take what you want.” Based on this documentation of a bread oven in Kentucky (less than 50 miles away), the Fort now has a bread oven. Significant research and information about bread has gone into creating a program about 18th Century frontier bread-making. “Our Daily Bread” will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the park located at 4375 Boonesborough Road.
Visitors can also get up close and personal with the Fort’s natural beauty while you locate, identify and discuss plants and their uses during a Plant Walk at 10 a.m. Look at foraging for culinary, medical or natural dye use. Wear your walking shoes.
All event are free with regular admission to the Fort, which is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children younger than 6.