Falling into autumn and winter: Wide variety of events set for remainder of year

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·4 min read

Sep. 20—The World Chicken Festival begins this week but the remainder of the fall and winter season is chocked full of events.

Saturday, Oct. 7 is Honey Bun Day which celebrates London's Flowers Bakery producing over 1 billion honeybuns at the London plant each year. The celebration will be held at Farmers Market, beginning with live music from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. with craft and food vendors present. At 5 p.m., the "Taste the Buns" challenge is set, with those in attendance trying the break the record for the most people eating a honeybun at the same time. Flowers Bakery is the largest producer of honeybuns in the United States, and the honeybun was invented by one of the founders of Griffin Pie, which is now operating as Flowers Bakery.

In early October, Town Center Park transforms into Pumpkin Park with three Friday nights of movies and a scarecrow decorating contest.

London City Tourism Executive Director Chris Robinson outlined the upcoming events for board members of the City of London Tourism Commission during Monday night's meeting.

"We will be having Movie Nights on Fridays in October on the 13th, 20th and 27th," he said. "We're going to show Casper, Hocus Pocus and the school is partnering on the 27th for Halloweentown on the 27th."

Businesses and groups can also participate in the inaugural Scarecrows of Pumpkin Park contest. Participants can purchase an 8-foot scarecrow for $150 and decorate it to their personal taste. The community will vote on the Best Scarecrow. The scarecrow features a PVC form and pumpkin head and is sponsored by London Downtown and London City Tourism. The scarecrows will be displayed at Town Center Park from Oct. 20 through Oct. 31. Contact Julie Rea with London Downtown at 606-224-1126 or londonkydowntown@gmail.com.

Boo on Main will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pumpkin Park at Town Center. Businesses and organizations will hand out treats to costumed characters attending this event.

The London-Corbin Airport is also getting in on the fall festivities by hosting the London Air Expo on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The flying display will feature a B-25 Mitchell "Champion Gal", a P-51 Mustang "Swamp Fox," and Smoke on Formation Team. Fire and rescue exhibits will also be on hand, as will food trucks and kids inflatables. The event will also offer airplane rides.

Oak Hill Gardens is hosting Verdant Vibes Music and Art Festival on October 21 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with an art exhibition and cocktail party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Live music will be provided by London's Phoebe White and Presley, Leigh Nash, The Hites, Brett Higgins, Home Grown Head and more. Visual artists will include Linda Stahl, Catrina Higgs, 42 Kustom Cigar Box Guitars, Judy Ridings, Emily Ridings, Barbara Willingham, Kathy Walker, Judith Egerton, Aleta Stone & Michael Jon Flores and Lonnie and Twyla Money. Tickets are available online at www.oakhillgardensky.com/events.

Other events include:

—Saturday, Nov. 4 Veterans Day Event in partnership with Laurel County Fiscal Court.

—Shop Local Weekend will be held Nov. 24 through Nov. 28. Downtown businesses will offer special giveaways and in-store promotions.

—Mistletoe Market, which offers handcrafted items, clothing, foods, collectibles and other items, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 25 at London Community Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

—Tree Lighting ceremony at Town Center on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Music will begin at 6 p.m. with the Tree Lighting ceremony at 7 p.m.

—Randy Smith's Christmas on Main Parade will be held on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. as lighted floats and vehicles make their holiday debut through downtown London. This year's theme is "Candy Canes and Cards" with prizes given to the best float in the business, civic and non-profit groups.

—Lights Around London, which features a contest of decorated houses around the London and Laurel community. The display begins on Saturday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 31. This offers over 60 homes and businesses decorated with holiday decor and lights as a driving tour. The public can vote on their favorite at $1 per vote, with proceeds benefitting the Shop with a Cop program that provides a Christmas shopping spree for needy children in the community.

—Lights Over London returns on Friday, Dec. 15 with two 15-minute shows featuring lighted drones forming holiday emblems and designs. The show will launch from the top of 9th Street (Hospital Hill) and will be facing west, although the show can be seen from anywhere in downtown London. This year will offer two opportunities to view this unique air show, with one show at 8 p.m. and the second at 9:30 p.m. Town Center Park will be the focus of activities, with food trucks on site.

—The year winds down and the new year rings in with the New Year's Eve downtown party on Dec. 31. Festivities begin at 9 p.m. and features live music and a ball drop at midnight. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.