The importance of tradition in communities

Kentucky is a very diverse state; rich in agriculture, art, history, music, outdoors, and most importantly traditions. The two most common traditions in Kentucky are Kentucky Basketball and the Kentucky Derby; whether in the big city of Louisville, Kentucky or the small town of Falmouth, Kentucky throughout the 120 counties in the commonwealth tradition is a large part of unifying counties across the state.

Annual festivals and parades play a huge role in community, small or large.  As someone from a small county in Northern, Kentucky the Kentucky Wool Festival is one of the biggest events that happens in our county.  Every first weekend in October, during the transition between late summer and early fall, the Kentucky Wool Festival occurs; a weekend of bluegrass, crafts, food, and wool.   The Kentucky Wool Festival is one big reunion- not only bringing back Pendleton County High School alumni who have moved away, but also bringing in annual festival enthusiast from across the country.  From a community and economic development perspective, the Kentucky Wool Festival is the perfect way to promote the small town fell, but also the modernism of Pendleton County. Many church groups, school clubs, extension organizations and other organizations in the county set up booths to promote their organizations as well as fundraise for the year.  As far back as I can remember, every year at the Wool Fest I have worked the 4-H drink booth as a fundraiser for the Pendleton County 4-H Council.  The high school band parks car, the county FFA chapter cleans the grounds and empties trash cans, the high school student council sells ice cream, the county homemakers sells funnel cake, the county Chamber of Commerce sells breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the county’s Lions Club works the entry gate, local gospel singing groups come and sing on Sunday afternoon, other local bands come and play on Friday and Saturday night, many craft vendors come and set up booths, and it’s not a Wool Fest until you sheer a sheep and visit the wool spinners . Traditions like the Kentucky Wool Festival truly bring together a small county.

Pendleton County is one of those counties where you drive through it and blink, you might miss it so having an event that brings in people from all over the country is, in lack of a better word, cool! Now I know I am little bias to this particular festival, but I have spent the past 20 Octobers at the Wool Fest and don’t plan on breaking that tradition, but there are many other festivals all across the bluegrass.  My roommates and I have had conversations about our county festivals; one roommate is from Casey County, Kentucky and Casey County has an apple festival and another roommate is from LaRue County, Kentucky and Larue County has a tradition called Lincoln Days. Some other festivals across the state are: the Watermelon Festival in Monroe County, Kentucky, the Sorgum Festival in Morgan County, Kentucky, the World’s Largest Chicken Festival in London, Kentucky, the International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, and the Ghoetta Festival in Newport, Kentucky.

No matter what small town or big city you come from in Kentucky, tradition plays a huge role in bringing communities together.  I could not imagine my fall without attending the Kentucky Wool Festival and I am sure I can speak for county residents from any of the county festivals mentioned above in saying they could not imagine their lives without the tradition of county festivals.

                

Kelsey is a junior majoring in Community and Leadership Development.  She is from Butler, Kentucky.