Buggy Kid in Kentucky 14 September 2019
Posted by KentuckySerendipity in News, People.add a comment
Kentucky is the place of many significant first events, and to the list we can now add that Kentucky is the first place where a toddler helped discover a new species of insect. I can’t say much about this story without infringing on copyrighted news stores, so I’ll just give the gist and interested readers can click on one of the links for details. In a nutshell: Laura Sullivan-Beckers is planting flowers and her daughter, Sylvie, helps by watering them. However, she accidentally over-waters and some insects float up. The mother investigates and later it is determined that the insects are a new species. Since Sylvie was two years old at the time of the watering, I wager that she is the youngest person ever to co-discover a new species. Are you listening, Guiness Book of World Records? Here are links to news stories with details and photos:
- Kentucky Today: MSU professor, daughter uncover new insect species
- Insider Louisville: Murray State biology professor discovers new insect species with help from her toddler
- Good Morning, America: Mom and daughter discover new bug species when daughter over-waters flower garden (with video)
Bushels of Fun 7 September 2019
Posted by KentuckySerendipity in Kentucky Events.add a comment
Festivals are big business across the USA in small towns as well as large cities. Festivals can have a huge economic impact on a community as well providing social benefits to both residents and visitors. Compared with other economic projects, festivals are not hard to create and manage, and don’t cost a lot to produce. These benefits are largely due to the significant use of volunteer labor in running festivals. In addition to the immediate financial gains from tourist dollars spent at a festival, a festival can create recurring revenue by encouraging people to return to the area over the years.
Festivals have social as well as economic benefits. A festival can help bond people of the community through working together a toward common goal. Additionally a festival can improve (or create) civic pride within the community.
Of course, all those benefits assume that one’s festival is successful. Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner for the tourism division at the Georgia Department of Economic Development has some advice for those who are contemplating hosting a festival: “Do something that’s authentic to the community. Take advantage of something that’s local and something that can celebrate the sense of place of the community.” (Small Towns, Big Impacts) In other words, be yourself.
Kentucky is home to people with rich backgrounds which provide ample raw material for a festival theme or focus. As a result, Kentucky is home to festivals which celebrate everything from bourbon to horses to burgoo to pumpkins to barbeque and all manner of other things (see calendars at Kentucky Tourism and Kentucky Living). Oh, yes, and apples. Kentucky, in fact, is home to five apple festivals:
- Casey County Apple Festival (Courthouse Square, Liberty; 26-28 September 2019)
- Haney’s Appledale Farm (8350 State Route 80, Nancy; open most days from spring through autumn)
- Kentucky Apple Festival (Paintsville; 4-5 October 2019)
- Reid’s Orchard Apple Festival (4818 State Route 144, Owensboro; 19-20 October 2019)
- Trimble County Apple Festival (Courthouse Square, Bedford; 7-8 September 2019)
These events feature a wide range of apple and non-apple related activities. One can dunk for apples, eat apple pie or apple butter, pick apples, pet animals, listen to music, dance, and much, much more. Visit the web sites to get more information on activities and then plan a trip to one of these festivals or one of the many other Kentucky festivals. Whatever your interests, it’s almost certain there is a Kentucky festival which matches. There’s a rich variety of activities across the Commonwealth.
Kentucky Serendipity 