Everyone who knows me knows how much I love Lexington, hence why my blog is named “Fabulous In Fayette” and is entirely dedicated to this wonderful city! Fabulous in Fayette is your one-stop place to find out what’s happening in Lexington on a weekly basis, where to eat, and amazing events that you can’t miss! Lexington is such a great place to live – between the culture, the amazing local restaurants, the bourbon scene, and all of the events happening throughout the city there is always something to keep you entertained.
Back in February, I started a new series called: “A Local’s Guide to Lexington,” in which I feature local businesses among different categories. Maybe if you are local, you’ll discover a place you haven’t been to or it will encourage you to explore Lexington more! If you are a visitor, then you’ll know the places that an actual Lexingtonian loves!
This time, I’m featuring four different categories with thirteen businesses that you are guaranteed to love!
Kentucky For Kentucky:
I’ll just leave this here, because they said it the best:
“Kentucky for Kentucky is a small company located in the heart of the Bluegrass region in Lexington. We are believers, promoters and producers for the great Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are obsessed with Kentucky, the real Kentucky. We’re all about highlighting the complex identity of our state and–with words, images and one-of-a-kind products–we want to spread the stories of this amazing place we call home. Kentucky has a lot to offer and even more to say. We’re showing the world why they should listen up.”
Kentucky For Kentucky is one store you’ll have to shop at if you are a lover of Kentucky. There have been plenty of times when I’m sitting on my computer refreshing their website at 10am, so I can add the new products to my shopping cart before they sell out!
Shop Local Kentucky:
Shop Local Kentucky is another shop that you must go to, because they have all things Kentucky. It’s a casual shop specializing in Kentucky-themed t-shirts as well as hats, accessories and gift items. Your closet will always be fresh, since they have tons and tons of t-shirts to choose from. It seems like they come out with new shirts every week or two, so you’ll always be on trend with these shirts. My “Kentucky Babe” tank top is my favorite shirt to wear in the summer, and I love my food-themed Kentucky shirts, such as my “Pizza Kentucky” shirt and the “Beer Cheese Kentucky” shirt.
Shop Local Kentucky likes to give back, so most recently, in the wake of the Marshall County School Shooting that happened in Kentucky on January 23, 2018, they did just that. From January 23 through February 13, thousands of “Kentucky Strong” shirts were sold in store and online. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to the victims of the shooting. They raised $211,000!
High Street Fly:
High Street Fly is another shop to visit if you want something to showcase your Kentucky pride. They have tees for men and women, as well as tees for children. They have some amazing home decor, and I plan on buying some of their things to add to my collection and make my office more Kentucky inspired. High Street Fly is for lovers of grassroots, wildcats, backroads, and bluegrass.
Kentucky Branded:
Kentucky Branded is a great shop and has a little bit of everything – it has items to show your state pride to authentic whiskey barrel tables to Maker’s Mark items to much more. The store was founded in 2014 by two Kentuckians – one was from Western Kentucky and another was from Eastern Kentucky. They wanted a store to showcase and proudly display all things about the beautiful state of Kentucky, and thus Kentucky Branded was born.
CRAVE:
Crave Lexington is Lexington’s signature food event that celebrates locally-crafted fare from 55+ food vendors and music from 10 bands. There is a classic car show as well. It’s been held since 2012, and I’ve been every year since 2015. CRAVE takes place at Masterson Station Park, which is one of the largest parks in Lexington at 660 acres. Admission is $6. You will need to purchase a package that includes food and drink tickets weeks beforehand, or you can purchase the amount of tickets that you will need at the ticket booths. Each vendor offers at least three different options; $1 option, which is like a sample sized portion, $3, which is a little bit bigger, and $5, which is even bigger than the other options. Some vendors offer several different selections for each price point. Crave Lexington partners with several charities during the festival, with GreenHouse 17 receiving the largest portion of festival proceeds of all of their non-profit partners. In 2015 and 2016, Crave Lexington contributed $30,895 to GreenHouse 17 and $3,580 to the HomeBuilders’ Care Association. This year Dress for Success will also benefit.
Save the date: CRAVE will be held this year on Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 12pm to 11pm and Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 12pm to 7pm. It will again take place at the Bluegrass Fairgrounds at Masteron Station Park.
Lexington Restaurant Week:
Lexington Restaurant Week is such an exciting week! It usually occurs the last week of July and first started in 2013. In 2016, there were 44 of the best locally-owned, independent restaurants participating in this event. With Lexington Restaurant Week, there was a special menu that you could order off of. Some restaurants offered two can dine for $26, and it usually included two or three courses. For example, you would share an appetizer, you each would get an entree, and you would get to share a dessert. However, each restaurant offered different things, so some may have only offered two courses. The other restaurants were $26 per person, and those were also multi-course meals. For example, you each would get an appetizer, you each would get an entree, and you each would get a dessert. Lexington Restaurant Week is another good event to try out restaurants that you may or may not have heard of before. It’s also a good chance to try out the fancier, more costly restaurants to see if you would like them or not. The $26 per person is a steal, because at some of the restaurants, an entree alone is $26 or more.
Note: In 2017, Lexington Restaurant Week was canceled last minute because they lost a key sponsor (A bunch of restaurants teamed up together and formed Lexington Eats Weeks to fill the void where Restaurant Week would have been). However, Lexington Restaurant Week secured a new sponsor for 2018 and has plans for expansion.
Save the date: Lexington Restaurant Week will be held from July 26, 2018 to August 4, 2018 at participating restaurants.
Lexington Burger Week:
Since 2015, Lexington Burger Week has been gracing us with yummy burgers that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. I’ve been every year, and plan to go every year that they hold this glorious week! The participating restaurants offer their special one-of-a-kind burger for $5. These burgers aren’t on the regular menus.
Just check out these results:
- In 2015, over 36 restaurants participated and 21,000 burgers were sold.
- In 2016, over 36 restaurants participated in Lexington Burger Week and over 61,100 burgers were sold.
- In 2017, there were over 46 one-of-a-kind burgers being offered at 40+ restaurants with over 101,000 burgers sold.
Save the date: In 2018, there will be 40+ one-of-a-kind burgers at 40+ restaurants. Lexington Burger Week will be held on July 9, 2018 to July 15, 2018.
Pet Wants Lex:
Pet Wants Lexington is owned and operated by Melissa Mautz. This was the third Pet Wants store to open, and the original store is located in Cincinnati. Lexington is one of the first cities in the nation that supplies regionally produced, natural pet food, made fresh monthly, shipped directly to their store, and then delivered to your doorstep.
Southern Barker:
Southern Barker is a boutique offers an array of products including dog apparel, collars, leashes, harnesses, custom beds, treats, toys and food. For the dog owners, they have mugs, frames, dog breed prints and much more. The store carries a variety of styles to accommodate the different tastes and styles of dog owners, while still keeping a sense of Southern style and charm.
Bluegrass Barkery:
Bluegrass Barkery is a family owned business that offers quality products for dogs and cats right here in Central Kentucky. The foods that Bluegrass Barkery carries are from responsible companies that use human grade ingredients and that value the safety of your pets. Even the toys are made with recycled and eco-friendly materials, and many of their treats are baked fresh every day.
Pasta 101 Class at Pasta Garage
The Pasta Garage “Italian Café” is designed to provide on-the-go people with fast, casual dining, without sacrificing quality. Pasta Garage was created by college friends Lesme Romero and Reinaldo Gonzalez. They wanted to combine their shared love of Italian street food and the freshest of ingredients. All of their ingredients are carefully sourced and the pasta is made fresh daily, in small batches, using the best ingredients possible by Lexington Pasta.
The Pasta 101 Class is something that I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time! You get to learn the history and art of making pasta while enjoying appetizers and wine. Then you actually get to make fresh pasta for you and your classmates. Perhaps the best part of the process: You get to enjoy the fruits of your labor by enjoying a meal with your classmates and having wine or sparkling Italian water and an Italian dessert.
Note: Classes are every Friday at 7pm. Cost for Pasta 101 is $60 per student. Please call (859) 421-1764 for class availability. You can reserve your spot in the class: HERE.
Wild Thyme:
Wild Thyme is a unique culinary experience in Lexington Kentucky which offers cooking classes to children, adults, and private groups in a state of the art kitchen studio. Wild Thyme was recently featured on The Travel Channel for “Top 15 Fun Cooking Schools for Couples.” The adult classes are the ultimate culinary experience for anyone who has a passion for great food with great company and great ambiance. Every month there are new classes offered with both hands on and chef demonstrations highlighting local food and flavors of the season. Class fees vary based on the ingredients used and whether the class is hands-on or demonstration. Please check the cooking class calendar for the price of the class you are interested in. Typically, prices for adult classes range from $50-$65 per person per class.
Be sure to check out their current list of classes: HERE.
The Mad Potter:
The Mad Potter is Lexington’s original Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio and Glass-Fusing Center. They’ve been helping Central Kentuckians create unique and personal works of art since 1998. I’ve been going there ever since the very early 2000’s. They are located in Landsdowne Shoppes on Tates Creek Road in Lexington.
It’s super easy and fun to do! My husband and I actually went a couple of years ago for Valentine’s Day!
All you have to do is:
- Step 1: Pick what you want to paint! There are over 300 options and they start at only $2!
- Step 2: Decide on your design. You can get ideas from The Mad Potter or use your own ideas.
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Step 3: Plan out your design. You can use their pens or makers, stamps, and rulers or you can bring your supplies.
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Step 4: Paint! The Mad Potter has over 100 colors to choose from, as well as different brushes. There are specialty glazes available for a small fee. All of the paints and glazes are non-toxic.
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Step 5: Now, it’s time to turn it in! You will need to leave your finished painted piece there for about a week. The Mad Potter will take care of the rest. They will glaze it and fire it! Your finished pieces will be food and water-safe and ready to be a part of your daily life!
Now, get out there and support some local businesses!
