Country Ham Days Celebrates the Pig

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Aug. 18, 2015 - PRLog -- Ham, glorious ham. When Marion County Country Ham Days celebrates the pig, Sept. 26 and 27, they will also be feting the City of Lebanon’s 200th anniversary. Along with a two-day feast that does the pig proud, this “Kentucky Top-Ten Event” will include a Lebanon Bicentennial Treasure Hunt, live music featuring J.D. Shelburne and activities for every member of the family – not to mention heaping helpings of delicious country ham. (Volunteers will be cooking and serving up about 4,500 pounds.) Click here (http://www.marioncountykychamber.com/hamdays.html) for details. A full schedule of events is here (http://www.marioncountykychamber.com/HamDays/2015/schedule2015.pdf).

Ham Days highlights

Chow down on the festival’s legendary country ham breakfast, served from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Join the crowd for the PIGasus Parade, which begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Back for its second year is WLSK FM’s Marion County “Hammin’ It Up Idol,” held on the Main Stage at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Carnival rides swing into action in advance of the festival on Friday evening.

Good old-fashioned fun

Marion County Country Ham Days has activities for everyone: Pokey Pig 5K Race; Antique Engine and Tractor Show; Market Place booths; arts and crafts booths; Jr. Farmer and Little Miss Ham Days; Children’s Parade; Hog Calling Contest; Champion Ham Auction; Pedal Pull Contest; Hay Bale Toss and more. New this year is the official Ham Days/Lebanon Bicentennial t-shirt, which visitors may purchase as souvenirs.

Throughout the festival, musical groups will perform on the Main Stage and include headliner J.D. Shelbourne in a concert held on Saturday and sponsored by the City of Lebanon in celebration of its bicentennial. Showtime: 7 p.m. Other musicians include Marion County’s own The Honeysuckle Stringband and No Deceit.

In addition to lots of delicious country ham, there will be beans and cornbread, pork sandwiches, hot dogs, brats, rib-eye sandwiches and gyros, not to mention sweets like ice cream, fried Twinkies, funnel cakes and more.

Make a weekend of it

There’s lots to see and do in Lebanon: Pop into the Marion County Heritage Center to see the world’s only permanent Turtleman exhibit and the Don Johnson Musical Instrument Collection – the world’s largest collection of J.W. Pepper Instruments. Hike the 3.2-mile Gorley Naturalist Trail with its 47 bridges. Canoe at Fagan Branch Reservoir. Fish for largemouth bass and other fish at Sportsman’s Lake. Tour and taste at Maker’s Mark Distillery, Limestone Branch Distillery and WhiteMoon Winery.

Overnight in a charming guestroom at the 1833 Myrtledene Bed and Breakfast or a cabin overlooking Rosewood Golf Course. Lebanon has a variety of lodging choices for every budget. Visit the Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission (http://www.visitlebanonky.com/) for more information.

Marion County Country Ham Days, Lebanon, KY

Festival website: www.HamDays.com, 270-692-9594

Date

Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 26-27, 2015

Ham Breakfast: 7-11 a.m. Sat.; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun.

Saturday events: PIGasus Parade 1 p.m. J.D. Shelbourne concert 7 p.m.

Place

Downtown Lebanon, KY 40033

Cost

Free (parking also free)

Ham Breakfast tickets: $10/adults, $6/children.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nena Olivier, Director@VisitLebanonky.com, 270-692-0021

Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission, www.VisitLebanonKy.com

HI- and LOW-RES photos available.

ABOUT MARION COUNTY COUNTRY HAM DAYS (http://www.hamdays.com/) | Country Ham Days is a “Kentucky Top-Ten Event” hosted by the Marion County Chamber of Commerce along with an army of 500 volunteers and a number of sponsors: Kentucky Lottery, City of Lebanon, Marion County Fiscal Court, Farmers National Bank, Maker’s Mark, State Farm Insurance/Erica Barnes Agent, Spring View Hospital, Kentucky Cooperage, The Lebanon Enterprise, Passport Health Plan, MIKE 100.9, Channel 6TV and Angell-Demmel. The festival welcomes over 40,000 visitors, serves up 4,500 pounds of ham and acts as an agent for community empowerment. Facebook.com/Marion County Ham Days (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marion-County-Country-Ham-Days/145808055430518)

ABOUT LEBANON, KY (http://www.visitlebanonky.com/) │ Geographically located in the center of the state, Lebanon (http://www.visitlebanonky.com/) is the “Heart of Bourbon Country,” the epicenter of Kentucky barrel and bourbon making. Attractions include Maker’s Mark Distillery, Limestone Branch Distillery, the Kentucky Cooperage and WhiteMoon Winery. For outdoor enthusiasts, Gorley Naturalist Trail presents challenging hiking and biking and the scenic splendor of 47 bridges. Fagan Branch Reservoir and Sportsman’s Lake beckon canoeists, kayakers and boaters (non-motorized boats) and fishers and anglers for waters stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie and hybrid bluegill. Incorporated as a city in 1815, Lebanon played a crucial role during the Civil War and is today on the Civil War Discovery Trail. It is also part of Kentucky’s historic Holy Land, with sites including the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse. Visual and performing arts and pop culture and historic treasures are found at the Marion County Heritage Center, Stillhouse Art Museum and Angelic Hall at Centre Square. Shop for antiques, collectibles and handmade crafts downtown and dine at your choice of 40 eateries – everything from casual full-service restaurants to home-style cafes to an old-fashioned soda fountain. Among accommodations options are the gracious circa 1833 Myrtledene Bed and Breakfast and Hampton Inn. Facebook.com/VisitLebanon (http://www.facebook.com/VisitLebanon)