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Are You Outdoorsy? Creative?

Berea May Be for You

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Whether you’re artistic or are content to let others’ creative talents stir your soul, Berea is the place for art makers, students and buyers to find new inspirations year-round.

With the slogan, “Where Art’s Alive,” Berea is located in Madison County, Kentucky, about 45 miles south of Lexington, and is home to Berea College, a private liberal arts university founded in 1855. With more than 70 percent of its students hailing from Appalachia and Kentucky, Berea’s Tuition Promise Scholarships and labor programs enable their students to graduate with little or no college debt.

The college also has a student craft program that offers instruction in woodworking, weaving, ceramics and handmade brooms that are made and sold by students at the Visitor Center & Shoppe. Student-led walking tours showcasing aspects of college life and history can be scheduled by calling 859.985.3145, emailing visitcenter@berea.edu or visiting berea.edu/visitor-center/.

More than 800 artists from across Kentucky display and sell their creations at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, just off Interstate 75 at Exit 77. The center is Berea’s most popular attraction, welcoming about 300,000 visitors annually, according to Kerri Lee Hensley, executive director of the Berea Tourist and Convention Commission. 

Artists can often be found here doing demonstrations, and there are also free exhibits and events scheduled throughout the year. The center doubles as a travel center with café and restroom facilities, and admission is free.

Another way to see artists in action is at the Artisan Village, a charming district of working art studios along Artist Circle and North Broadway in Berea with a woodworker, glass blower, several jewelers and more, as well as galleries offering handmade products.

Michelle Weston has operated Weston Glass Studio in the Artisan Village for 17 years, welcoming students to her classes and workshops and visitors to her studio/shop.

She said the experience is more involved than visiting a gallery and seeing a finished product.

“They can watch us work and come back into the studio and we can explain the process,” she said. “…The thing that makes Berea different from a lot of towns that have art, is we have a lot of studios that are open to visit.”

You might want to coincide your visit to Berea with one of the town’s signature events, like the Hands Four Spring Dance weekend, now in its 17th year. Featuring live music, dances and dance workshops in varying styles, this year’s event will be held April 24-26 at the Russel Acton Folk Art Center. hands4-berea.com

When the weather warms up, grab some cash the weekend of June 4-6 and head to the 9th annual U.S. 25 Yard Sale, which stretches from Clinton, Tenn. to Richmond, Ky.—Berea is along the route. visitberea.com/calendar/us-25-yard-sale-2020

2020 is also the 21st anniversary of L&N Day in Berea. Located in an original 1917 depot, there will be vendors, model train exhibits and activities for kids.

“We get train enthusiasts from all around the region who come and enjoy L&N Day,” Hensley said.

Then July 10-12, the 39th annual Berea Craft Festival will be held at Indian Fort Theater, three miles east from downtown Berea. Visitors will enjoy the works of more than 100 juried craft artists from across the U.S., as well as music, food and live demonstrations. visitberea.com/berea-craft-festival

July 10 is also the kickoff for this year’s Festival of Learnshops, which have been held for the past decade. 

“It’s a three-week festival and we have 300 workshops going on” all around Berea, Hensley said, including painting in various mediums, including blacksmithing, woodturning, writing, glass blowing and many more. Registration kicked off in early March and continues until slots are filled. Local businesses get in on the action with special offers for participants. visitberea.com/festival-of-learnshops

If music is your jam, make plans to visit Berea during the third annual Singing Bird Music School held July 29-31 in Berea and providing instruction on fiddle and banjos, guitar and singing for ages 10 and up. singingbirdschool.com

And in August the Berea Celtic Fest will bring concerts and workshops celebrating Celtic traditions all over town. berea-celtic.com

And let’s not forget to eat — Berea is home to the Spoonbread Festival with hot air balloon rides, car and motorcycle events, dog shows, vendors and carnival rides at Memorial Park. With free admission and parking, about 40,000 people attend each year to celebrate this decadent southern dish. This year’s Spoonbread Festival will be held Sept. 18-20. spoonbreadfestival.com

For the uninitiated, “it’s almost a cornbread soufflé so it has the texture of a soufflé but it’s cornmeal based,” and often served with molasses or butter, Hensley said.

Working off that spoonbread and festival fare won’t be difficult if visiting the Pinnacles on the Indian Fort Trails with spectacular views any time of year. The trails, available at beginner, intermediate and difficult levels, are located at 2047 Big Hill Road, Berea, with parking at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. Visit their online calendar for a list of upcoming group hikes. forestryoutreach.berea.edu/trails/the-pinnacles/

“You can get your workout at the Pinnacles!” Hensley said.

As for lodging, there are well-known national hotel chains in Berea like Holiday Inn Express and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, cottages or bed and breakfast rooms for rent, or if feeling nontraditional, a treehouse or a yurt. visitberea.com/staying

A historic and well-known option is the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant, a stately 1909 building named for Daniel Boone that has 63 guest rooms, as well as wedding and event space. Berea College students made the bricks for the hotel, helped build it and provided many of the furnishings. Many current students also work there as well. boonetavernhotel.com

Berea College Director of Sales and Marketing Patrick Huston said the building has a classic, Colonial look but modern amenities throughout.

With a focus on Appalachian ingredients with inventive twists for its three daily meal services and weekend brunches, the dining room serves up quintessential Kentucky dishes like the hot brown and spoonbread, and though it has a formal air with its white tablecloths and higher-end furnishings, no upscale attire is required. 

“It’s just the ambiance, you’re welcome to come as you are,” he said.

Last October, Berea College added another lodging option for guests just two miles from the hotel. Pinecroft Cottage was originally built for Anna Ernberg, the founder of Berea College’s weaving program. Now guests can stay in this three-bedroom cottage, situated on 11 secluded acres near the Pinnacles.

Future plans for the cottage’s occupants include offering room service or special dinners, and in the more distant future, weddings may be held there.

When staying or dining at Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant, Huston said be sure to stop by the front desk and ask for more ideas of local destinations, shopping and restaurants to experience.

“Berea College has started the Berea College Trace, which is a new program made to educate people about Berea College and all the things that there are to do here,” he said.

Ahmad Reynolds, chairman of Berea Tourism Commission, is a Louisville native who graduated from Berea College and returned to raise a family in Berea. As general manager of the local Holiday Inn Express, he also welcomes many visitors to town, some of whom are even looking to eventually retire or relocate to the area.

“It’s a place where people appreciate the little things we have in the city,” he said.

Reynolds said many visitors to Berea use it as a stopping point on their way to or from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They shop, dine in local restaurants and then head to their mountain getaway in time for check-in – Berea is just under a three-hours drive from the park.

“They’ll plan a stop in Berea and stay the night and go on down to Gatlinburg for a week’s stay,” he said.

The town is not only a draw for creative types, but also outdoorsy ones. It’s a very walkable town in general, Reynolds said, and in addition to its many walking and hiking trails, Berea has three public parks that provide good play areas for families with children – even one with a splash pad. Berea is also a hit with motorcycle groups as well as bicyclists, Reynolds said, and it is part of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.

“So we get a lot of groups throughout the year they’re doing those treks across the country on their bicycles,” he said.

Spoonbread

You Will Need

To Prepare

Courtesy Berea Tourist & Convention Commission

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