The Daniel Boone Festival

The Daniel Boone Festival is a small festival located in downtown Barbourville Kentucky. The festival honors Kentucky pioneer Daniel Boone who is famous for his adventures across southeastern Kentucky. The festival is held every year during the first full week of October and 2009 marks the 61st year of the festival. The Daniel Boone Festival was created to educate the people of the region and tell how it was discovered. The event has plenty to offer the entire family from learning the history to numerous fun filled events.

There is plenty of entertainment to experience at the festival. Every year there are live concerts, car shows, parades, as well as rides and games for the children. There are also many shops set up down the streets that sell beautiful arts and crafts. Another exciting part of the festival is a visit by the Cherokee Indians. As well as providing Cherokee entertainment, the Indians also sign what is called the Cane Treaty with the city. This was a treaty signed every year that says Barbourville would provide Cane for the Indians to make certain arts and crafts.

Pioneer Village is another popular spot of the festival. This is located in the main part of Courthouse Square in downtown Barbourville. This is mainly where the food vendors set up. The food at the festival ranges from home cooked chicken and dumplings to funnel cakes. Many businesses and people of the community set up booths to sell the food.

The festivals popularity has grown over the years as it was named one of Kentucky's top 25 festivals by the managers of the Kentucky Main Street Program. As you can see the Daniel Boone not only has a great history but also provides great entertainment. The festival can teach children and adults about the history of the pioneers of Kentucky as well as provide good family entertainment.