Juanita Coffey, of Wayne County Museum celebrates. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods performs at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Emcee Heather French Henry at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives President Chris Perry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism Commissioner Kristen Branscum. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Cathy Corbett of Friends of Rough River Lake celebrates. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. Photo: Brian Bohannon
An enthusiastic crowd cheered the winners at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Farm Bureau Executive Vice President David Beck. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Laha's Red Castle in Hodgenville cheer their win for Best Hamburger. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods lead singer Josh Mitcham. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods fiddler Jory Hutchens. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Country Store owner Heather Tatum congratulates WAVE 3 TV anchor Dawne Gee. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Juanita Coffey, of Wayne County Museum celebrates. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods performs at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Emcee Heather French Henry at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives President Chris Perry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism Commissioner Kristen Branscum. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Cathy Corbett of Friends of Rough River Lake celebrates. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. Photo: Brian Bohannon
An enthusiastic crowd cheered the winners at the 2017 Best in Kentucky awards. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Farm Bureau Executive Vice President David Beck. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Laha's Red Castle in Hodgenville cheer their win for Best Hamburger. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods lead singer Josh Mitcham. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jericho Woods fiddler Jory Hutchens. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Country Store owner Heather Tatum congratulates WAVE 3 TV anchor Dawne Gee. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Juanita Coffey, of Wayne County Museum celebrates. Photo: Brian Bohannon
100+ Award Winners at show hosted by Heather French Henry
Louisville (August 24, 2017) – For the first time in Kentucky Living’s history, the commonwealth’s largest circulated magazine announced its ‘Best in Kentucky’ winners during a live awards show at the Kentucky State Fair.
Hosted by Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry, the Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, and attended by tourism leaders and fairgoers from across Kentucky, the 2017 ‘Best in Kentucky’ show recognized more than 100 Kentucky attractions, notable names and businesses. A ‘Best in Kentucky’ winner for a second consecutive year, the band Jericho Woods performed live at the show.
Notable award presenters included Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Department of Tourism Commissioner Kristen Branscum, football great Paul Hornung, and Kentucky Living writers Sarah Fritschner, Byron Crawford, Dave Shuffett, and Dave Baker of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.
“We are thrilled to present hard-working Kentucky businesses and individuals with the ‘Best in Kentucky’ awards as they enrich our lives and are such important assets to the commonwealth,” KAEC Vice President of Communications Joe Arnold said. “We are grateful to Heather French Henry, Jericho Woods, Kentucky Farm Bureau and the entire list of honored guests that made the show so special.”
This is the eighth year for the magazine’s ‘Best in Kentucky’ awards. Categories included Distillery Tour, Family Getaway, Agritourism, TV personality, Antiques Shop, Craft Beer, Winery, and Kayaking spot.
See all the winners here.
Each month, Kentucky Living is received by more than 475,000 homes and businesses, and is read by about one million people.
Pictures of some of the winners with emcee Heather French Henry.
Heather French Henry and Sydina Bradshaw, director of Visitor Relations, Maker's Mark Distillery. Photo: Brian Bohannon
The Whistle Stop Restaurant owners Mike and Lynn Cummins with Heather French Henry, center. Photo: Brian Bohannon
My Old Kentucky Home State Park's Wesley F. Hammond, Richard Blanton, Lynell Ginter, and Matthew Bailey with Heather French Henry, center. Photo: Brian Bohannon
J&B Barbecue co-owner John Klein with Heather French Henry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Gregory Johnson, Heather French Henry and Rusty Gailor, third district. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Public Information Officer Mark Marraccini. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry with Dawne Gee of WAVE 3. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Mike Porto, senior director of Marketing & Communications, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jessi Wilbers Cummings, promotional manager, Whispering Woods Riding Stables. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Country Store owners Heather, Hadley and Jason Tatum. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jay Grass, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park superintendent, Heather French Henry, Brian Ludwig, facilities manager. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kerri Lee Hensley, executive director of Berea Tourism, Heather French Henry and Melissa Gross, festival coordinator. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, second, with Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Marketing team, Pete Weiss, Dana Kemp and Sterling Baxter. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jennifer Settle Reese, Claudia Sanders Dinner house. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Diane Stratton, U.S. Corps of Engineers, with Heather French Henry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, center, and Robert Champlin, manager, and Anita Champlin, co-owner, The Root Beer Stand. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jeff Beagle, co-owner/founder, Country Boy Brewing. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and David Carroll, owner, Red State BBQ. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, second, Steven, June and Allen Dossey, head winemaker, Purple Toad Winery. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, center, with Kelly and Anita Laha, owners, Laha's Red Castle Hamburgers. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Sydina Bradshaw, director of Visitor Relations, Maker's Mark Distillery. Photo: Brian Bohannon
The Whistle Stop Restaurant owners Mike and Lynn Cummins with Heather French Henry, center. Photo: Brian Bohannon
My Old Kentucky Home State Park's Wesley F. Hammond, Richard Blanton, Lynell Ginter, and Matthew Bailey with Heather French Henry, center. Photo: Brian Bohannon
J&B Barbecue co-owner John Klein with Heather French Henry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Gregory Johnson, Heather French Henry and Rusty Gailor, third district. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Public Information Officer Mark Marraccini. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry with Dawne Gee of WAVE 3. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Mike Porto, senior director of Marketing & Communications, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jessi Wilbers Cummings, promotional manager, Whispering Woods Riding Stables. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Country Store owners Heather, Hadley and Jason Tatum. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Jay Grass, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park superintendent, Heather French Henry, Brian Ludwig, facilities manager. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Kerri Lee Hensley, executive director of Berea Tourism, Heather French Henry and Melissa Gross, festival coordinator. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, second, with Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Marketing team, Pete Weiss, Dana Kemp and Sterling Baxter. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jennifer Settle Reese, Claudia Sanders Dinner house. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Diane Stratton, U.S. Corps of Engineers, with Heather French Henry. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, center, and Robert Champlin, manager, and Anita Champlin, co-owner, The Root Beer Stand. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Jeff Beagle, co-owner/founder, Country Boy Brewing. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and David Carroll, owner, Red State BBQ. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, second, Steven, June and Allen Dossey, head winemaker, Purple Toad Winery. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry, center, with Kelly and Anita Laha, owners, Laha's Red Castle Hamburgers. Photo: Brian Bohannon
Heather French Henry and Sydina Bradshaw, director of Visitor Relations, Maker's Mark Distillery. Photo: Brian Bohannon
