'Midway to Love' movie airs at 9 tonight on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel (that's a correction)

Boyfriend and girlfriend reunited take a walk through Walter Bradley Park in "Midway to Love."

Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain closes
at 6 p.m., but not in the movie, featuring Daniel Stine
as Mitchell Sims and Rachel Hendrix as Rachel August.

Many small towns provide settings for motion pictures, but it's rare that one becomes the first word in the title, and "Midway to Love" makes its american debut tonight at 9 on The Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel.

Hallmark originally passed on the independently produced film, directed by Taylor Mill, Ky., native Jeff Day, in early 2019, but about a year later decided to buy it, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. It is playing in Canada, Spain, Italy and France.

The film tells the story of a therapy talk show host who lives in New York City, Rachel August (played by Rachel Hendrix), whose life is turned around when she visits her hometown of Midway to make a big career decision and reconnects with her old boyfriend, Mitchell Sims (Daniel Stine), and is caught between her career and love -- midway, as it were.

Day told the newspaper that Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and the town opened their arms to the movie, and “Midway just was the perfect setting for it.”

Midway Messenger Aaron Gershon, a native of the New York metropolitan area, has been assigned to write a review of the movie.

Francisco's Farm festival canceled due to pandemic

The Francisco's Farm Arts Festival, scheduled for June 13-14 at Midway University by Midway Renaissance, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"To protect the health of our community, the artists, our volunteers and attendees, the committee has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event," it announced on Facebook. "Postponement didn’t seem to be a choice for us as there are still so many unknowns about how, or if, summer activities will be held and the logistics of rescheduling would be difficult."

The committee expressed thanks to all for their continued support of the festival and concluded, "We plan to come back with a great festival in 2021."

Midway Renaissance revives Greenspace Committee, plans for Francisco's Farm Art Fair June 13-14

The annual general membership meeting followed the monthly dinner at Midway Christian Church. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

By Lauren McCally
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Renaissance announced the revival of its Greenspace Committee at the group’s annual general membership meeting Monday night. The meeting followed the monthly community dinner at Midway Christian Church, which featured leftovers from the church’s Epiphany dinner.

Greenspace was the first committee of Midway Renaissance, but went dormant in 2013, said Debra Shockley, the secretary of Midway Renaissance. “Something that’s exciting is that Greenspace is coming back,” she said, “but in a totally different integration.”

When the committee started, “Some of the things that they worked on were to remove invasive species, they planted trees, established rain guards, and a lot of other things that helped preserve and protect our environment,” Stacy Thurman, a Greenspace and City Council member, told Renaissance members.

The idea to bring this committee back came from Marcie Christensen, who wanted to help educate Midway residents and work with the city government and other organizations to teach more sustainable ways for Midway to do things.

Debra Shockley is secretary of Renaissance. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

Shockley said after the meeting that the committee’s current mission differs from the old one because that sort of work is done by the city’s Parks Board, Friends of Walter Bradley Park and other volunteers who “do the trails and the bridges” in the park.

The Greenspace Committee is “going to have educational classes, maybe seminars and stuff up at the library,” Shockley said. “They are not actually going to be working in the park. . . . This Greenspace incarnation will focus on sustainability.”

Greenspace is planning educational projects for the community and Northside Elementary, which will teach appropriate recycling techniques, community composting, and care of street trees.

“We are open to any ideas that people have or projects … here in Midway, ” Thurman said. “We welcome anybody that wants to get involved in the Greenspace Committee.”

Greenspace holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Midway Library. If you would like to join the committee, attend a meeting, share an idea or learn more about certain projects, contact Marcie Christensen via Facebook or Thurman at the library, which she manages.

Another committee mentioned during the meeting was Living History. “Living History is one of the most active committees,” said Shockley. “They do so many projects.” Some include a big sign about bourbon history by The Brown Barrel and a lot of older pictures of buildings downtown, which have been put up with information such as who owned them and what year they were built.

Planning for the June 13-14 Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, which Shockley said is Renaissance’s “primary source of income,” is going very well, event coordinator Elisha Holt told the members. “We have about 67 artists who have applied” to exhibit, she said; the deadline is March 1 and the jury will notify exhibitors by March 31.

The fair will be held at Midway University but there will also be a small block party downtown with a musical event on the evening of Saturday, June 13.

To help advertise the art fair, Renaissance will provide yard signs to contributors. Those who give $25 will receive a sign saying “Friends of Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, Midway University, June 13-14,” to put in their front yard; $100 givers will be designated friends of the art fair, and get a sign; $500 givers will be sponsors, with their name or logo on signs at the event, in the fair map and on the website. Donations need to be sent by May 1, so the committee can print the signs and distribute them.

The Renaissance board will have a workshop and strategic planning review Sunday, March 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library conference room, and anyone is welcome to attend. The board has room for four more members, who serve three-year terms.

The next general meeting of Renaissance is scheduled for Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the second floor community room of the Rau Building (City Hall). Anyone is welcome to attend and the officers for 2020 will be elected.  Membership in Renaissance is $10 per person or 10 food items.

Business Association lays plans for a year of events, starting with Chocolate Stroll from 11 to 5 on Saturday

By Lauren McCally

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

               The Midway Business Association had plenty to talk about at its monthly meeting Wednesday, with Saturday’s Chocolate Stroll kicking off a long list of events planned this year.

               Members also discussed the possibility of using the MBA’s growing bank account to help others, such as Midway Renaissance and Northside Elementary, with advertising for events. They also discussed the fall festival, the possibility of an RJ Corman Railroad dinner train stopping in Midway, and potential solutions for downtown parking.

               Besides the Chocolate Stroll, which will held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the MBA also discussed a St. Patrick’s Day event, movies in the courtyard and many other events scheduled throughout the year.

               The St. Patrick’s Day event is set for Saturday, March 14, from 2 to 6 p.m. with vendors and a band, but no parade as in recent years, President Cortney Neikirk said. It will feature a blessing of the keg and a leprechaun.

                At their last meeting MBA members discussed a possible dinner train stop. One member said Corman executive Noel Rush, who handles a lot of the railroad’s community bookings, told her that he would think about what the MBA was trying to do.

               Elisha Holt, coordinator of the fall festival and other events, said local merchants who want to participate in the festival Sept. 19-20 “do not fill out the application online because in order to get the discount they need to do a paper one, since there are no discounted applications on the digital one.” Those need to be filled out by June 30.

               Although applications typically go out around Feb. 10, Holt said they were sent out before the first of January, and 29 vendors had already accepted, all of which are return vendors. Fall festival meetings will start being held in March. Holt mentioned that Country Boy Brewing would sponsor the festival stage again.

               Neikirk said the fall festival account has grown to $42,000, following profits of $38,500 last year, and the association has almost $13,000 in other accounts.

               She said the MBA will use some of that money to help Renaissance advertise its three Midsummer Nights in Midway, which have been scheduled cooperatively. “Their events help us, so we’re going to advertise for them,” she said.

               Renaissance members staff City Hall during weekend events to make public restrooms available, and the group does an annual Midway Heritage Day in the fall that the MBA makes part of its events schedule.

               Neikirk said the MBA could cooperate with other groups that hold events, such as Northside Elementary School. “It gets us all connected with each other,” she said.

               Holt said events have also been scheduled in cooperation with Versailles businesses. “We are trying to play very nicely with Versailles,” she said, noting that every summer weekend will have some sort of event in Woodford County.

               The final topic at the meeting was shortage of parking, especially for employees of restaurants and shops. Neikirk said she has talked to the restaurants and is trying to help them find a place for their employees to park somewhere other than the Main Street area.

                “You see people drive through, and there’s nowhere to park, and you watch them drive right out of town,” Neikirk said. “And that’s the thing, nobody’s going to park at Wallace Station to walk downtown.”

               Neikirk proposed that restaurant owners come together to see if a local church would be willing to rent its parking lot every day but Sunday for use of the employees, but said she is unsure if that will happen.

Midway Makers Market, open five months on Main, sells goods from about 50 Kentucky artists and crafters

Co-owner Amy Bowman with her embroidery machine

Story and photos by Kennedy Sabharwal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

In July, the Midway Makers Market opened and began selling handmade products from local vendors at 130 East Main St., the former home of Midway Sweet Tooth.

“We have local makers with us from Kentucky as far away as Ashland and Maysville,” says co-owner Amy Bowman, who decided to open the store after months of selling her own handmade embroidery through Local Kentucky 68 in Maysville and the Carlisle Country Market.

Bowman said that before opening, “I posted in two Facebook groups filled with artists from across the state saying I’m thinking of doing this store in Midway; you know, just kind of interested in how many of you would be interested in participating with me.”

The shop opened in July at 130 E. Main St.

She wanted to have 30 or 40 makers respond but within days over 100 sent in applications, Bowman said. She knew that she couldn’t do the task on her own, so she asked Ann Parks to join her.

“I knew Ann,” she recalled. “We had met just by doing shows and then we would bump into each other in different places, and I knew that she had taken time off from her regular 9-to-5 job to work full-time on her craft.”

Parks, who does crochet and woodwork, grew up in Midway and still lives in Woodford County. “Ann immediately said yes when I asked her to please be my business partner,” Bowman said. “It’s just such a blessing and it has made it to much more fun for me to have her by my side.”

Pieces by Croc o' Mud pottery are popular.

Bowman is a Lexington native who moved to Midway about five years ago after, she said, “falling in love with the community.”

Bowman said she keeps about 50 different vendors in her store at a time and will rotate out products when necessary: “We ask people to give us at least three months when they sign on to sell their products through us. . . . We always have new stuff, though, even our regulars will come in and say, ‘Wow you guys moved everything around,’ because you just have to!”

She said some of the most popular things in their store right now are Croc o’ Mud Pottery pieces from Versailles and Classy Collections by MO, from Melissa Owens in Somerset. A few makers from Midway are Whither Wander Jewelry, Honey Bee Bangles and Candles, and Janet Cushing Howard original painted pillows and canvases.

The store has several Midway products.

Bowman said there are always new and fun things in the store, though, so it is hard for her to say which items are the best sellers.

Bowman and Parks said they open their store at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and strive to keep it open later in the evening, usually until 8 p.m., so people who may work during the day can make a trip over and see the merchandise.

The two owners said they love having the store, and Parks said, “We are really tickled with it!”

Weese family scores big in pumpkin carving contest

Jill and Joel Damron won for most creative pumpkin in the adult category. For a larger version of any photo, click on it.

These pumpkins were judged to be the scariest of the lot.

Members of the Weese family were half the winners in the pumpkin carving contest that the Midway Presbyterian Church held to promote awareness of the Midway Community Garden.

Church Pastor Mary Weese and her son, Zeb Henry Weese, won the adult and children's prizes for scariest pumpkins, which made use of evergreen cones for teeth and horns.

Zeb won the prize for most creative carving by a child, his Civil War pumpkin (he was dressed for trick or treat as Gen. John Hunt Morgan); the adult prize in that category went to Jill and Joel Damron, who did a Cinderella carriage that was, in fact, a pumpkin.

Debra Shockley won the adult Halloween Spirit award.

The Halloween spirit awards went to Debra Shockley, who put a little pumpkin into a cat skeleton, and Maggie Walden, who did a traditional jack-o-lantern.

After the entries were judged, trick-or-treaters came by to look.

Behind the scenes of judging the Midway Woman's Club annual Halloween Decorating Contest

The overall winner was at 211 South Winter Street.  For a larger version of any photo, click on it.

By Kennedy Sabharwal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

For the past four years the Midway Woman’s Club has held an annual Halloween Decorating Contest among the homes in town. This year 12 awards were given, ranging from Scariest to Best Spider Web to Most Kid Friendly.

On Sunday evening, members of the Woman’s Club drove around town and took a look at all of the decorated homes. The judges were quite surprised that only a few businesses decorated this year. The judges said they gave the award to Commotion! At 104 E. Main St. because of its “festive window display” that consists of skeletons and a bat hanging above the front entrance of the business.

The judges gave the Most Fun award to a family that set up a full Wizard of Oz scene in their front yard. 121 Carriage Lane won because it was “very creative and fun,” a judge said. “The characters, you could tell exactly which they were, and even the witch was melting!” The excitement this house brought to all of the judges was reason enough for the award.

318 North Winter Street won for Best Daytime decorations.

Some other awards and reasons included the Best Daytime award at 318 N. Winter St. for being “eye catching when driving through town and being impressive, comprehensive, having thought of design, and use of multiple elements,” the judges said.

One of the hardest awards to give was the Best Spider Web, because so many homes had neat and diverse webs. Some had webs across bushes, trees, and the lawn, while others had webs covering their entire porch. The award went to 223 Johnson St. because of its creativity and intricate webs on its porch, the judges said.

Best pumpkins: 106 Cottage Grove

The Best Pumpkin award at 106 Cottage Grove won for its “pumpkins being artfully carved and arranged,” a judge said.

The award for Best Overall décor went to 211 S. Winter St. because of its “spectacular Halloween display… It’s creative, it’s a little scary, they continue to use lights every year,” a judge said. “It’s cool in the daytime as well in the nighttime. It’s just a lot of fun.”

During the car ride around town, one judges spoke about how hard it was for her to choose winners. “It’s difficult,” she said. “I mean you see how difficult it is to choose who wins each award … Everyone’s home just looks great in their own way.”

Many homeowners in Midway went all-out and allowed their Halloween spirit to shine through each decoration. The judges said they want to add more awards next year, such as Best Porch, because of how many amazing decorations they saw during the judging process.

The judges gave the award for Scariest display to the residence at 119 East Stephens Street.

The Messenger thanks the club for letting us ride with the judges, whom we granted anonymity.

128 S. Winter St. won a Halloween Spirit Award.

These homes received awards:
Most Kid Friendly - 111 Turner St.
Scariest - 119 E. Stephens St.
Best Use of Technology - 323 S. Winter St.
Best Spider Web - 223 Johnson St.
Best Pumpkins - 106 Cottage Grove
Best Use of Inflatables - 231 Higgins St.
Creepiest - 245 Higgins St.
Best Overall - 211 S. Winter St.
Most Fun - 121 Carriage Lane
Best Daytime - 318 N. Winter St.
Halloween Spirit Award - 218 219 W. Higgins (below), 128 S. Winter, 232 W. Higgins

Fall Festival whet your appetite? Here are more festivals

By Bill McCann
Special to the Midway Messenger

The Midway Fall Festival was held last weekend. What will you do now? How about getting in the junker, the truck, or even the new car and taking off to see the fall colors and enjoy some of Kentucky's fabulous fall festivals?

This weekend

ALL Fall Festival of the Agrarian Literary League of Henry County: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Berry Center and The Locker on South Main Street in New Castle. Henry County arts, crafts, music and food; the Berry Center bookstore offers a 20% discount on all children's books and gifts.

Casey County Apple Festival: Downtown Liberty, ends Saturday; features the world's largest apple pie, professional wrestling, a parade, local and regional bands and musicians, and food vendors. Contests for people of all ages include a Big Wheel race, spelling bee, and greased pig and hula hoop contests. Fireworks conclude the festival on Saturday night. More information at www.Caseycountyapplefestival.org.

World Chicken Festival: Downtown London, through Sunday; features the world's largest stainless steel skillet and fried chicken. Local, regional, and Nashville recording artists can keep you tapping your toes or singing along all weekend; Sunday features four gospel groups ending with the Talleys. Highlights include a Colonel Sanders Look-Alike Contest (sorry, that was Thursday) parade (10 a.m. Saturday), a Struttin,’ Cluckin’ and Crowin’ Contest (11:30 a.m. Saturday), midway attractions, and vendors of arts, crafts and food vendors. More information at www.Chickenfestival.com.

Morgan County Sorghum Festival: Downtown West Liberty; features sorghum-making demonstrations (all weekend), arts, crafts, and food vendors galore, a parade (Saturday at 1 p.m.) and lots of local musical talent. Visit www.morgancountysorghumfestival.com for more information.

Marion County Country Ham Days: Downtown Lebanon, through Sunday; features a country ham breakfast (Saturday and Sunday until 11 a.m.), Pigasus Parade (Saturday), hot air balloon events (Saturday evening and Sunday morning), gospel sing (Sunday), a cornhole tournament, bale tossing and hog calling contests for adults; Junior Farmer and Little Miss Ham Days pageant are among events for children. Also, Pokey Pig 5k run, vendors of arts, crafts, and food. Info at www.Hamdays.com.

Cave Run Storytelling Festival: Twin Knobs Campground, Morehead, through Saturday night. Perhaps Kentucky's most distinctive festival. Devoted to the art of telling a good story well. Professional storytellers entertain all weekend; ghost stories Saturday night. Arts and crafts and food vendors; camping available. Admission ranges from $5 to $90. See www.caverunstoryfest.org

Anderson County Burgoo Festival: A family-friendly event, through 4 p.m. Sunday, with activities ranging from miniature golf (Friday and Saturday) to bingo (Saturday) to a pedal tractor pull (Sunday). Pancake breakfast and a 5K run (both Saturday morning) and Fastest Kid in Anderson County (1 p.m. Saturday). Features include a Ghost Walk (sorry, that was Friday night), Burgoo Cook Off (Saturday 11 a.m to 2 p.m.) and a haunted house (Saturday night). And, of course, there are arts, crafts, and food booths. Details www.kentuckyburgoo.com/docs/burgoo-Program2019.pdf.

Wayne County Heritage Festival: Saturday at the Mill Springs Park overlooking Lake Cumberland, near Monticello. Historic gristmill and heritage skills demonstrations; artists and music. Free parking and admission. www.Waynecountykentuckyhistoricalsociety.org.

HarvestFest: Saturday and Sunday at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg. Free with paid admission to Shaker Village. Heritage skill demonstrations include: apple cider pressing and milling sorghum. Hayrides, lives music, and food trucks also available. https://shakervillageky.org/event-calendar/

October festivals

Tired of traditional fall festivals? Here are some more unusual fall events.

Hemp Harvest Festival: Oct. 5, downtown Winchester; the inaugural festival to celebrate the hemp harvest in Clark County with farm tours and demonstrations, food, vendors and live music. See www.tourwinchester.com/event/hemp-harvest-festival/.

Hoptober Fest: Oct 5, 3-6 p.m. at Appalachian Wireless Arena, Pikeville. Craft beers festival. General admission is $10 to $50. www.Hoptoberfestky.com.

Battle of Perryville Commemoration: Oct. 5-6, Perryville Battlefield. Reenactment of Civil War battle. General admission: $7-10. www.Perryvillebattlefield.org.

Secretariat Festival: Oct. 12-13 at Keeneland to celebrate the unveiling of a larger-than-life bronze statue of Triple Crown winner Secretariat at the roundabout of Old Frankfort Pike and Alexandria Drive. Tours of the track's backside as well as Claiborne Farm and Lane's End Farm. Guest speakers, food and merchandise available. Jockeys and trainers attending to sign autographs and meet fans are expected to include Ron Turcotte, Chris McCarron, Mike Manganello and Jean Cruguet. See www.secretariat.com/fan-club/secretariat-festival/.

Foothills Festival: Oct. 18-19 in Albany, down US 127 almost all the way to Tennessee. This year's edition will be the 40th. The Kentucky Headhunters will perform at 7 p.m. CT Friday; Exile entertained last year.

Newly flush Tourism Commission welcomes Midway's Cortney Neikirk, discusses how to hire its own staff

Left to right: Cortney Neikirk, Elisha Holt, Maria Bohanan, Neil Vasilakes, Ken Kerkhoff, Aaron Smither and Lee Thomas.

By Dalton Stokes

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Woodford County Tourism Commission is looking for its first director, in the wake of a major increase in bed-tax income from the new hotel in Versailles. The seven-member board is vetting 11 candidates, including one who has been meeting with the commission as a virtual member for months.

The commission meeting last Thursday was the last at the Chamber of Commerce office in Versailles and the first for the newly appointed representative of Midway on the commission, Cortney Neikirk. The discussion included the possibility of a mural in Midway like those in Versailles.

Director hiring: With the opening of the first modern hotel in Woodford County, the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, the commission has money to hire its own director rather than contracting with the Chamber. Woodford County imposes a 3 percent tax on overnight stays within the county; until the hotel opened last September, the only tax revenue was from bed-and-breakfast places.

This money generated by this tax increased by $67,005, and the commission has about $101,000 available to spend, according to financial statements at the meeting.

.

As the commission discussed the process for filling the position, Commissioner Neil Vasilakes said, “There are some rumors going around that we’re not following a process and we have a shoo-in person.”

Commission Chair Maria Bohanan said the commission needs a clear process for this so that no questions can be raised about their choice. “Whatever we do,” she said, “we want it above board.”

One of the candidates for the position is Elisha Holt, who coordinates events for the City of Versailles and the Midway Business Association. She is an “ex officio” member of the commission, and will not participate in the selection, Bohanan said during the meeting.

Asked after the meeting about that "ex officio" term, Bohanan said Holt began serving last year, thinking that County Judge-Executive John Coyle had appointed her, but it turned out he had not completed the paperwork before he died, and new Judge-Executive James Kay said Holt could keep serving but has not actually appointed her.

Kay said Monday that he hasn’t appointed Holt because she does not live in Woodford County and is not affiliated with a local hotel or restaurant, which would otherwise qualify her for an appointment.

The commission mostly discussed the criteria matrix that may narrow down the candidates before interviewing. Commissioner Aaron Smither opposed using the matrix, saying they should interview all the candidates and use their better judgement to pick the right person. 

Bohanan’s proposed matrix has five criteria for the job. She proposed that if the candidate meets three of the five criteria, they get an interview. She also said she wants to do the interviews “pageant-style,” using an scoring system in which each member independently rates the candidates.

Bohanan said that would provide a paper trail for both the decision on whom to interview and on who gets picked for the job, in the interest of transparency.

Versailles City Council Member Ken Kerkhoff, another commissioner, voiced the need to expedite the process. He said the person hired ample time to give two weeks’ notice to current employers. Bohanan said that they need someone in place by Nov. 1.

Some commissioners wanted the matrix to be more detailed. After not much agreement on that, the commission agreed to read all 11 applicants’ resumes over the weekend and decide the matrix more later. They set the first interviews for Friday, Sept. 27.

Murals: The commission has commissioned two murals in Versailles, and discussed the potential for a mural in Midway after they. Neikirk said that she could find someone who would be interested in providing a wall and funding, and that she already had someone in mind.

Bohanan said, “Cortney is going to be a valuable resource.”  Neikirk is president of the Midway Business Association and co-owner of 2 Ladies and a Kettle and Midway Sweet Tooth. She replaces Cynthia Bohn of Equus Run Vineyards, who said she lacked the time to serve.

Stephen Sawyer has almost completed the horse-farm mural. (Photo by Dalton Stokes)

A mural being painted on the drug store at the west end of Lexington Street in Versailles by local artist Stephen Sawyer features the names of contributing horse farms on jockey shirts of different designs. Kerkhoff said that the mural was going well and that there were some racing syndicates interested in getting their names on the mural.

He opposed that, noting that the county’s tourism slogan is “Bourbon, wine and bloodlines.” He added, ”You can’t tour a racing syndicate” like you can a horse farm. 

Other Business: The commission made a tentative decision to not buy an ad in the 2020 edition of the Kentucky Travel Guide, partly because the guide will list local accommodations anyway. The commission passed around copies of their ad last from last year and agreed it was lackluster. The ad would cost around $3,600 and it would be a quarter-page ad.

Smither asked why the commission’s money isn’t accruing interest. According to the minutes of a previous meeting, it is “spending conservatively until they have a cohesive plan of action put together.” He agreed to look into money-market options and get back to the commission at its next regular meeting, which will be held at the Versailles Municipal Building at 9 a.m. Oct. 17.

The commission plans to establish a still hasn’t decided where to put the visitor center but is weighing two options: at the Gathered Mercantile at Amsden on Nov. 1, Bohanan saidand the Historical Society. The Gathered Mercantile offered to create space for brochures, an office, shared wi-fi and labor for $400 per month. The Historical Society offered space rent-free, but it would not be available for another year.

(The paragraph above has been corrected after publication.)

Crowd on Winter Street (Photos by Grant Wheeler)

By Kennedy Sabharwal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Heat, laughter, funnel cakes, smiles, trinkets, and the sound of trains rolling through the town. So went the scenes and feelings at the 45th annual Midway Fall Festival this weekend. Midway was packed, and traffic was barely moving, due to the apparent record crowd, which officials estimated at 18,000.

“Around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, the interstate exists were backed up, and we decided since there was not any parking left in town, to suggest to people coming in to visit later in the day or on Sunday,” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said in an email to the Midway Messenger.

“You can only get in two ways,” said West Sixth Brewery’s events-team manager, Nate Harling. “They had to turn people away because they couldn’t fit in the town and the ATM was out of money. I was like, wow; the festival is doing really well.”

Traffic backed up to the exits on Interstate 64, forcing officials to turn people away. (Photo by Grant Wheeler)

Venturing around the festival may have been hot and draining, but the sense of community and joy that you could feel in the air was amazing.

Nate Harling taps a draft. (Photo by Kennedy Sabharwal)

“I love it because the people are kind,” said Harling. “Midway is nice because this is literally their downtown. It’s nice to have all of these temporary set-ups among your various main-stay, small businesses and everyone is thriving and having a good day together.”

Harling, who lives in Lexington, said West Sixth has been making appearances at events like this for years, but he hadn’t been to the festival since he was 6 years old.

While some walked around buying gifts like soaps, purses, scarves, honey, or even jewelry, some younger attendees had a different idea of how they wanted to spend their day at the festival. Children were able to ride ponies and play fun games to blow off some energy in the hot weather.

Photo by Kennedy Sabharwal

Ruby Battagalia, right, enjoyed a funnel cake before she ventured off to the bouncy house to “have some fun.”

Though many of the festival’s vendors have been setting up their stations in Midway for years, farmer Cindy Smith of Paris said this was her first year not just for vending, but attending. She is primarily a farmer, but loves making beautiful wreaths, so she decided to sign up to be a vendor.

“I started into dry wreaths last year,” she said. “You don’t see them that often anymore. I’ve shipped them all over the country, but I thought it would be nice to sell them locally, too. … Two weeks before the festival, the people in charge emailed me and told me I had a spot.”

Smith, below, only had a couple of days to work on her wreaths. She made 20 large wreaths, and was almost sold out early Sunday afternoon. She said she was “thrilled” with the outcome.

Photo by Kennedy Sabharwal, University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Since it was so hot, some of the products were affected by the heat. Sweet Memories Fudge owner Cindy Gipson said she loves the festival and has been selling her fudge for the past four years. It’s hard for her to “display it since it is so hot,” but she now has regular customers who, “come up and say, ‘Hey! Were you here last year?’,” which Gipson says helps to keep business up, even with the weather.

The country group Bourbon Branch was among the entertainment for the festival. The band's debut album “Notches on the Bedpost” was released in the spring of 2018.

Ralph Tyree is a photographer based in Winchester. He started taking pictures as a hobby, which evolved into a 16-year career. He said he generally tries to do 12 shows a year to showcase his photography. His wide array of work encompasses many states. (Photo by Grant Wheeler)

Justin Stanley is a local entrepreneur who has recently started his company The Green Penguin which specializes in creating an array of different hot sauces. This year marks Stanley’s third year at the festival. The newest addition to his arsenal of sauces is The Penguin’s Fury, a smoky new flavor which mixes garlic and ghost pepper. (Photo by Grant Wheeler)

Jim Nancy, an East Tennessee native, has been making baskets for 18 years. Starting as a hobby, Nancy said “The kids left home and my wife decided we had to do something.” This was Nancy’s third year at the festival. “I love the people here in Midway so I’m going to keep coming back for as long as I can,” he said. (Photo by Grant Wheeler)

Holly Hill Inn spotlights Silas House in fourth installment of Poetry Dinners; buffet with live music Saturday

House (Berea College photo)

Appalachian poet and award-winning author Silas House gets the spotlight in the fourth installment of Holly Hill Inn's Poetry Dinner series, which runs through Oct. 5.

House is the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College and the author of six novels: Clay's Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, The Coal Tattoo, Eli the Good, Same Sun Here (co-authored with Neela Vaswani), and most recently Southernmost, which was listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. He has co-written a book of creative nonfiction, Something's Rising, with his husband Jason Howard; and three plays: "The Hurting Part," "This Is My Heart for You," and "In These Fields," with Sam Gleaves.

The dinner series will spotlight "Hazel Dickens," House's poem about how he cooked a meal and reflected on the 2011 death of the iconic bluegrass musician from West Virginia who was a feminist and labor-union advocate. The dinner, which does not include any poetry readings, is $35 for a three-course menu and $50 for a six-course tasting menu.

Menu for Saturday outdoor buffet

The menu, taken partly from the poem, includes sweet-potato biscuits and skillet cornbread; Whitley County soup beans with sweet onion and chow chow; pickled cucumber, onion and sliced-tomato salad; a house-smoked salmon patty; hand-pinched tomato pie; pork belly with roasted chiles, creamed corn and redeye gravy; and for dessert, "Smudge This," made of cake, peanut-butter fudge and marshmallow cream; or Alice's apple dumpling.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, the restaurant will host a special celebration of House's poetry and the music of Dickens with an outdoor buffet from 6 to 9 p.m. The Local Honeys will perform on the front porch beginning at 6:30 p.m. The price is $50. Wine and cocktails will be available. Outdoor seating is available for up to 100 people. In case of rain, it will move inside. Make a reservation by calling (859) 846-4732 or going online.

Pop-up market and movie set for Friday evening

The pop-up market and movie will be held in this greenspace between East Main and Martin streets.

About 15 artists, crafters and commercial vendors will be part of a "pop-up market" in the greenspace behind the Historic Midway Museum Store and Damselfly Gallery Friday from 6 to 10 p.m.

There will be food trucks, drinks and music, and the movie "Captain Marvel" will be screened, beginning around dusk. Seating will NOT be provided, but the Museum Store rest room will be open to the public, co-owner Leslie Penn said. The event is sponsored by Sporthorse Properties.

"I really think it'll be fun," Midway Business Association President Cortney Neikirk said at today's MBA meeting. But she advised, "Bring your Off," to repel mosquitoes.

16th annual Francisco's Farm Art Fair Saturday, Sunday

The 16th annual Francisco's Farm Art Fair will be held Saturday and Sunday at Midway University. Sponsored by the university and Midway Renaissance, the fair will have more than 100 juried artists from several states, live music and a student art display.

The event will have some new features this year. In the university amphitheater, a new “Flavors of Francisco” offering will feature “Kentucky Proud” vendors and local wine.

Midway Renaissance named the event in 2004 for for Col. John Francisco, original owner of the land on which the city of Midway was laid out by Kentucky's first railroad.

The fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is $5 per vehicle, cash only. Visitors will enter through the "Delivery/Farm Entrance" (marked with signs) and be directed to park in grassy fields. Those with handicap permits will have access to surface lots. Golf-cart shuttles will be available.

Margaret Lyle, Midway's international folk music star, dies at 64; memorial services Saturday in Versailles

Margaret Lyle

Memorial services will be held Saturday, March 23 for internationally known folk-music performer Margaret Lyle, who died March 11 at her home in Midway at the age of 64.

Known by many as “The Celtic Lark,” Lyle was a talented musician and historian who attended Centre College and the University of Kentucky.

"Margaret was a most talented and entertaining neighbor," former Midway City Council member Dan Roller wrote in Midway Musings. "Her 'Music on the Porch' sessions were enjoyed by friends, neighbors, tourists and anyone else passing by her house near the Midway Presbyterian Church. . . . Often one of Margaret's musical friends from far and wide as Texas would show up and join in the fun. Her time here contributed to the patchwork of life that is the Midway we all love.'

Lyle was born in Versailles April 17, 1954, to Margaret Carmichael Woolums and Dan Dudley Gravitt. She often performed as Margaret Gravitt. "She was a devoted friend, sister and aunt who will be missed by many," her obituary said. She was preceded in death by her parents and a rainbow bridge of animals, and will be lovingly remembered by her sisters, Anna, Dana, Deanna and Darla; and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. 

Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Lady Oscar, 197 S. Main St., Versailles. Friends are asked to "bring your singing voices and musical instruments." Blackburn & Ward Funeral Home of Versailles is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Woodford Humane Society, PO Box 44, Versailles KY 40383.

Council donates to summer concert series, Midway U. tennis tournament; OKs striping of Stephens Street

By Sarah Ladd

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council decided unanimously Monday to give away another $650 of its allotted donation budget for the fiscal year that just began.

This year’s budget, which took effect Sunday, included $5,000 for donations, $3,250 of which have already been promised, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said.

The council decided to honor the request of Joseph Reyes, the head coach for men and women’s tennis at Midway University, who requested $250 to sponsor a tournament in August.

The council then agreed on a donation of $400 for the Cool Summer Evening concert series to help pay for performers.

After subtracting other donations that have been promised, the city’s donation budget for this fiscal year has $1,100 remaining.

The mayor and council put removable speed bumps on East Stephens
Street last summer, but the bumps couldn't stand up to the punishment.

Street striping: The council also discussed Vandegrift’s traffic plan, which he laid out at the last meeting and asked the council to give some thought. His main request at the last meeting was for lines to be painted on some streets to slow traffic.

Council Member Bruce Southworth said, “I don’t think anybody’s opposed to [putting stripes on the road] through East Stephens all the way up to the cemetery.”

The cemetery is on West Stephens, so the council agreed that the whole length of the street through town should be striped with double yellow lines in the middle and white lines on the side. Traffic engineers say striping roads and streets makes them seem narrower, slowing traffic.

Council Member John McDaniel asked the council to consider adding a bicycle lane on the street, but Vandegrift said two lanes would be needed, one in each direction, and he wasn’t sure the street is wide enough for that.

The council approved a motion to allow the city to paint Stephens Street, with bicycle lanes “where possible.” The painting will wait until state requirements and logistics can be confirmed.  “I don’t know that we’ll have this done before the next council meeting,” Vandegrift said, adding that the city plans to do the work on its own. “All we’re gonna pay for is the paint,” he said.

Parks Board: Vandegrift nominated, and the council approved, the appointment of Tiffany Marsh to the parks board to replace Julie Morgan, who the mayor said felt she could not complete the second half of her four-year term due to family commitments.

Marsh recently won the Kentucky Teacher of the Year award for her work as a music teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington. Vandegrift said Marsh has already been an active volunteer with the parks board and “it will be good to have an educator on the board.”

Animal ordinance: The council enacted a new ordinance on treatment of animals, which City Attorney Phil Moloney revised to fit the language of an ordinance recently enacted by the county, while adding some specifics. In some cases, “our language was much more specific,” Vandegrift said.

Sparks in the Park: The mayor reminded the council and the audience that the annual “Sparks in the Park” event will run from 6 p.m. to dusk at Walter Bradley Park. He said there will be enough barbecue to feed 300.

Larry Cory, singing and leading his band

Story and photos by Sarah Ladd

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
For a larger version of any photograph, just click on it.

Hundreds of people came out for the third annual Midsummer Nights in Midway event Friday evening.

Debra Shockley of Midway Renaissance, which was experimenting with a new parking and traffic flow with vendors and the band set up in the westbound side of East Main Street, said the new arrangement was working.

Lily McDaniel (left) and Ainsley Lynch danced.

Shockley said with signs informing people of additional parking, “it worked out well. We got all the vendors in and none of the merchants are complaining, so I guess it’s a good thing.”

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the new setup was “working out really well. We’re very excited about that.”

While the street closure made room for more vendors, Shockley said the crowd for this year’s first event was about the same as in other years. Midsummer Nights will also be held on the last Fridays of July and August.

Adults had fun browsing around 20 vendors and listening to Larry Cory and The Passport Band, but it was the children who stole the show.

Early on, Emma Davis (right) danced with a flower she received from Locally Grown’s booth, where the youth ministry was set up selling T-shirts and giving away flowers. Her godmother, Angela Blackburn, watched her dance with a smile. She said she loves Midsummer Nights in Midway. “It’s great,” she said. “Every town should do this.”

Later, with the band in full gear, Midway’s Ainsley Lynch and Lily McDaniel (above) danced their hearts out to the band’s music, earning laughter and smiles from the crowd. Bandleader Larry Cory joked about the girls being his “backup dancers.”

Brenda Jackson (right) and Breauna Pennie at Jackson's craft table

Brenda Jackson, a member of Midway’s Second Christian Church, set up a table at the event to raise money for Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan’s Purse ministry that allows people to send a shoebox full of goodies to less fortunate children around the world at the holidays. Jackson said she has been filling the shoeboxes for about five years and comes to Midsummer Nights to raise money for the contents and the shipping. “It keeps getting more expensive each year,” she said, but added that she is able to sell considerable produce at the event.

Her booth was full of interesting trinkets such as wooden trains featuring soda caps, candle holders, and jewelry, all of which she made herself for the ministry. She was sporting one of the bracelets she was selling. She said she made them after taking a class on jewelry making. She said the boxes are her own labor of love and “it’s just part of my passion for the church.” She said Breauna and Benisha Pennie, also members of Second Christian Church, help her with the boxes each year.

The westbound side of East Main Street, closed for the event, was filled with vendors and event-goers.

'Cool Summer Nights Concert Series' to start Sunday evening at the Gathering House at The Homeplace

Brett Franklin, Leslie Penn, Blake Jones and Bill Penn played
during the jam session before the first concert last winter.

The "Cool Summer Nights Concert Series" begins Sunday evening, at an alternate location. Because rain is forecast, it will be held at the Gathering House at the entrance to The Homeplace at Midway.

"We may move it outside at the Homeplace if the weather is nice," organizer and performer Blake Jones told the Messenger. "Just don’t want us to set up at Walter Bradley [Park] and get rained out."

The concert, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., will feature singer-songwriter Maggie Lander, guitar slinger Dale "Tonedr" Adams, and Jones, who plays several instruments, for an evening of acoustic music ranging from blues to bluegrass.

The evening will begin with an open jam session at 6 p.m. The Gathering House was the site for the "On a Winter's Night Community Artist Showcase" last winter.

Jones, who is also a singer-songwriter, has lived in Midway with his family since 2000. He grew up in a family of eight and traveled the country with The Jones Family Band, with which he stills plays at the Midway Fall Festivals. His music ranges from traditional bluegrass to contemporary folk music. He teaches in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, and is a therapist in private practice.