By Patti Nickell
Fall has traditionally been known as festival season in Kentucky. From Bardstown to Bowling Green; Leitchfield to Lexington; Maysville to Morehead, the commonwealth holds a season-long celebration.
Bourbon, burgoo, barbecue and beer cheese all get their week. Bluegrass music and jazz; railroads and roots & heritage; arts & crafts and Appalachian moonshine also get their chance to shine.
And come October, after the barbecue and bourbon have been consumed; the arts & crafts admired and the Bluegrass Music enjoyed, it’s Richmond’s turn to take the festival spotlight. And just what is left for the city to celebrate? Stones. Yep, stones of all shapes and sizes.
The annual Millstone Festival will be held October 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of Millstone Park, the half-acre green space in the center of downtown and the location of the festival’s honorees.
Forty-five millstones, weighing from 200 pounds to 4,000 pounds, are artistically arranged in the pocket park. On the left, the millstones with grooved surfaces were traditionally used to grind grains like wheat into flour and corn into meal. On the right side of the park, you’ll find the massive edge runners, designed to crush and shred various materials. Among them are two white bark stones that look like a gear, once used to shred tree bark in the tanning process to preserve hides. Nearby, two cone-shaped millstones were essential for processing hemp fibers into rope. Smaller edge runners played a different role, used to mash apples into applesauce.
Visitors can walk among them 365 days a year, but there’s something special about festival day. As many as 8,000 people are expected to converge on the park and surrounding downtown streets for the city’s day of fun and frolic, sponsored by Dreaming Creek Brewery.
“It’s the only time of the year that people can walk up and down the streets all day long without traffic,” says Lori Murphy, Executive Director of Richmond Tourism.
“Having the town to yourself like this just feels special.”
Kelley McBride, Richmond’s Public Information Officer/Community Development Coordinator, says that as of press time, 160 vendors have signed up to showcase their wares and share their business models and mission statements.
Among the well-known names in attendance will be Bybee Pottery, Chenault Vineyards, EKU Athletics (go Colonels), Madison County Historical Society, and the Battle of Richmond Association.
While most of the vendors will be familiar faces from festivals past, McBride says there are some new additions to this year’s event.
“For the children, we will have a train in the Kids’ Area to take them on a mini excursion,” she says, “and for the adults, we are offering “Millstone After Hours” where participating bars and restaurants will remain open until 1:00 a.m. so that the party can continue.”
Another new twist, according to McBride, will be the inaugural “Paint the Town Pink” sponsored by Baptist Health Richmond to raise breast cancer awareness during its national month.
“Downtown streetlamps will be adorned with pink bows for breast cancer awareness, along with purple bows for domestic violence whose awareness month is also October,” says McBride.
The night before the festival, the Neon Night Run/Walk will take place with participants outfitted with head lamps, neon wristbands and necklaces, and with all proceeds going to cancer care and education.
One festival favorite that will certainly return is the popular Medlock’s Cruise-In, named in honor of Medlock’ family. The Medlock family has been passionate about cars for generations. From tearing up the dragstrip at Green’s Crossing to restoring classic vehicles and racing hot rods, they’ve done it all.
If you’ve ever had a memory associated with that special car in your life – going on your first date, taking your first road trip, or going to the drive in – you won’t want to miss this display of vintage cars, all dating from 1972 and earlier.
“This has become one of the premier car shows in Kentucky and a multi-generational experience for families to enjoy together,” says William “Speedy” Denny.
Remember that name. Without “Speedy” there would be no Millstone Park and no millstones adorning the main streets of Richmond.
Speedy, a sod production business owner and local historian, began collecting millstones he discovered in Madison County and surrounding counties.
It was also Speedy who came up with the concept of the pocket park to display the stones; who serves as volunteer caretaker for the park, and who was the biggest supporter of the idea for the festival.
“Richmond did not have a signature festival, so this seemed a natural fit,” he says, adding that the festival “sort of sprang up organically.”
Of course, the founder will be there on festival day, telling those in attendance about the millstones – each, he says, with its own special story. You’ll have to take his tour (scheduled for noon) to learn the stones’ individual histories, such as the story behind the Romance Stone.
Speedy says he hopes the festival will become to Richmond what Pioneer Days Festivals are to Harrodsburg and Winchester.
“I want to see this festival continue to grow in years to come and establish its own legacy in the state,” he says, indicating that he is far from done.
The stones aren’t done either. There is still room for three more edge runner millstones in the park, but don’t think it will end there as stones have recently and mysteriously appeared in other areas of downtown.
