LOOK BELOW FOR NEWS THROUGHOUT
EAST KENTUCKY PERTAINING TO
TOURISM AND SPECIAL EVENTS!!

Chris Stapleton Wins 12th Grammy

and Tyler Childers Claims His First

Chris Stapleton has once again won a grammy at the 2026 ceremonies to notch his
12th such honor, and another Country Music Highway star has just earned his first
such acclaim.
Stapleton performed live on the televised award show with his honored tune, “Bad
As I Used To Be”. The song is an up tempo, driving sound with a lot of instrumentation
scattered throughout.

Tyler Childers is another performer that came out of Paintsville schools to embark on a
career in music.
His award winning song he personally wrote is called “Bitin List”. It carries a promise to
someone he “doesn’t like”. The humor laced main line says that if he ever gets rabies,
the aforementioned person will be at the top of his “bitin'(g) list!

PAINTSVILLE TOURISM DIRECTOR DIES SUDDENLY

Jeremiah Parsons became ill suddenly Thursday, January 15 and after being transported by ambulance to
ARH Highlands he passed away.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, January 20 at the Nelson Frazier Funeral Home in Martin (Floyd Co.).
He had served for many years and was deeply respected by the city and county for his abundant energy
and hard work.
In addition to his position as Tourism Director for Paintsville Tourism, his other major passion was training,
mentoring, and leading young people in the Sipp Theater group.
He will be remembered as one of the best in his field.

ANNUAL WINTER ADVENTURE WEEKEND OFFERS

MANY OUTDOOR FUN OPPORTUNITIES

Carter Caves State Resort Park is preparing for their annual Winter Adventure Weekend on January 22nd thru 25th.

This special event features plenty of special activities for all participants. Explorations of the caves at the park will be ongoing, as there will also be hiking, tree climbing, and numerous other activities and workshops for all those interested in outdoor adventures.
Canoeing or kayaking on a six-mile trek on Tygart’s Creek is also possible, see park officials for qualifying details.
Rappelling will also be available, and experienced as well as all beginners are welcome to participate and learn the many ways to enjoy the cold weather and all the fun to be had with the group that will be joining in with all the adventure seekers on Winter Adventure Weekend at the Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill.

A BIG WEEKEND AWAITS IN BEATTYVILLE

At the Beattyville Town Square a Saturday evening cruise-in , car, bike, and truck show begins
at 5 p.m.
The next event will be Saturday, July 26 beginning at 5 p.m.
These weekend events will continue through the summer.
There will be DJ music provided by Jolene Coomer, food provided by Arnolds Food Truck.
Kids are encouraged to bring their bicycles, scooters and power wheels.
These events are made possible by Beattyville-Lee County Tourism, Beattyville Main St., and
Backroads of Appalachia.

The Carter County Fair is August 2, with
power tractors and trucks in the spotlight

“A little dirt won’t hurt” is the theme of the fairgrounds excitement this year.
There will be main events featuring power tractor and truck competitions throughout
the evening’s schedule.
At the start of FAIR WEEK, visitors can enjoy several categories of modified tractor vehicles
showing off their power and pulling capabilities.
Categories include Altered Farm, Farm Stocks, Diesels, and “Run What You Brung”.

FLEMINGSBURG’S FREE EVENT AT THE PARK IS COMING SOON

Come ready to get wild, bright, and sudsy — and don’t forget your glow gear on Friday. July 25,

Next Friday Glow Club Foam starts at 6PM at the Frank L. Newman Memorial Park. Tag your crew. Bring the energy. We’ll bring the foam. There’ll be a live DJ, food trucks, plenty of glow sticks, and the huge foam machine! From 6-9 p.m.

IT’S TIME TO BARBECUE AT THE KNOTT COUNTY SPORTSPLEX AD

KNOTT CO. TOURISM PRESENTS FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

its called the Kentucky State Barbecue Championship, and it happens for two big days, Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26. $5000 in prize money will be given to the top 10 competitiors in four categories.

There will also be a community yard sale, please bring your own table(s), and live music with Riley Melton, Kendra Slone, Carlee Whitaker and The Creekers. Also, enjoy food vendors and inflatables.

To compete, a 30 Amp hookup is $275, or a 50 Amp setup is $325. Contact Chris Amburgey at 606=497=8865 or email chrisamburgey1973@gmail.com

Fleming County to showcase their covered bridges

and their museum at a gathering for Friday, October 3

The undisputable covered bridge capitol of Kentucky is found at Fleming County.
The landscape there features wide valleys with gentle, rolling acreage surrounding these big, beautiful valleys.
Fleming County is between Rowan County and Morehead at the southern side, and Maysville and Mason County
to the north side.
Ky 11 runs through Flemingsburg and northward to Maysville, while Ky 11 goes southward around nine miles
before the intersection with Ky 32 coming out of Morehead.
The Goddard Bridge can be seen 7 miles south of Flemingsburg on Route 11, right beside the road’s northbound
lane. This structure goes back to the 1820s, and was restored in 1968, and again this year in anticipation of the
the October 3 appreciation and history day.
Kentucky once had 11 covered bridges, with four of these originally located in Fleming County.
For more details about these grand old spans, please open our 2025 magazine by clicking the cover on the
home page and read the Fleming County ad on page 18 and the in-depth article on page 35.

As Spring comes in, the greenery is quickly expanding throughout our hills.
This panoramic shot is from Letcher County, a place where you can see the awesome view from miles away, sometimes above the clouds!

KNOTT COUNTY GEARING UP FOR 2025 TRAIL RIDE AT MINE MADE PARK

A top event for tourists happens twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall.
The Knott County Trail Ride is now set for May 1 thru 3.
Gates will open this year on April 27 at the spacious Mine Made Adventure Park in Leburne, a short distance off Ky. Route 80 north of Hindman.

Hillbilly Days in Pikeville is coming your way April 24, 25, and 26 in downtown Pikeville.

They will offer live music from three stages, professional wresting at the Appalachian Wireless Arena , food booths, a parade, and many other special displays and attracctions.

Check out HillbillyDays.com for complete information on the 2025 festival. The Hillbilly Days gathering has been established to be a key fundraiser in this area for Shriners Hospitals.

For those who love handcrafted items, on April 12 and 13 at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, plan to visit the special Crafts Weekend.
A huge variety of handcrafted items will be on display, including a quilt show, hosted by the Greenup County Quilt Guild.
Various demos will be going on featuring pottery, folk art. luthiers, stained glass, metalworking, stained glass, jewelry and more.

For complete details you may call the Greenup County Extension Office at 606-836-0201, or Greenbo Park 606-473-7324.

Double Kwik and Childers Oil Founder
Passes Away in Whitesburg At Age 92

A prominent Letcher County businessman William Donald “Don” Childers has passed away June 29 at his home. Don was the founder of Childers Oil, and also the Double Kwik chain of east Kentucky convenience stores based in Whitesburg.  A celebration of life and his 92 years was held July 8 at the First Baptist Church in Whitesburg. 
His daughter, Melissa “Missy” Matthews serves as director of the Letcher County Tourism Commission.Don was born on November 7, 1931 in Aunt Cordy’s house in Pikeville with the involvement of Dr. Kaminski.His parents Johnie “Bear” Childers and Ruby “Bear” Childers lived in Hellier and Don’s grandfather, William “Doc” Bartley, drove the couple to Pikeville to be close to the doctor for the birth. 
Don’s early life was spent in a shotgun house in Hellier down the road from Johnie Bear’s barber shop, which also included a pool room and restaurant. Ruby ran the small restaurant and sold hamburgers for a dime and Pepsi for a nickel.While attending Hellier High School, Don was a member of the Hellier High School basketball team and a proud “Hellcat”.Don spoke frequently of his days as a teenager hauling coal for his dad in the 1940’s.
His dad eventually let him have the old KB-6 International truck but he had to learn to fix transmission and differential problems and changing the oil. This became Don’s first business venture. At the end of high school when it came time for college, the coal truck was traded for a car.A 1950 baby blue Studebaker transported Don to Pikeville College for two years while he earned an Associate Degree and then on to the University of Kentucky where he graduated in 1954 with a degree in Business and Commerce.
Following college, Don was inducted into the US Army taking him from basic training at Ft. Knox to later being stationed in West Germany. He reached the rank of corporal, Specialist 3 in the 65* Field Artillery Battalion, an administration specialist in the area of finance. Once back home, Don had a brief stint teaching and coaching at his alma mater, Hellier High School, before interviewing for a job with Gulf Oil Corporation in Toledo, Ohio.
In 1956, Gulf Oil hired Don and gave him the title of sales representative in Whitesburg.As a Gulf sales rep, his job consisted of selling to what the industry refers to as service station dealers. He sold tires, batteries, antifreeze and gas as well as trained the dealer on Gulf standards and image. Clean bathrooms, cleaning parking lots, good customer service and good Gulf gasoline were at the top of the list. The dealers would earn a commission, but all of the locations were owned by Gulf Oil Corporation.His sales job with Gulf totaled 10 years of service and found him in three different regions with his young family in tow. The moves took them from Whitesburg to Corbin and on to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Knoxville experience proved successful and provided a strong professional resume for his next move.His next promotion with Gulf would require him to move his family to Atlanta, Georgia. Before making the move to Atlanta, Don was given one final assignment. Gulf needed help finding a buyer for the Whitesburg distributorship that the company no longer wished to own. Since Don knew the area well, they asked him to help find a buyer. After much prayer and discussion with Peggy, a decision was made. On July 2, 1966, Don made Gulf an offer for the Whitesburg based business and gave them his resignation. He became an independent businessman with the start of Childers Oil Company. This would bring him back to his beloved eastern Kentucky mountains.Over the next 50 years with Don’s vision, passion and grit and Peggy working by his side, the family business has grown to 40 plus convenience stores, a hometown restaurant, a tire store and numerous other business ventures.Throughout his life, Don valued the fact he ended up in a position to help others. He constantly made himself available to people from all walks of life as they endeavored to improve their quality of life or learn a new skill.It was never just about the job. Investing in people became Don’s passion. He was especially interested in sharing his testimony of faith with his work family and often invited them to Sunday School or church. He felt these words of encouragement or personal interest in their lives was an investment in their future and a personal relationship with Jesus. He remembered who was sick, their children’s names, their papaw’s surgery or a health concern of a wife. His genuine love was shining through, and it was more important to others than Don realized. Don stood steadfastly on his convictions. God, family, work, community in his daily path.A natural born storyteller and historian, he would pride himself in remembering names, places and events in detail.As a servant leader and willing participant, Don became a member of the Pikeville College Board of Directors and Kentucky Petroleum Board as well as Letcher County Planning Commission and the Letcher County Airport Board, serving both for over 18 years. As a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Whitesburg for over 40 years, he made a quiet commitment to addressing any needs or repairs around the church property be it large or small.Don was not a tool of mediocrity. If things needed to be done, he would make sure to do them right whether volunteering his time, talents and materials or development of a new project. He always had a list, actually several lists. His motto often reflected his goal of pray, prepare and have a plan. If you do the 90 percent, God will always come through with the 10 percent. The difference was Don also followed up personally on projects, contacts or challenges that were his or those of an employee, including the occasional ‘marriage counseling’.Don truly enjoyed investing in someone’s growth, getting back to work or seeking a better quality of life.If you knew Don at all, then you probably have your favorite Don quote – “All new brooms sweep clean”, “You can only expect what you inspect”, “Nothing very very bad or very very good lasts for very very long”, “You are and literally become what you think about”, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”, “Always expect the best but prepare for the worst”, “Never never assume”, “If money or power will change a man, then it won’t take much”, and “Always follow up”. This list is endless and could go on and on.As a loving husband, father and grandfather, Don cared deeply for his family and the time he devoted to them. He was preceded in death by his son, William Douglas Childers. He is survivedby his wife and soulmate, Peggy Jo of 71 years, two daughters, Donna Jo Childers of Nicholasville, Ina Michelle (Missy) Matthews and husband Charles Matthews Jr, their children Eli Matthews and Isaac Matthews also of Whitesburg. Granddaughter Carlie Childers Cornett and grandson Jordan Childers and great grandchildren.In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate charitable gifts be made to the First Baptist Church of Whitesburg or our double kwik Fueling the Future Foundation providing scholarships in the counties we serve. .

HILLBILLY TRAILS WILL THRILL TOURISTS
WITH 80 MILES OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

The ribbon cutting for the trail, was October 2 near the Flatwoods North Trail Head in Dorton. Now, the first phase of a remarkable designed to connect ATV trails throughout the region.
Stretching over an impressive 80 miles and rolling through a sprawling 6,000 acres of pristine wilderness, Hillbilly Trails offers riders a diverse range of terrains and challenging riding conditions. This extensive network of trails promises an unforgettable outdoor experience. Jerry Adkins, Director of Trail Development commented, “This is the biggest opportunity to bring adventure tourism in Pike County that we’ve ever seen” (Source:WYMT).
With its stunning natural landscapes and exhilarating trails, Hillbilly Trails is expected to become a major draw for adventure enthusiasts from far and wide.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office has pledged to oversee patrols of the new trail to assure maximum safety.

Sandy’s Racing and Gaming Will Open in Fall of 2023  

A 74,000 square foot sportsbook betting and gaming lounge is under construction in the Boyd County city of Ashland. 
Chairman Larry Lucas touted the multi-million dollar project expected to bring new jobs, great gaming and entertainment, quarter horse racing, a sportsbook and dining to the Boyd County community. 
Plans are for an opening date for Sandy’s Racing and Gaming in the fall. 

RACELAND HOSTS HUGE CONCERT EVENT JULY 29 

On Saturday, July 29 at the Raceland City Park, a free concert will be available to music fans starting at 12:45 p.m. and running until 10 p.m.  
Dubbed as the Christmas In July Concert, this event is made possible by the Raceland-Russel Lions and Leos Club.  
On the playbill is eleven different bands. Concessions will be available. 
Performances begin at 12:45 with Sounds From The Gospel. Next will be Tim and Rachael Richmond and Family , beginning at 1 p.m. 
These are the remaining bands that will perform at 45-minute set: Brady Ross, Andrea and Isabella, Lucy Russell, Trina Miller and Regina Ward, Simply Sounds, The Willis Twins, Marty Helms, Alexis Jiles and the Badmen, and Brady Ross and Route 23. 

CHRIS STAPLETON TOPS COUNTRY MUSIC

FIELD AS 2023 ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Chris Stapleton has swept through many prestigious awards in country music for the past five years, but the 2023 Academy of Country Music’s top prize was snatched by Stapleton 
Entertainer of the Year came home to the Stapleton family as he edged nominees Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, and Mirana Lamber

Noah Thompson, 2022 American Idol Winner will
showcase his talents at this June’s CMA Fest in
Nashville.