6AM City In-house

Big blue neightion

The History of Big Lex
a portrait of a blue horse
“Big Lex” has become the mascot + symbol for our city. | Photo courtesy of VisitLex
In case you missed it, the color blue is kind of a big deal around here. You also can’t turn a downtown corner, or a country backroad, without seeing a horse — whether that be local equine art or the real thing.

So, it makes sense that one of our city’s most adorned mascots is a big blue horse.

But how did “Big Lex” find his way to the winner’s circle and come to represent our city? Let’s find out.

The Horse

“Lexington” was actually the name of one of the most dominant racehorses of the 19th century.
  • Origin: Lexington (the horse) was born in what is now the city limits of Lexington (the town) in 1850.
  • Racing: Lexington asserted his dominance in the racing industry, winning six out of his seven career races.
  • Fun fact: The Kentucky Derby race is 1.25 miles in length. Several of Lexington’s winning races were a grueling four miles long — his fastest time coming in at just over seven minutes.
  • Legacy: He also produced more championship offspring than any other stallion of his time, leading the US’ sire list for 14 consecutive years + 16 years in total — a record that still stands today.
a painting of a horse

This is the original portrait of Lexington, created by artist Edward Troye in the 19th century. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

The Painter

Edward Troye was one of the most prolific animal painters of the 19 century.
  • Life: The Swiss-born artist came to reside in Georgetown, KY, where he is now buried, and was considered the best in the US — held in regard to the European greats of his time.
  • Work: In a time before iPhones, his work served as visual documentation for early US Thoroughbred champions.
  • Fun fact: Troy would paint Lexington (the horse) a dozen times in his lifetime.
a portrait of a man

Edward Troye came to be known as one of the most famous US painters of the 19th century and is now buried in Georgetown Cemetery. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

VisitLex

In 2009, VisitLex collaborated with a design firm in hopes of creating branded imagery for Lexington — a design that would highlight our history, while showcasing us as a modern, 21st-century city.

Hence — “Big Lex” was born.
6AM City In-house

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Nov. 16
  • Celebrate Culture | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 5-7 p.m. | Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, 251 W. Second St., Lexington | Registration required | Families are invited to celebrate different cultures from around the world with arts, crafts, and snacks — all kids get a free book to take home.
Thursday, Nov. 17
  • Sound Off! Musical Trivia | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 7-9 p.m. | Pivot Brewing, 1400 Delaware Ave., Lexington | Free | Teams will get the opportunity to listen to a short snippet of music before having to guess the name of the song correctly.
  • Wake up Santa | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 5 p.m. | Fayette Mall’s Middle Wing, between Burlap & Birch and The Cheesecake Factory, 3401 Nicholasville Rd., Lexington | Free | Santa has been sleeping to rest up for the holiday season and needs your help to wake him up to make magical memories with the community — plus snag a photo with Santa after the annual tradition.*
Friday, Nov. 18
  • Same As It Ever Was: A Talking Heads Tribute | Friday, Nov. 18 | 7 p.m. | The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd, Lexington | $15 | A group of Knoxville-based musicians are paying tribute to one of the great art-punk bands of the 1980s.
  • Script to Table: Rodgers & Hammerstein | Friday, Nov. 18 | 6 p.m. | Fasig-Tipton, 2400 Newtown Pike, Lexington | $150 | Experience an evening of theatrical and culinary storytelling with a three-course dinner inspired by the musical, “A Grand Night for Singing.”
Saturday, Nov. 19
  • Cold Press Soap Making Workshop | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 1-4 p.m. | Kre8Now Makerspace, 305 Codell Dr., Lexington | $40-$45 | Learn to create your own custom soap bars in this unique workshop — great for personal use or holiday gift ideas.
  • The Kid LAROI | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 8:30 p.m. | Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St., Lexington | $45+ | This young Australian hip-hop artist looking break barriers between old and new hip-hop sounds.
Sunday, Nov. 19
  • The Gobbler Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K | Sunday, Nov. 20 | 8:30 a.m. | Mereworth Farm, 4985 Bethel Rd. | $45+ | This fun + festive holiday running event encourages participants to get active before the holiday season.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS

Try This: Women’s Worth Alliance

Try This: Women’s Worth Alliance
Presented by a LEXtoday Partner
LEX GPPW Women's Worth Alliance
The Women’s Worth Alliance provides a welcoming + supportive space to share and connect. | Photo by LEXtoday
Hey, y’all — Molly here. I had the pleasure of joining Gratz Park Private Wealth’s Women’s Worth Alliance networking event last month. It was an evening full of connection, support + sharing, all around one theme: money.

Did that word just make you wince? That’s not surprising.

Studies show that 80% of women investors avoid discussing money because they feel uncomfortable or the topic is too personal. The Women’s Worth Alliance aims to break down those walls + help women gain confidence on their financial journey.

What we tried:

The evening started with ~30 minutes of mingling for attendees to network, sip wine, and enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres. Gratz Park Private Wealth President Sherry Holley welcomed us to the front room — which looks like the comfy living room of my dreams — where we heard from three different women who shared their money stories, discussing themes like:
  • Bold decisions
  • Grit + perseverance
  • Servant’s attitude*
WHAT NOT TO MISS

Weather
  • 39º | Cloudy | 18% chance of rain
Biz
  • Cumulative sales of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale have already surpassed the total sales of the 2021 event, currently totaling ~$205 million. Tomorrow will be the last day of sales + bidding starts at 10 a.m. 🐎 (The Lane Report)
Gallery
  • A unique gallery pop-up event is happening at Country Boy Brewing (436 Chair Ave.) in conjunction with Friday night’s Gallery Hop. Curated pieces from MFA Art Studio candidates at UK will be on display at 8 p.m. outside the brewery — in the back of a rented U-Haul truck. 🖼
Sports
  • The UK men’s basketball team had their first real test of the season last night, competing against Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic. The Cats lost to the Spartans in double overtime — 86-77. The Wildcats are now 2-1 on the season. 🏀 (Lexington Herald-Leader)
  • The Transylvania women’s volleyball team is heading to their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight match today in Pittsburgh. The Pioneers will face off against No. 2 NYU to compete for a spot in the Final Four. Good luck, Pioneers. 🏐 (Transy Sports)
Regional
  • The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is launching a brand new winter program called “Name the Plow.” Kentuckians are encouraged to submit fun names for the Commonwealth’s 14 snowplows which will be displayed on the side of the vehicles this winter. ❄️ (LEX18)
Feel good
  • A local dog named Ethan has been named the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog by the American Humane Society. Ethan was sadly left in poor health last year at the Kentucky Humane Society but has since made a full recovery, inspiring others to overcome adversity. Click here to see Ethan + his night at the awards ceremony. 🐶 (WTVQ)
DYK
  • Did you know this is your last chance to share your Black Friday deals with our LEXtoday readers? Promote your business with us by submitting a deal to be included in our Fri., Nov. 25 newsletter. Pricing varies by market + must be submitted by today, Wed., Nov. 16.
Shop
  • Psst — Thanksgiving is next Thursday, Nov. 24. If you’re planning to serve turkey, don’t forget that a meat thermometer is essential to avoid a potential case of food poisoning. Try this waterproof digital meat thermometer with 53,000+ five-star reviews or splurge on this smart meat thermometer that connects to your phone via Bluetooth.*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Development

Triangle Center sold to new developers
a building and a rendering
Along with the sale, this initial rendering was released showcasing what could come in the future. | Photos courtesy of Block + Lot
This corner building in downtown Lexington located at 325 W. Main St., formerly known as Triangle Center, has been sold as a joint venture to two different development firms — Matthews Southwest + Kathryn Kaufman of Card Development.

The 104,000-sqft building will be going through redevelopment in the near future and we’ll keep you updated on its progress.

Matthews Southwest is a private real estate development firm headquartered in Texas. They have completed different types of large-scale projects across the US and Canada, but according to its website, this seems to be its first project in Kentucky.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Aaron.

Editor’s pick: Country Boy Brewing recently teamed up with a nonprofit organization near and dear to my heart — the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC).

Country Boy brewed a new beer called “Glimpse of Nature.” A portion of all sales from this beer will be donated to the RRGCC, which will then use the funds to help protect Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Get the details on downtown’s winter ice skating rink.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Aaron Mikel, Molly Thompson, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Marin Fiske | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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