Let’s go caroling

12 Days of Lexington

A close up of holiday ornaments on a tree

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow. | Photo by @femibranded

The temps are dropping, trees are getting lit, and carolers are caroling. It’s that time of year, so we thought we’d contribute to holiday festivities with our own semi-original song, featuring our favorite topic: Lexington.

Now don’t get your stockings in a twist — this isn’t even close to an exhaustive list. We could fill 100 verses with things that are true and blue about the Horse Capital of the World, but to keep this short and sweet, we’ll just stick to one. So, here you have it: LEXtoday’s 12 Days of Lexington.

On the 12th day of Christmas, Lexington sent to me... 🎶

Twelve things to do in Harrodsburg, KY
Hit the road to Harrodsburg for Southern hospitality with a helping of history.

Eleven questions with Ouita Michel
Find out what the Holly Hill & Co. founder and chef Ouita Michel whips up for her holiday spread.

Ten drinks from Drink Up Week
As we look back on this past year, we can’t forget about our awesome partners from our first annual celebration of local beverages.

Nine questions with Stephanie Roberts
Take a peek into the colorful world of the Instagram sensation + resin artist.

Eight championship banners
We’ve got the highlights as UK men’s basketball strives for No. 9.

Seven area vineyards
Cheers to good times with some local wine.

Six state parks
If you’re resolving to get outside more in 2023, check out our guide to state parks — all within 60 minutes of Lexington.

Five resources for start-ups
There’s no time like the present to start that new business you’ve been dreaming up.

Four local plant shops
Give the gift of greenery this holiday season.

Three places for mocktails
If you’re taking a break from the booze, find some spirit-free sips around town.

Two local singers making waves
Hark! The Lexington angels sing.

One hyper-local, positive newsletter
We strive to bring you the best events, news, and everything in between. Thank you for being a part of LEXtoday.

Click here to have your event featured.

Tuesday, Dec. 13

“Mrs. Lincoln’s Favorite Things” Open House | Tuesday, Dec. 13 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Mary Todd Lincoln House, 578 W. Main St., Lexington | $15-$20 | Celebrate Mary Lincoln’s 204th birthday with a self-guided experience that includes trivia games, composing poems, Mary-inspired sweets + more.

Wednesday, Dec. 14

The Sheepdogs w/ Boy Golden | Wednesday, Dec. 14 | 7 p.m. | The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd., Lexington | $18 | This Canadian rock band is playing on their Live & Outta Sight tour with upbeat, jam band artist Boy Golden.

Thursday, Dec. 15

Wood Shop Orientation | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 6 p.m. | Kre8Now Makerspace, 305 Codell Dr., Lexington | $20-$40 | Get comfortable in the wood shop by learning about the capabilities, proper use, and safety of each tool.

Friday, Dec. 16

“The Nutcracker” performed by The Lexington Ballet Company | Friday, Dec. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St., Lexington | $31-$59 | This holiday tradition is an enchanting production that will delight the whole family.

Saturday, Dec. 17

The Kentucky Theatre Holiday Market | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | The Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main St., Lexington | Free | Shop for the movie lovers in your life by perusing a collection of film posters, Kentucky Theatre swag, and more.
Croissant Making Classes | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 4-6 p.m. | Laura Lou Pâtisserie Production Kitchen, 815 Euclid Ave., Lexington | $125 | Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while you learn the skills behind making laminated doughy delights.

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

Prep for the holidays with help from Kroger

Try This: Prep for the holidays with help from Kroger

Presented by a LEXtoday Partner

Kroger has everything you need to throw a great holiday party — even ugly holiday sweaters. | Photo by LEXtoday

Hey, y’all — Aaron here. I ran out to make a quick grocery trip to Kroger this weekend to pick up a few items for my family’s holiday party, and my quick grocery trip turned into an entire holiday experience. I had no idea that Kroger would offer everything I needed to host the ultimate holiday party — from floral centerpieces down to ugly holiday sweaters.

Here’s what I experienced and how you can Try This:

Floral

The gorgeous floral arrangements are what first caught my eye walking in. Colors that stunning are hard to miss.

Need to know: Kroger sends several employees from its floral department to complete the Floral Education Program of Kentucky. This helps to ensure its holiday centerpieces are thoughtfully constructed as pieces of artwork.
Pricing: $9.99 and up

Cheese

You can’t call it a real holiday party without a wide selection of artisanal cheeses.

Need to know: Just like the floral department, Kroger sends a handful of its employees to the American Cheese Society to pass the Certified Cheese Professional Exam — basically making them the equivalent of wine sommeliers.
Pro tip: The dedicated cheese section at Kroger is called Murray’s Cheese + the employees there can help you create customized charcuterie boards as well as assist with wine pairings.

Bakery

At the Kroger bakery, you can have your cake(or pie) and eat it too. It really has an offering for everyone — gluten-free goodies, custom holiday-themed treats, and even half-and-half pie options.*

WHAT NOT TO MISS

Weather

51º | Mostly cloudy | 8% chance of rain

Coming Soon

Arkansas-based fried chicken chain Slim Chickens is planning to open its first Lexington location next year. The fast-casual restaurant, with both dine-in and drive-thru services, is expected to open in March or April at 525 Waller Ave., across from St. Joseph Hospital. 🍗 (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Development

Recently, Urban County Council gave final approval to the development plans for a project at the corner of Georgetown Street and Citation Avenue — which includes a 47,000-sqft store and 22,750 sqft of retail and office space. Fuqua Development expects to announce the tenants early next year. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Try This

With winter break right around the corner, look no further than the Horse Capital of the World to keep your spirits bright. Visit Horse Country has family-friendly tours giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at Lexington’s picturesque farms like Gainsborough, Mill Ridge, and even Keeneland. 🐎
The Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning has released its Winter/Spring 2023 catalog. The schedule is filled with creative writing and language classes for adults, as well as teen programming and free kids’ classes.

Health

UK’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is the site of a first-ever clinical trial for the Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab. Known as the AHEAD study, the treatment is given to those with amyloid present in the brain, but who don’t yet have any cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. 🧠 (UK NOW)

Giveaway

Do you have a bourbon lover on your list? Then check out RD1 Spirits’ 12 Days of Christmas campaign. Follow the distillery on Instagram, then like and tag a friend on each post, and you’ll be entered to win two lower-level tickets to see the Cats take on the Hawkeyes in the Music City Bowl.

Job

Are you passionate about storytelling + news? Do you have some serious Lexington pride? We’re hiring a City Editor to plan, write, edit, and publish the most relevant and engaging daily content about our city. See details + apply.

Travel

You haven’t seen turquoise until you’ve seen this Turks and Caicos oceanfront pool. Top it off with walks on the beach, horseback riding, locally-caught seafood, and a five-star review for the property, and you’ve got yourself a dream Vrbo vacation. 🐬*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

First in line

Lexington named first city for Our Common Purpose project

Tandy Park pavilion in downtown Lexington

Lexingtonians can expect to find more opportunities for civic education + engagement. | Photo by LEXtoday

In case you missed it, last week Mayor Linda Gorton announced that Lexington was named the first city in the US to join the Our Common Purpose Communities Project. Let’s break down exactly what this means.

What is the project?

Hosted by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the project was launched in 2018 to help explore ways that communities can best respond to the vulnerabilities in political and civic life by empowering citizens to be more engaged.

The Communities Project set forth 31 recommendations in six categories in its report. Lexington will lead the charge by implementing two recommendations:

Responsive government: Design a new process to encourage resident participation in public meetings and hearings
Culture of shared commitment: Invest in civic education opportunities for residents of all ages

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Molly.

Editor’s pick: I’ve got to do a little Secret Santa shopping for some friends (and maybe a colleague) and I need your help. I’m heading down to the Keeneland Mercantile tomorrow but would love some other ideas.

Send me your recommendations for a quintessentially Lexington gift for ~$25.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn about free educational resources from the Lexington Public Library, here.

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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