Friends of McConnell Springs

History To Chew On Series - August 12
2025-08-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | McConnell Springs
Governor Shelby House and Family
Speaker: Wesley Francis

The Shelby family is closely tied to Kentucky’s history, with Isaac Shelby, a key figure in the American Revolutionary War, earning the title “The Hero of Kings Mountain” for his leadership. This fame led to his election as Kentucky’s first governor in 1792. Shelby acquired extensive land through military service and inheritance, establishing his estate, Traveller’s Rest, on the first preemption granted in Kentucky, reportedly found while he hunted buffalo for Fort Boonesborough.

History To Chew On Series - September 9
2025-09-09 18:00 - 19:00 | McConnell Springs
Into The Bluegrass, Art and Artistry of Kentucky’s Historic Icons
Speaker: Mel Hankla

Using artifacts from Kentucky’s early frontier as a foundation, Dr. Hankla weaves together stories of frontier culture, history, pioneers, and the objects that were crucial for survival, but that also enriched the lives of early Kentuckians with distinctive beauty. His lecture will strive to elevate our appreciation of Kentucky’s early culture by skillfully knitting together the stories of artifacts and the early Kentuckians who used them.
Mel Hankla is a historical actor/educator, who worked 23 years with the Kentucky Humanities Council presenting Chautauqua characters of frontiersman Simon Kenton and General George Rogers Clark.

History To Chew On Series - October 14
2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:00 | McConnell Springs
The Life of Harland Hubbard, Artist and Shanty Boater on Ohio and Kentucky Rivers
Speaker: Jessica Whitehead

Writer, artist, and sustainability pioneer Harlan Hubbard (1900–1988) lived a quiet, unassuming life, and yet he is thoroughly embedded in Kentucky’s historical memory. While some may know of Hubbard’s shantyboat sojourn on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with his wife, Anna, or of Payne Hollow, their hand-built homestead, few know the full story. After four decades of transformation, HJenniferubbard emerged in middle age as the rightful heir to the Transcendentalist ethos, ready to envision a unique existence of simplicity and wild beauty akin to that of the revered Henry David Thoreau.

Trivia Night at the Springs!
2025-11-15 18:00 - 19:00 | McConnell Springs
🎉 Think you’re the trivia champ of Lexington? Prove it at Trivia Night on Nov. 15 at 6 PM at McConnell Springs! Bring your crew, flex your brainpower, and compete for awesome prizes and swag as part of the 250 Lex Celebration!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/burgoo-and-trivia-at-the-springs-tickets-1802306640679

2026 Barrel Tasting for the Springs
2026-03-28 11:00 - 17:00
This year our 19th wine barrel tasting event. At wineries that produce their wine on site, you will be able to have a tasting of their latest from the barrel. At wineries that produce off site you will be sampling from bottles. Each winery has its own way of being part of our event so you will want to plan your route and try as many as you can from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 28th.
Visit the Barrel Tasting webpage.
Buy your ticket.

Friends of McConnell Springs Annual Luncheon
2026-04-07 11:30 - 13:30 | Tates Creek Ballroom, 1400 Gainesway Drive, Lexington, KY, 40517, United States
Join us for a catered lunch and hear about activities and events happening at McConnell Springs Park. The luncheon wll be catered by Dupree Catering featuring delicious appetizers and entrees such as Harvest Panzanella, Torn Buttermilk Cornbread, Winter Spice Fried Chicken w/ Spicy Maple Syrup, Smoked Gouda and Roasted Red Pepper Mac and Cheese.

Founder’s Day 2026
2026-05-16 10:00 - 15:00 | McConnell Springs
Celebrate Lexington’s official “birthday” at the annual Founders’ Day celebration and experience frontier life of 1775 for yourself. Concessions are available on-site with proceeds benefiting McConnell Springs programs.
Activities for the day include:

Traditional live music and dance;
Guided tours of the park’s 27 acres of woodland trails;
Colonial crafts such as woodworking, quilt making, weaving and gun-smithing;
Exhibits of colonial tools and Native American Artifacts;
Demonstrations of settler cooking and blacksmithing;
A special frontier living history area around the primitive log cabin; and meadow.
Children’s activities to include bow & arrow, tomahawk throw, pioneer kids toys and games.

This free event will be held rain or shine. Sunscreen, rain gear and insect repellent may be needed. Visitors taking guided tours are encouraged to wear hiking shoes.

Spoon/Spreader Wood Carving Class
2026-05-16 10:30 - 14:30 | McConnell Springs
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLast
Email Are Message

AddressAddress Line 1Address Line 2City--- Select state ---AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingStateZip CodeEmail *Are you:Right HandedLeftHandedPayment
Please pay via PayPal or credit card for this class and then submit this form.
Comment or MessageSubmit

History To Chew On Series - June 9
2026-06-09 18:00 - 19:00 | McConnell Springs
AUDACITY, ANTIQUITY and AI: The Vesuvius Challenge
Speaker: Christy Chapman

This session will discuss the Vesuvius Challenge, an open-source software development competition in which the best and brightest minds in artificial intelligence (AI) took part in the audacious quest to virtually unwrap the Herculaneum scrolls. Christy will give us the untold story of the 20 plus years of research that proceeded it, which was full of obstacles, setbacks, and — audacity. Christy will provide a behind the scenes look at the contest and the work using computers to reveal the knowledge held in these precious ancient artifacts. It is a story that not only inspires due to the hi-tech successes, but also compels us to step out of risk-free zones and be audacious in the pursuit of our own goals and dreams.

History To Chew On Series - July 14
2026-07-14 18:00 - 19:00
The Underground Railroad as told through a Quilt
Speaker: Judy Greene-Baker

Quilting has historically provided warmth, decoration, and a means to memorialize loved ones, express political views, and celebrate events. Quilts serve as living history, reflecting generational experiences and struggles. African artists used quilts to convey messages, including codes for the Underground Railroad. This narrative emphasizes survival and resilience in the quest for freedom. A Chautauqua-style presentation on this topic is engaging and popular among diverse audiences.

History To Chew On Series - August 11
2026-08-11 18:00 - 19:00
Women of the Bluegrass: Nineteenth-Century Kentucky Pioneers in Thoroughbred Breeding
Speaker: Jessica Whitehead

Jessica will explore the remarkable stories of Kentucky women from the nineteenth century who became breeders and owners in the Thoroughbred industry. Notable society women, Josephine Russell Clay and Meta Westfeldt Hunt Reynolds Tarleton, acquired their expertise alongside their husbands and skillfully maintained their careers even after becoming widows. Their journeys offer a unique perspective on the early history of women’s involvement in the sport.

History To Chew On Series - Sept 8
2026-09-08 18:00 - 19:00
History of Gratz Park
Speaker: Jeremy Popkin

Over the more than two centuries since it was designated as an open space in the heart of historic Lexington, Gratz Park has filled many roles. Originally intended as the site of Transylvania University, it has been a home to some of the city’s wealthiest residents, a military encampment, a bastion of racial segregation, the longtime home of Lexington’s public library, the inspiration for the city’s first historic preservation movement, and an attraction for both tourists and ghosts. UK professor Jeremy Popkin’s talk will explore the long history of Gratz Park and show how it illuminates larger aspects of our city’s past.

History To Chew On Series - Oct. 13
2026-10-13 18:00 - 19:00
The Guns Roared and the Earth Shook
Speaker: Robert (Bob) Bell

The largest use of artillery during the Civil War occurred during the 3 day battle at Gettysburg. Bob Bell will discuss similarities and differences between the Union and Confederate artillery over the course of the battle. Topics covered will be on the number and types of cannon used, projectiles and fuses, and the artillery organization of both sides.
