The Woolly Worm Festival , October 22-24th, 2021
Celebrating 34 years!
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Far from being a normal festival, the Woolly Worm Festival became a tradition rooted in Lee County’s culture. The woolly worm is believed to forecast the weather for the coming winter season. A woolly worm’s body has 13 segments-each corresponding to a week in winter. If a segment is light brown, that means the week will be mild. If a segment is black, that means a harsh, cold week. The worm acted as a weather predictor for many old time farmers who would harvest crop and cut firewood in preparation for the upcoming winter.
Plan a visit to Beattyville/Lee County. If you would like vendor information contact the Woolly Worm Festival Committee at (606) 464-2888.
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Woolly Worm Raceway
Be sure to race a woolly worm at the raceway located at the heart of the festival. Races will take place all day long each day of the festival. Win a pleminary race and you will be eligible to race your worm in the championship race on Sunday afternoon. Banded Woolly Bears, as they are property named are easy to find. In the fall months they can be found in leave piles, on lawn furniture, around wood piles, and even crossing back country roads. Don't worry if you didn't bring a racing woolly worm with you, just pick one up at the raceway.
Rules of Woolly Worm Racing:
1) The worm you are racing must be a Banded Woolly Bear.
2) Place your worm on the string below the starting mark until the whistle is blown.
3) when whistle sounds, let woolly worm go.
4) Once your woolly worm climbs past the starting mark on the sting, you are not allowed to touch him.
5) First worm to the top WINS! Winners are qualified for the Championship Race on Sunday.
6) Grand Champion Woolly Worm is the official weather predictor of the year!
Here are some tips that will help you take care of your woolly worm. After a weekend of racing, release him back into nature where you found him.
Rules of Woolly Worm Racing:
1) The worm you are racing must be a Banded Woolly Bear.
2) Place your worm on the string below the starting mark until the whistle is blown.
3) when whistle sounds, let woolly worm go.
4) Once your woolly worm climbs past the starting mark on the sting, you are not allowed to touch him.
5) First worm to the top WINS! Winners are qualified for the Championship Race on Sunday.
6) Grand Champion Woolly Worm is the official weather predictor of the year!
Here are some tips that will help you take care of your woolly worm. After a weekend of racing, release him back into nature where you found him.
- The first you’ll need is a container which can be as simple as a plastic cup.
- Cover the bottom of the container with 1/2 inch to 1 inch of soil. Use soil from the area you found the caterpillar in.
- Collect some grass and line the top of the soil with it.
- Gather leaves from the area you found the Woolly Bear in. Woolly Bears use leaves for food, you’ll want to gather a variety of the leaves in the immediate area. Place 2 to 3 leaves in the container.
- Every couple of days, replace with fresh grass and leaves.
- Place a few sticks inside the container for the Woolly Bear to climb on and to hide under as well.
- Place a lid over the container with holes poked through so the Woolly Bear can get air but not escape.
- Using a spray bottle mist the sides of the container and the surface of the leaves every three days. A few sprays is all you’ll need to keep him happy.
2019 Schedule is below...
Meet the Moonshiners and Friends at the "Shiners Tent & Tales"
Tent located at the Beattyville Town Square area near the Lee County Courthouse on Main Street. Join the Facebook Event!
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Come celebrate a part of out local heritage and enjoy the opportunity to meet some current and past cast members of Discovery Channel's Moonshiner show! They, along with their other Shiner friends will be hosting a "Shiners Tent" during the Woolly Worm Festival. They will be offering Moonshine related promotional merchandise, artifacts and displays. There will also be some time for "Storytelling" around the Moonshine Still on display.
Welcome Moonshiners to the Woolly Worm Festival Moonshiners Donnie & Teresa Moonshiner Crazy Chuck Moonshine Mike Stallings and Sondra George "Pappy G" Rose & Susan Herman Griffin Ewok, Appalachian Outlaws/Moonshiners Mary Alice & Tracy Vanfleet, Rock Candles Anthony Williams |
Woolly Worm Princess and Queen Pageant 2019
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It is exciting, it is glamorous, it is entertaining. Come out to the Sedley Stewart Auditorium at the Lee County High School located on Lee Ave, in Beattyville, KY on Friday night October 4th for the Woolly Worm Princess pageant for the Woolly Worm Queen Pageant. The events will begin at 6pm and admission is $5.00. These beautiful students have been practicing after school, rehearsing and preparing for their interview questions. They have been working hard to find that perfect event gown dress, hair and makeup. Come out and support our youth as they complete for that sparkling crown! Here are a few photos from past years...
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Lee County Youth Pet Show
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The Youth Pet Show is a great opportunity to show off kids and pets! If you are between the age of 5 and 19 years old you can enter your pet into the show, located on Stage 1 under the big tent, Friday at 10:00am. Trophies and Ribbons will be awarded to winners of multiple pet show classes....
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The Youth Pet Show is made possible by the Lee County Extension Service and sponsored by People's Exchange Bank of Beattyville, KY. For more information call the Lee County Extension Service at (606) 464-2759.
Woolly Worm 5K Run/Walk/Crawl
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The Woolly Worm Festival 5K Race is always a good event to participate in. You can run, walk, skip, or crawl across the finnish line! It is scheduled for Saturday, at 8:00am from the Beattyville/Lee County Fire Department on HWY 11 North. Registration starts at 7:00am and the race will start at 8:00am. Early Bird Registration is $20.00 and Race Day registration is $25.00 to participate! For more information call (606) 464-5018 or email tammy.combs@lee.kyschools.us. All proceeds go to Lee County ATC HOSA/Health Science Programs.
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Woolly Worm Festival Parade
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What is a festival without a parade? The annual Woolly Worm Festival Parade starts at 1:00pm on Saturday of the festival. Floats will start from City Hall located on Railroad Street and travel up Main Street in Beattyville to the intersection of Main and HWY 11. Awards are given to the top three decorated floats. The parade showcases everything that Lee County can be proud of... Justice & Safety, Fire & Rescue, Health & Wellness, school groups, church groups, non-profits, businesses, pageant contestants, classic cars, motorcycles, hillbilly's... and more. If you would like to enter your organization info the parade call Don Begley Auto Sales at (606) 464-2961.
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Woolly Worm Car Show
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One of the best car shows in the region can be found behind the Beattyville Elementary School on Sunday of the Woolly Worm Festival. Over 130 classic cars from all over the state are parked and pristinely displayed from 9:00am to 4:30pm. Registration is $15.00 and starts at 9:00am on Sunday of the festival. The annual event will feature a "Top 100" trophies, top motorcycles and miscellaneous, and numerous "Business Choice" awards. There is also a Best of Show Award. For more information on the annual car show call Josh Smith at (606) 464-2888.
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Woolly Worm Stage Entertainment Schedule 2019
The Woolly Worm Stage is located at the heart of the Woolly Worm Festival at the beginning of Main Street in Beattyville. Also on site with the Woolly Worm Raceway and the Woolly Worm Barn. Be sure to race your woolly worm. Win a heat race and get into the championship race on Sunday afternoon. Be sure to also sign up for all the prize drawings and non-profit raffles! Click the links for video performances by the bands!
Friday, October 25th, 201910am - 4H Pet Show
12pm - Open for Local Talent 4pm - Shelby Davis 6pm - OPENING CEREMONIES 6:30pm - Appalachian Tourbadours 8pm - Keenas MacIntosh & Travis Ritchie |
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Beattyville/Lee County Tourism Stage Entertainment Schedule
The Tourism Stage is located near the Lee County Courthouse. Sound is provided by WSKVfm 104.9. The stage is sponsored by the Beattyville/Lee County Tourism Commission, WSKV Radio, H&P Cabin Rentals, the City of Beattyville, and the Lee County Fiscal Court. Be sure to join our Master DJ Ethan at the Tourism Stage each night at 7:00pm for street dancing! Click the links for video performances by the bands!
Friday, October 25th, 20191pm - Doug Newsome
2pm - Tony Pence 3pm - Erin McIntosh 4pm - Monroe Land Way 5pm - Clinton Frye 6pm - Opening Ceremonies Woolly Stage 7pm - Appalachee Falls |
Saturday, October 26th, 201910:30am - Mia Cornett
11am - Michael Stallings 12pm - Shelby Davis Vanderpool 1pm - WOOLLY WORM PARADE 2pm - Highway 15 3pm - West Liberty Mountain Boys 4pm - Monroe Land Way 5pm - The Hilltop Pickers 6pm - Lenny Centers and Centerline 7:00pm- Elvis (Charles Hobbs) 7:30pm- Street Dance with WSKVfm DJ Ethan |
Sunday, October 27th, 201912pm - Graham Family
1pm - Georgia Peal Gabbard & Preacher Buddy 2pm - Brett Dunn 3pm - MaKayla & Maddie 4pm - Senior Citizen Bluegrass Group |
Photo Gallery...
Blast from the Past...
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Woolly Worm Silver Anniversary 2012
The Woolly Worm Festival celebrated 25 years in October 2012. The 25th anniversary festival was dedicated to the World War II veterans of Lee County. At the opening ceremony, community leaders honored all the survivors as Kentucky Colonels. The festival was first initiated in 1988 when a group of people were sitting around in the Purple Cow dinner on Main Street thought up an idea for a festival that was culturally significant and would create tourism. In its 25 years, it has emerged as a nationwide event that attracts over 30,000 people and has a variety of special activities such as woolly worm races, craft displays, parade, pet show, festival food, car show and live entertainment on two stages in Beattyville, KY. During the milestone celebration, visitors enjoyed local musical talents like the Appalachian Troubadours, Lisa Briscoe Lacy, Clinton Fry Band, Harold Fouch & Alonzo Ambergery, and the Hilltop Pickers. People came from miles around to be entertianed by some larger names such as Common Ground and Brad Alford & Saddle Tramp. Special musical guest, sponsored by Bretagne Oil, was Russle Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. They were fresh off the win of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Male Vocalist of the Year for the second consecutive year. |