2026 September E-News

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon and evening at the 6th Annual Cheers to Bardstown on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 1:00 PM–10:00 PM at the Bardstown Farmers Market!

Enjoy an evening full of:

• Live Music

• Food Trucks

• Local Vendors & Shopping

• Great Drinks

• Good Times with Friends & Family

Live Music Lineup:

• Trey & Sam Washburn — 4:30–6:00 PM

• V-Groove — 6:30–8:00 PM

• Fly 2K — 8:30–10:00 PM

Bardstown Farmers Market

200 E. Flaget St., Bardstown, KY

Food trucks: 1:00–10:00 PM

Local vendors: 1:00–9:00 PM

Mark your calendars and come Cheers to Bardstown with us!

Help Us Welcome Our New Chamber Intern!

Meet & Welcome Our New Intern for the 2026–2027 School Year!

We are excited to welcome Taniya Stoudemire as our new intern at the Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce! Taniya will be joining our team throughout the school year, gaining hands-on experience while learning more about our local businesses and community.

We are so excited to have Taniya as part of the Chamber team and look forward to a great year with her!

Chamber Chase

Drum Roll Please….

Thanks to our amazing 14 teams and 36 players who explored our county and supported local businesses!

Here is the impact of the Chamber Chase by the numbers!

14 Teams

36 Players

48 5K Participants

267 visits to local businesses

127 visits to local restaurants

211 visits to local attractions, museums, and historical landmarks

727 total challenges completed

$1000 will be donated to local non-profits and will be given in prizes to our winners (staying in our community)

Estimated economic impact was over $3700 in 10 days!

Here are the winners!

1st Place: My Old KY Homies- $250 to the winner and $250 to a Chamber Member Non-Profit

2nd Place Tie: Team Christmas Parade Chasers- $100 to the winner and $100 to a Chamber Member Non-Profit

2nd Place Tie: Bethlehem High School- $100 to the winner and $100 to a Chamber Member Non-Profit

3rd Place: Green Machines- $50 to the winner and $50 to a Chamber Member Non-Profit

Big Thanks to our Sponsors!

Keep Chasing and supporting local businesses!

XLR8

That’s a wrap on our 2026 XLR8 Professional Development Series!

Participants completed our final session, Applying Conflict Management, where they reviewed the tools and strategies learned throughout the series and put them into practice through real-world leadership scenarios.

After class, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch from Penn Station, followed by a certificate presentation recognizing their successful completion of the program. Congratulations to each participant for your dedication to professional growth and your commitment to becoming stronger leaders!

A special thank you to our sponsors for making this program possible. Your support allows us to continue providing valuable leadership development opportunities that strengthen our businesses and our community.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's XLR8 Series. We can't wait to see how you'll continue to lead, grow, and make a difference in our community!

Golf Scramble

The Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Golf Scramble on Friday, August 14th at My Old Kentucky Home Golf Course. We want to thank My Old Kentucky Home Golf Course for allowing us to use their golf course and for being great partners. We want to thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, and teams who took the time to come out and support us. We couldn’t pull off such a great event without these people.

We also want to thank Clagett Photography for taking our pictures and capturing these moments.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Golf Team Winners:

• 1st Place: Springfield Laundry

• 2nd Place: Mack’s Auto and Scrap Metal Recycling

• 3rd Place: Bluegrass Chiropractic Center

Longest Drive:

• Women’s Longest Drive: Abby Sims

• Men’s Longest Drive: Charlie Derosset

Biggest Loser: Distill Inn

Closest to the Pin: Mike Wheatley

Best Dressed: WesBanco

Thank you to our sponsors:

Hole Sponsors:

• Agency Title

• Barton 1792 Distillery

• Bourbon City Cleaning

• Brown & Cheek, Inc.

• Cintas

• Cooper Trail Senior Living

• Diamond Detail

• Distill-Inn

• Edward Jones - Zach Mattingly

• Eric Hayden Collision

• HMC

• Kasey Willett VanVactor - State Farm

• KORT

• Kosair for Kids

• Log Still Distillery

• Salt River Electric

• Swope Family of Dealerships

• Visit Bardstown

• WPI Epoxy Floor

Walkway Sponsors:

• Bardstown Animal Boutique

• Edward Jones - Susan Rapier

• CommonSpirit St. Joseph Health - Bardstown

• GBA

• Grizzly Media

• Heaven Hill Distillery

• Integrated Protection Services

• Just Like Magic

• LG&E and KU

• Mammy’s Kitchen

Walkway Sponsors:

• Promotional Wood Products

• Talbott Tavern

• WBRT & WOKH

• Wilson & Muir Bank and Trust Co.

Other Sponsors:

• Bar Sponsor: On the Rocks Bartending

• Breakfast Sandwiches: FiveStar / Newcomb Oil Co.

• Coffee: Buzick Construction Inc.

• Drink Cart and Drink Station: WesBanco

• Drink Tickets: Kentucky Bourbon Festival

• Fantasy Golf Card: Bluegrass Chiropractic Center, LLC

• Golf Balls: Cintas

• Golf Signs: GBA and Smith Brothers Distributing Co.

• Lunch Sponsored By: Chick-fil-A

• Mulligans: HMC

• Photography: Claggett Photography

• Raffle Donation: Integrated Protection Services, Log Still Distillery,

• Putting Contest: Suntory Global Spirits

• Scoreboard: Town & Country Bank and Trust Co.

• Scorecard: Mike Brooks and Associates, Inc.

• Snack Packs: Smith & Associates Insurance

• Totes: Cintas

• Water Bottles: Kasey Willett VanVactor - State Farm

• Welcome Banner: Thoroughbred Asset Management

August Connect Hosted By: Wilson & Muir Bank & Trust Co.

What a great evening at our August 5:00 PM Connect!

A huge thank you to Wilson & Muir Bank & Trust Co. for hosting and sponsoring such a fun evening. We enjoyed delicious food, great conversations, networking, and of course, the Dirty Soda Bar was a hit!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the evening so much fun. We love seeing our Chamber members come together, make new connections, and strengthen relationships within our community.

Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings

Mayapple Marketing

September 4, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: 1 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004

Salt N Skin

September 17, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: 96 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004

Liam Ash

September 23, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: 131 N 3rd Street, Bardstown, KY 40004

Nelson County UP Center

September 29, 2026

Time: 12:30 PM

Location: 1060 Bloomfield Rd., Bardstown, KY 40004

Previous Ribbon Cuttings:

Congratulations to Nelson County Insurance on their ribbon cutting that was held on Friday, July 31st.

Congratulations to Kosair for Kids on their ribbon cutting that was held on Friday, August 21st.

Congratulations to BNI - Bourbon City Connections on their ribbon cutting that was held on Tuesday, August 25th.

Upcoming Events

ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT FOR ITALY!

24 guests are officially confirmed, and 2 more are pending! That means we are just 6 spots away from filling our Tuscany trip this March!

If a trip to Italy has been sitting on your bucket list, this is your sign to stop waiting! Our 9-day, 8-night adventure will take us through the beauty of Tuscany, Lake Maggiore, and the Italian Riviera.

Deposits are due September 13th!

$698 deposit per person

Final payment due December 19th

With only 6 spots remaining, they won’t be available for long!

Don’t watch this trip fill up without you. Reserve your spot and come experience Italy with us!

Use this link to sign up: https://groups.gocollette.com/en-US/link/1453030

Community Health Fair

Baptist Health Hardin and the Bardstown-Nelson Chamber of Commerce are teaming up for a Community Health Fair on Tuesday, September 15!

Stop by for free health screenings, recommended vaccinations, health resources and the opportunity to connect with Baptist Health Hardin representatives.

September 15 | 10 AM–2 PM

Baptist Health Hardin – 3615 E. John Rowan Blvd., Bardstown

Plus, Backroads Cookin’ and Rise & Grind will be on-site with food and beverages available for purchase!

Check out the event page for more details and plan to join us!

September Connect

September 16, 2026

🏇 Day at the Races is BACK!

This member favorite is returning, and tickets are expected to go quickly! With only 45 tickets available, you’ll want to grab yours early.

Join us for a day at Churchill Downs filled with racing, food, wagering, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow Chamber members!

📅 Thursday, November 5, 2026

📍 Millionaires Row, 4th Floor

⏰ Gates Open at 12:00 PM | First Race at 1:00 PM

🍽️ Food Buffet Included

🎟️ Early Bird Pricing: $60 | September 1–30

🎟️ Regular Pricing: $65 | October 1–22

A huge thank you to Abound Credit Union for sponsoring this year’s Day at the Races!

Only 45 tickets are available, so don’t wait!

Day at the Races

November 5, 2026

Membership Directory

Need a Chamber Membership Directory? Stop by the Chamber office to grab a copy, or visit our website for the PDF version!

Insurance options for Chamber Members

Spotlight of the Month

Kosair for Kids

The Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize Kosair for Kids as the Spotlight of the Month.

For more than a century, Kosair for Kids has been dedicated to helping children overcome obstacles and live life to the fullest. Since 1923, the organization has worked to enhance the health and well-being of children by providing financial support for healthcare, research, education, social services, and child advocacy.

Their impact reaches communities throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana, including right here in Nelson County. Through partnerships, grants, advocacy efforts, and direct financial assistance to families, Kosair for Kids continues to help strengthen the organizations and resources that children and families depend on.

Whether they are helping a family afford medical care and therapy, investing in organizations serving children, supporting pediatric research, expanding educational opportunities, or advocating for safer environments for children, Kosair for Kids continues to make a meaningful difference across our Commonwealth.

We are proud to recognize Kosair for Kids and the impact they have made, and continue to make, in Nelson County and beyond.

Check out their website.

Ambassador of the Month

Robert Cecil

Lincoln National Bank

rcecil@mylnb.com

Robert Cecil continues to show her support for the Chamber. He is a faithful Ambassador and continues to help promote the Chamber. Thank you Robert for all the support you have provided for our community.