Star In Your Very Own Holiday Special
A Very Special Bardstown Christmas
As Christmas traditions vary from one person to the next, there’s one time-honored tradition almost all of us share – watching the Christmas specials that grace our television sets year after year.
Sure, it’s different these days. With Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, we can watch our favorite special anytime of any day. But nothing compares to the feeling of watching it in its scheduled primetime spot. Remember the feeling of getting the weekly television guide on Sunday afternoon? Then discovering that Rudolph was going to be on Tuesday night at 8:00 on Channel 11? Oh the anticipation…
Each holiday special has a similar formula – a main character we root for, a villain we love to hate, a conflict, and of course – a magical setting.
Whether it was a town, city, mountain, or snow-covered axis, there was nothing more thrilling than lying in bed after the show, hoping to dream that we could make an appearance at just one of the locations. While that may not be possible, there is a place that can stir up similar feelings of nostalgia. And where might that be? As if you didn’t see it coming … Bardstown, Kentucky.
During November and December, Bardstown’s stocking runneth over with holiday happenings. So just for fun, we’ve paired events with shows as a way to relive your favorite holiday special.
For more information on any of the events mentioned in this story, check out our Visitor’s Guide
Bedford Falls
If you want to experience George Bailey’s hometown, look no further than downtown Bardstown. Between the square, the shops, the decorations, and most of all the people, this is as close to Bedford Falls as you can get. Find out for yourself at the Bardstown Kiwanis Club’s Annual Christmas Parade on Thursday, December 1.
34th Street
Okay, so there’s no Macy’s in Bardstown, but you can still conjure up the miraculous feeling of Christmas. You’ll see it in your children’s faces on Christmas morning when they discover that Santa brought just what they asked for when they visited him on Bardstown’s Square! Mark your calendar for Santa on the Square, every Saturday from November 26 to December 17.
Bethlehem
No tour of Christmas is complete without a visit to where it all began – Bethlehem. For many, the story was learned in Sunday school. For others, it was learned while watching motion-stop favorites The Little Drummer Boy and Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. Go back in time at the recreation of Jesus’ birth at the 36th Annual Live Nativity on Friday, December 16, through Sunday, December 18.
The North Pole
All aboard for the closest thing to the Polar Express you’ll ever ride. All season long, My Old Kentucky Dinner Train and Kentucky Railway Museum offer train excursions bound for the North Pole!
Whoville
Just like the Whos in Whoville, everyone in the tiny town of Bardstown comes out of their homes to decorate the town during the annual Hanging of the Greens – Light Up Bardstown on Friday, November 25.
Cleveland
On almost every corner, there is something reminiscent of A Christmas Story. There are plenty of places to find that perfect gift, like a leg lamp or a Red Ryder BB gun. Oh, and if your holiday turkey was ravaged by wild dogs, you can always order takeout at one of these establishments: Hunan, China Wall, or Asian Garden.
So there you have it – your passport for a real-life tour of your favorite Christmas specials without ever leaving Bardstown!