McCreary Tourism

09/13/2026

Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd Schedule Below ⬇️

🎬🎉 McCREARYFEST 2026 IS GOING TO BE TWO FULL DAYS OF FUN! 🎉🎬

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes, and we are SO excited about everything coming to Downtown Whitley City for McCrearyFest!

And here’s something we’re especially proud of… ❤️

With the help of our amazing sponsors, the activities and entertainment provided by McCrearyFest are FREE! We want families to be able to come downtown, spend time together, enjoy the entertainment, let the kiddos have fun and make memories without an admission charge.

🌟 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

🚗 MOTORS ON MAIN STREET | 6–10 PM
Bring your favorite ride or just come check out the cars and enjoy an evening on Main Street!

🌶️ CHILI COOK-OFF | 6–8 PM
There is no admission fee for the cook-off! If you want to taste the chili and help choose our winners, samples are just 50¢ each, and each sample gets you ONE vote!

Sample one or sample them all — every 50¢ sample gives you another vote for your favorite chili!

🤼 WRESTLING ON MAIN | 7:05 PM
Get ready for an action-packed night of wrestling right on Main Street — FREE ADMISSION!

Then we’ll get a little sleep and come right back Saturday morning for a full day of McCrearyFest fun! 😂

🌟 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 | 10 AM–4 PM

🎨 FREE PAINTING WITH CORTDESIGNS
McCrearyFest has purchased 250 painting projects for our kiddos! CortDesigns will have a booth set up helping approximately 50 kids per hour create their own painting to take home. Painting will pause from 12–1 PM for the parade and then start back up. Available while supplies last!

🎨 FREE FACE PAINTING
AlienArt Facepainting will be joining us from 10 AM–4 PM, and McCrearyFest is covering the cost so our kiddos can get their faces painted FREE!

🎯 FREE KIDS GAMES
We’ll have free games and activities for the kids to enjoy throughout the day!

🐐🐍 PETTING ZOO & REPTILES | 10 AM–4 PM
Come meet some furry, scaly and maybe slightly creepy friends! 😂

🎶 LIVE MUSIC | 11 AM
Hoss & Kenny Gilreath will be playing live until parade time!

🎉 McCREARYFEST PARADE | NOON
Find your spot along Main Street and enjoy one of our favorite McCrearyFest traditions!

🎤 SINGING TALENT SHOW | APPROX. 1 PM
Think you’ve got what it takes? Grab the microphone and show us what you’ve got! Our Singing Talent Show is FREE TO ENTER!
🍿 And because every good show needs popcorn, McCrearyFest will be handing out FREE POPCORN during the talent show!

🌭 HOT DOG EATING CONTEST | APPROX. 2:30 PM
Come hungry! 😂 Our Hot Dog Eating Contest is FREE TO ENTER, and we have a feeling it’ll be just as much fun to watch!

🛍️🍔 FOOD & CRAFT VENDORS
Make a day of it! We’ll have food and craft vendors set up throughout the event, so come hungry, browse the booths, do a little shopping and support the vendors who help make festival days so much fun.

❤️ THIS is why we fundraise. THIS is why our sponsors matter. THIS is McCrearyFest.

The money we raise and the support we receive from our sponsors allow us to turn around and put it right back into our community events. Painting, face painting, kids games, entertainment, popcorn and more — we want to provide a day where families can come together and enjoy themselves without everything having a price tag attached to it.

So bring the kids. Bring the grandparents. Bring your friends. Come downtown, stay awhile, support our vendors, laugh, play, eat, shop and make some memories with us. ❤️

📅 October 2 & 3
📍 Downtown Whitley City
🎬 McCrearyFest 2026 — Lights, Camera, Cartoons!

Two days. Tons of activities. FREE entertainment and family fun. One community coming together. ❤️

We can’t wait to see you at McCrearyFest 2026! 🎉

09/11/2026

🎃 Join us for the 4th Annual Spooktacular on Main Street! 👻🍬

We’re inviting businesses, churches, organizations, community groups and individuals to set up and hand out candy during this fun, family friendly event on Main Street!

📅 Saturday, October 31
⏰ Trick or Treating from 5:00 to 8:00 PM
🎃 Setup begins between 3:00 and 4:00 PM

Spooktacular continues to grow each year, so we recommend preparing for approximately 2,500 to 3,000 trick or treaters.

To reserve your spot, contact:
Michelle Perry at (606) 516-6106
Lisa Frye at (606) 305-2798

Help us fill Main Street and make this a safe, exciting Halloween evening for families throughout our community! 🧡🖤

09/08/2026

Friday, October 2, is going to be a full night of family fun in downtown Whitley City! 🎉

Join us for Motors on Main Street, McCrearyFest Triple Crown Wrestling and the Chili Cook-Off! With something for everyone to enjoy, Main Street is definitely the place to be the first weekend of October!

Then, make plans to come back Saturday, October 3, for even more McCrearyFest activities, family fun and the parade!

Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable weekend in McCreary County! ❤️

09/08/2026

🇺🇸 McCreary County Remembers — 25 Years Later

The McCreary County Fiscal Court invites our entire community to join us on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM on the McCreary County Courthouse Steps as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

For 25 years, our nation has carried the memory of those we lost and the examples of courage, sacrifice, service, and unity we witnessed in the days that followed.

Our memorial service will bring together the McCreary Central JROTC, Choir and Band, the VFW, American Legion, our local first responders, community organizations, businesses, public servants, students, veterans, and citizens.

We especially invite our veterans, firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, emergency personnel, local merchants, banks, utilities, churches, schools, McCreary County Public Library, civic organizations, and families throughout McCreary County to attend.

Whether you remember exactly where you were on September 11, 2001, or you belong to a generation born afterward, this is an opportunity for us to stand together as one community and ensure that the meaning of that day is passed on.

📅 Friday, September 11, 2026
🕐 1:00 PM
📍 McCreary County Courthouse Steps — Whitley City
🇺🇸 All are welcome.

Remember. Honor. Unite.

Twenty-five years later, McCreary County will never forget. 🇺🇸

09/07/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Labor Day from McCreary County Tourism! 🇺🇸

Today, we celebrate the hardworking men and women who help make McCreary County such a wonderful place to live, work and visit. From our small business owners and community leaders to our first responders, educators, healthcare workers and every person who works tirelessly behind the scenes, thank you for all you do!

We hope you enjoy a safe and relaxing Labor Day filled with family, friends and a little time exploring the outdoors in beautiful McCreary County! ❤️🤍💙

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸

09/06/2026

Are you ready for two full days of FUN???

09/05/2026

09/02/2026

🏕️ GREAT NEWS FOR WINTER CAMPING IN McCREARY COUNTY! ❄️

For those who love exploring the outdoors even when the temperatures drop, we have some exciting news!

Blue Heron Campground will remain OPEN during the 2026–2027 winter season!

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area will keep the campground open from December 2026 through March 2027 as a pilot project to determine whether there is enough demand to offer year-round camping at Blue Heron.

This is a wonderful opportunity for McCreary County and for visitors who enjoy a quieter season outdoors. Winter campers can enjoy continued access to the Blue Heron area, including trails, historic sites, river access and scenic overlooks.

And here’s the important part… USE IT! ❤️

If we want to see year-round camping become a permanent option at Blue Heron, this winter is our chance to show there is a demand for it. Plan a winter camping trip, invite your outdoor-loving friends and help us spread the word!

📍 Blue Heron Campground — McCreary County, Kentucky
🏕️ Reservations: http://Recreation.gov
📞 Reservations by phone: 877-833-6777
☎️ Big South Fork NRRA: 423-569-9778

We love seeing more opportunities for visitors to experience McCreary County in every season! 🍂❄️🌸☀️

Who’s ready for a winter camping trip at Blue Heron?

08/31/2026

One of our own, and one I am incredibly proud of! 💙

We finally caught up with Trooper Jordan Tucker while he was working last night at the Kentucky State Fair, and this picture is a special one for me personally.

Jordan is one of those kiddos I had the privilege of watching grow up. During their high school years, Jordan, my boys, and several others were always together. They ran cross country together, spent countless hours together, and made plenty of memories along the way. When kids spend that much time around your family, they have a way of becoming “your kids” too.

It’s funny how quickly the years pass. One day you’re standing on the sidelines cheering for them at a cross country meet, and the next you’re standing beside one of them while he’s wearing the Kentucky State Police uniform.

Jordan now serves with Kentucky State Police Post 15, and seeing the young man he has become makes me incredibly proud.

As Tourism Director, I spend a lot of time telling people what makes McCreary County special. Our beautiful places are certainly part of our story, but our people will always be one of the greatest things about this county.

Watching one of our own grow up, work hard, choose a life of service, and represent McCreary County so well is something worth celebrating.

Jordan, this Tourism Director may still see one of those cross country kiddos when she looks at you, but she also sees a young man our entire county can be proud of.

You make me proud, and you make McCreary County proud!

Stay safe out there, Trooper Tucker. Your hometown is cheering you on.