COVINGTON, Ky. — Bourbon and bluegrass fans will soon be able to enjoy a new event that aims to celebrate Northern Kentucky's ties to both of those things.
The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival will hold its inaugural celebration on March 2 at Smoke Justis in Covington. The festival will feature a cocktail competition, food and live music from Grammy-nominated bluegrass artists Sister Sadie and The Goodwin Brothers.
Regional music group Moonshine Drive will open, taking the stage at 5:30 p.m. Doors for the festival will open at 4 p.m.
The festival is a partnership between Smoke Justis, B-Line and meetNKY. The B-Line is Northern Kentucky's self-guided bourbon trail and meetNKY is northern Kentucky's tourism center.
The festival seeks to celebrate the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, which guaranteed certain quality measures be met by bourbon and whiskey makers back before the Food & Drug Act was passed in 1906.
"Everyone knows Kentucky has a rich history rooted in bourbon, but what many don't know is Northern Kentucky's role in that history," said Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of meetNKY. "The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival is the perfect way to celebrate the Bottled-in-Bond Act, which Covington's very own John G. Carlisle was instrumental in passing in 1897."
The festival runs the same weekend as Cincinnati's Bockfest, but Kirkpatrick said that was planned on purpose, to provide visitors another fun festival in which to take part. Tickets for the festival can be purchased online.
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