What to Wear to Keeneland: October 2105 Opening Day
In the four years that HerKentucky has been exploring the lives, traditions, and stories of Kentucky women, there's one question that we get asked more than any other. It pops up, time and again, in y'all's tweets, Facebook posts, and search engine queries:
What should I wear to Keeneland?
The answer I always give is, "Well, that depends on where you're sitting."
Image via Keeneland
All seats in Lexington's storied Keeneland Race Course are not created equal. Basically, the closer to the ground (and the horses themselves) you are, the more casually you should dress.
If you're going to stay near the Paddock --General Admission, Grandstand, or Equestrian Room-- there's no need to dress up very much. Guys often opt for khakis and polo shirts, and women can wear slacks. You're actually dressing for a horse race in these sections. These are the areas nearest the track itself, and people are truly there to watch (and bet on) the horses. With that said, don't be surprised to see a lot of dresses and sport coats in the lower-levels. In recent years, a culture of dressy tailgating (think Steeplechase) has popped up among college students and twenty-somethings, and the second floor (General Admission) Sports Bar often resembles a campus bar or fraternity semi-formal. While the dress code says "casual", there's plenty of Vineyard Vines ties and Lilly Pulitzer to be seen.
Image via Keeneland.
If you'll be dining in the upper-level, enclosed dining rooms-- The Lexington, Kentucky, or Phoenix Rooms-- then expect to dress for a business event. The Lexington and Kentucky rooms -- dining rooms often reserved for business and social gatherings-- have a "business formal" dress code; these areas require men to don a coat and tie, and skirts/dresses/dressy slacks for ladies. The Phoenix Room-- another reserved dining room-- is "business casual", requiring collared shirts and slacks for men and dresses/pantsuits for ladies.
The members-only Clubhouse similarly requires coat and tie for men and dressy pants/skirts for ladies. I find that a skirt suit or a dress paired with a pretty cardigan or wrap is always appropriate for the upper levels. In general, if you'd wear it to church or a business meeting, you're golden.
Image via Keeneland.
Of course, some days at the track are a little more dressy than others. Weekends are generally for more high profile races, and Opening Day tends to bring out dressier clothing.
With the forecast in Lexington calling for rainy days and temperatures in the 50s, I'd suggest some traditional autumn layers with a feminine twist. So bundle up, look nice, and have a great time at the track!
Banned Books Week: Uncle Tom's Cabin
This week is Banned Books Week, a celebration of Americans' access to books that have been deemed controversial, unacceptable, or otherwise restricted or censored.
Our beloved Bluegrass State has the dubious honor of being the setting for the first section of one of the most controversial and frequently banned books in the history of American literature. Uncle Tom's Cabin, written in 1852 by a Connecticut native and abolitionist named Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book was a response to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of runaway slaves to their masters.
Uncle Tom's Cabin would go on to be the second-best-selling book of the 19th century (second only to the Bible), but it did not receive universal praise. At the time of its publication, many slave owners and Southern sympathizers felt that the harsh depictions of slavery found in the book were unfair, while abolitionists considered the work a catalyst for social change. In fact, when President Abraham Lincoln met Mrs. Stowe, he said: “so this is the little lady who made this big war.”
In recent years, the novel has come under fire for use of racial epithets and for the reduction of African-American characters to tropes. However, the role that Mrs. Stowe's novel played in heightening awareness of the conditions of slavery cannot be underestimated.
This week, HerKentucky urges you to read a banned book and to remember the crucial power of controversy in the written word.
National Coffee Day
Today is National Coffee Day. At first, I thought I'd talk about my favorite cup of coffee in Kentucky. Then, I realized that asking a writer to choose one favorite cup of coffee is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Each cup is unique and beautiful and loved. Some days, you want a pour-over, or a French press, or a latte.
As a freelancer, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. I write in coffee shops, I take meetings in coffee shops. I drink coffee in coffee shops. Here in Louisville, I have so many opinions:
- Best coffee shop for a meeting: Starbucks at Shelbyville and Hurstborne. Where else can you sit in a renovated bank vault?
- Best coffee shop for a strong latte and a dose of hipsters: Sunergos in Germantown. Amazing coffee. Hipstery hipsters.
- Best coffee shop for a long conversation: Quills in the Highlands. Great coffee, awesome staff.
- Best coffee shop when you really want a cookie: Please & Thank You. Those chocolate chip cookies, though.
Latte from my own kitchen; cream puff from Plehn's Bakery.
As for the best in the Commonwealth, we here at HerKentucky have done some extensive research. Here are our favorites:
- Best espresso drink: Sunergos cappuccino from Atlantic No. 5. A locally brewed roast served up with perfectly steamed, milk, you're in luck, but make sure you can handle big flavors and a serious caffeine jolt. This isn't for amateurs.
- Best French press: Ghyslain. I'm really into French presses and pour-overs these days. You get so much more flavor from the coffee oils and packs a powerful punch. My favorite is the dark roast French press from Ghyslain, the fabulous bistro with two Louisville locations.
- Best cup of drip: (tie) Coffee Times. I adore the artisanal blends from this Lexington coffee shop. The blends are smooth, subtle, and inviting. You'll always see somebody you know. You'll love it, I promise. Lizzie B's: Glory be! I can finally get a great cup of coffee when I visit my hometown. Prestonsburg's favorite cafe serves up an amazing cup of drip. Don't miss out!
- Best Newcomer: Paducah Coffee Company roast at Piper's Tea & Coffee. I don't know if y'all have heard, but HerKentucky contributor Sarah Stewart Holland is shouting from the rooftops that Paducah is Having a Moment. Everywhere you look, there's artisans and renovations and locally made products. Sarah suggests the Turkish Coffee at Piper's, in the fabulous Coke Plant building.
What's your favorite cup of coffee?
The New Appalachia
During a recent trip to my Appalachian hometown, I had a revelation:
Everything looks the same, more or less, but there are some substantial differences.
We attended a ceremony at Alice Lloyd College, where I saw the building that once housed my great-grandmother's office still standing and put to new use.
We visited a fancy, newish restaurant in my home county, where I was delighted to find a delicious menu and a healthy appreciation of our native spirit -- a far cry from the dry county votes of my childhood.
And, as I left the mountains on Sunday morning, I ran across a barn -- formerly, the Appalachian countryside's in-house billboard service for tobacco branding -- advocating smoking cessation.
It's clear, the place that we've been told will never change is changing. It's retaining the best of the old mountain ways while adapting to the times. And, here at HerKentucky, we're thrilled to partake in the best of the new Appalachia. We'll be bringing you our newest city guide, HerAppalachia, on a semi-weekly basis, celebrating our favorite places and events. And we'd love to hear what you're loving about Appalachia lately!
Yellow and Green Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt
Every Thursday, I show y'all one of the beautiful quilts that my grandmother has made for me over the years. This week's Quilt of the Week is a yellow and green Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern.
I love the interlocking hexagons that form this pattern. It looks deceptively simple, but my granny assures me that it takes a great deal of concentration and precision!
It's easy to see why the Grandmother's Flower Garden has been a favorite for decades.
Pink and White Double Wedding Ring Quilt
Every Thursday, I share photos of a quilt my grandmother has made for me. They're such gorgeous works of art -- and such an important part of my Appalachian heritage! Today's quilt is the popular double wedding ring pattern.
This is one of those patterns that everyone has seen. Because the interlocking circles represent wedding bands, it's the quilt that a lot of people undertake to present as a wedding gift. And, according to my granny, it's a hard one to make. Every piece has to be cut just perfectly. The seam allowances have to be precise. It's not a quilt for a newbie, nor is it one that you can make in a hurry. But it sure is gorgeous.
If you're feeling up to the challenge, click here to download a pattern of your own.
Sophie just had to be part of the photo shoot; she jumped on the bed when I wasn't looking!
10 Things That Every Bourbon-Loving Kentuckian Knows (But Might Not Admit)
The secrets of bourbon-loving Kentuckians.
This is National Bourbon Heritage Month. Or, as we call it here in Kentucky, September. In the spirit of bourbon celebration, I thought it would be fun to round up a list of some of the things that every bourbon-loving Kentuckian knows, but might not admit.
1. There's a reason there are so many cornfields in Central Kentucky. It has nothing to do with food for humans or livestock.
Cornfields near Maker's Mark Distillery, as seen through the passenger's side window. As you can tell, I was wearing seersucker that day.
2. We take a lot of "bourbon history" with a grain of salt. Most labels are relatively new, and a lot of claims of novelty and history come from marketing departments.
3. Most of us secretly mix a bourbon and coke from time to time. It's easy and it goes down smoothly.
Maker's Mark warehouse
4. We like to stick with basic cocktails. A Manhattan, a whiskey sour, or an old-fashioned are about as adventurous as we get.
5. Most of us have an economy-priced favorite, too. Real bourbon lovers know there's a time and place for Old Grand-Dad or Early Times. We aren't above drinking what's in front of us.
Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Elizabeth O'Neill char a barrel.
6. Few things are as lovely as the aroma of a barrel that's being charred. It's like a gossamer mix of the cleanest vanilla and a delicately toasted homemade marshmallow wafting delicately through the air.
7. We know people who work at different spirits companies. We tend to change our orders when they're around.
8. We're just as sick of all these bourbon-flavored food products as y'all are. A few of them are good; a lot aren't.
9. We're all about trying new flavors, but we aren't afraid to stick with what we know. Sometimes you choose a label because it reminds you of the holidays, or because it's what you always take to a tailgate.
The Liquor Cabinet at Jim Beam. Every one of these has their purpose.
10.Pappy is delicious. Nobody is claiming otherwise. But when y'all come in from out of state and want to wow us with your purchase, we secretly know that there are a lot of other tasty, more moderately-priced labels on the menu.
What are your bourbon-loving secrets?