Local sports with A.J. Brammer.
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Bernheim Forest invites area residents to celebrate spring at their annual BloomFest, taking place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“BloomFest is a day of fun and nature that welcomes families and anyone that’s young at heart to explore the season, creativity, and discovery,” said Bernheim Forest Director of Marketing and Communications Lynette Cox. “We’re going to enjoy hands-on activities like arts and crafts, you can build garden fairy houses, enjoy naturalist-led discovery stations, and live musical entertainment from Mr. Dan, our Jolly Green Giant.”
One of the forest’s longest-running events, BloomFest is a day of fun, fantasy, and flowers. One of the highlights of the day is the Faerie and Gnome Parade, so participants are welcome to dress accordingly.
“We get a lot of kids coming out and dressing up as fairies and gnomes, and then we have a little parade at one o’clock, the Faerie and Gnome Parade,” Cox said. “We have a costume-lending tent where the kids can borrow the wings if they didn’t bring them, and they can borrow little gnome hats, and it’s just a great, fun, whimsical day in the forest.”
BloomFest also coincides with Bernheim’s spring plant sale, which runs Friday and Saturday.
“We’ve got a lot of great perennials, trees, shrubs, and native plants that are great for those pollinators to attract to your backyard and great for your landscaping,” Cox said. “Whether you have a shady area or a sunny spot, we’ve got the perfect plant to fill that for you.”
BloomFest is free, but donations are accepted at the forest’s gate. Visit www.bernheim.org or the Bernheim Forest Facebook page for more information.
The Lincoln Trail Area Development District is gearing up for their annual Senior Celebration, to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 at the Pritchard Community Center in Elizabethtown.
According to LTADD, the Senior Celebration is held as part of Older Americans Month. The event is free to attend and brings together seniors from across the eight-county district “for a day filled with engagement, education, and entertainment.
“At LTADD, we believe that our senior citizens are the heart of our community,” said LTADD CASE Finance Director Amanda Ross. “This celebration is our way of honoring their contributions while providing a vibrant space for social connection and wellness. It’s more than just an event. It’s a showcase of the active, joyful lives that our seniors lead.”
The theme of the event is “Champion Your Heart”. The event will feature live music, health and wellness vendors, bingo, and organized exercise sessions for all mobility levels.
Early arrival is encouraged. Transportation is available through CKCATS by calling 1-800-242-8225. Contact LTADD or visit www.ltadd.org for more information.
Anybody who is planning on casting a ballot in the 2026 Primary Election is welcome to participate in in-person no excuse absentee voting, or early voting.
“Early voting begins May 14 and runs through the 15th and 16th,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. “These three days are available for any voter in Hardin County who wants to come in person to cast their ballot. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We have locations at the Hardin County Clerk’s main office in Elizabethtown and at Colvin Community Center in Radcliff.”
If you received a mail-in absentee ballot, as a reminder, the deadline for the clerk’s office to receive those ballots is 6 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not matter; the ballot must physically reach the clerk’s office prior to the deadline. If you cannot get the ballot in the mail early enough to arrive on time, secure drop boxes are available at the clerk’s office’s Elizabethtown and Radcliff locations.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, May 19. Contact your county clerk’s office or visit govote.ky.gov for more information.
Area and state officials are alerting drivers to bridge closings.
Hardin County Government says following a state inspection this week, the historic bridge in White Mills has been closed to all traffic until further notice. This includes pedestrians. Temporary barriers have been placed on both ends of the bridge, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four says due to safety concerns ahead of a scheduled repair project, KY 79 has been closed in both directions over the Rough River Lake Spillway Bridge in Grayson County near the Breckinridge County line. The closure is in effect through at least Thursday to allow for engineers to inspect the bridge deck and develop a course of action ahead of a scheduled deck replacement project in June. Motorists should use KY 54, KY 737, and KY 259 as an alternate route.
Follow KYTC District Four on social media for updates.