Light Up 2023 Bash features Prop Drop, food vendors, live music and new entertainment Ringing in the new year on Fountain Square has quickly become a Somerset tradition, and 2023 brings more to love about this community festival.  The Light Up 2023 Bash begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 at Fountain Square and will include everything thousands of attendees have come to expect — local food trucks, spirits vendors, a Prop Drop countdown, local music, and a dance party to welcome the new year. The Company Band, a high-energy ensemble that hails from Chicago, has led this dance party the last ..read more

Moonlight Festival, #seemyset Art Market take bronze in experience development during KTIA’s annual conference The last four years have been marked with scores of new experiences in Somerset, with the addition of festivals and events that celebrate food, music and art. Two of those experiences — Moonlight Festival, the community’s signature fall event, and the #seemyset Art Market, an open-air market created to celebrate tourism at home – were selected as bronze-level winners in the experience development category last week at the 2022 Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) Traverse Award ..read more

Somerset Smoke Show will feature 12-grill competition, barbecue shop classes and barbecue tastings by award-winning pitmasters Backyard rib barbecuers, unite: If you think you have what it takes to win Somerset’s first grill master title, then See Somerset Tourism, ProTrade BBQ Supply & Hardware and Baney’s Bangin’ BBQ want YOU to compete in the community’s first grill-off competition. The Somerset Smoke Show will take the stage at the 2023 Foodstock Festival April 29 in downtown Somerset, featuring a 12-person rib grilling contest, barbecue shop classes and barbecue tastings by award-winn ..read more

When the City of Somerset launched its free festival series downtown in 2019, the idea was simple: To celebrate the community’s rich culture with people from across the region and state, telling Somerset’s story through food, music and art. With music as its focus, Moonlight Festival quickly became a favorite in this series, highlighting rising stars in all genres on the Fountain Square stage. Moonlight returns for its fourth year on Saturday, Oct. 15, and will bring to downtown streets everything patrons have come to expect — food vendors, spirits, live art creation from local and regional ar ..read more

City of Somerset hosts annual food truck event April 30 The City of Somerset’s annual Foodstock food truck festival will have Derby flavor this year, featuring an art component and family activities that celebrate the most famous two minutes in sports. The city intended to add a Derby Festival to its event lineup in 2020 but was forced to cancel the event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bringing back the idea by combining it with the city’s already successful Foodstock offers the best of both worlds in one event, said Leslie Ikerd, tourism and events director. “Both the Derby and Foodstock c ..read more

Light Up 2022 Bash will bring back the Prop Drop, food trucks and music that made the first New Year’s festival a success SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (December 29, 2021) — After taking off a year to celebrate safely at home, the City of Somerset is bringing back its New Year’s festival and invites the community to ring in 2022 downtown. The Light Up 2022 Bash begins at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at Fountain Square and will include everything that made the first event a success — local food trucks, spirits vendors, a Prop Drop countdown, local music, and The Company Band, a high-energy ensemble that will play ..read more

Country music star Matt Stell and soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian close out a day of music, food and art in downtown Somerset SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (September 29, 2021) – Downtown Somerset’s signature fall event is back Saturday, Oct. 16, mixing the sounds of southern soul, gospel blues, American country and bluegrass with the flavors of Kentucky and the colors of local art. The third annual Moonlight Festival will kick off at 11 a.m. at Fountain Square in the heart of downtown Somerset. “Moonlight Festival is our largest, and has quickly become our most anticipated, event of the year,” T ..read more

New outdoor location for #seemyset Art market creates midsummer night’s vibe with instrumental music, tents and green space Images from the inaugural #seemyset Art Market in March at Suits-Us Farm. The second market will be hosted at Rocky Hollow Park on Saturday, Aug. 14. Photos by Amanda Muse | Soulful Studios Continuing its focus on events that support the arts and promote community destinations, the City of Somerset will host a second #seemyset Art Market Saturday, Aug. 14 — this time, in a new outdoor location downtown. “Our first market was an incredible success,” said Leslie Ikerd ..read more

Food trucks from across Kentucky participate in event featuring local music lineup and art contest SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (April 26, 2021) — Whether you’re craving a Greek gyro, Brazilian fare, or a good old-fashioned pretzel, the City of Somerset’s signature food truck festival, Foodstock, will be a smorgasbord when it returns Saturday, June 5. Food is the main event at the city’s first festival of 2021, featuring 17 food trucks from Somerset and across the state, as well as nine spirit and drink vendors. As with the first festival, the tastes of the Bluegrass will be complemented with the sounds ..read more

First event of the year will highlight artists, downtown eateries and boutiques at Pulaski County farm In their first event of 2021, the City of Somerset and the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission are taking downtown out into Pulaski County. The event, an open-air market from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 27 at Suits-Us Farm, is an effort to build tourism at home by showcasing all downtown has to offer to local residents. “We’ve always known our best ambassadors are our residents,” said Leslie Ikerd, City of Somerset tourism director. “But what we have learned in the past year du ..read more