LEFT : The London-Corbin Airport hosted an Open House , with visitors viewing this Black Hawk helicopter as one of the most popular drawings .
BELOW : This young man couldn ’ t contain his excitement after his entry into the Egg Drop contest survived the 30-foot drop from the aerial unit . The Egg Drop contest is part of the festivities of the World Chicken Festival . | Photos by Nita Johnson
London Downtown continued to provide events to promote local artisans and businesses with Mistletoe Market and Shop Local Week . Julie Rea , executive director , said the board strives diligently to encourage and promote local venues toward success .
“ Main Street Week 2022 was an exciting week to celebrate our downtown businesses . We were once again excited to partner with First National Bank of Manchester and City of London Tourism to make the biggest and best Shop Local Weekend around !,” Rea said . “ We offered $ 5,000 worth of $ 10 Shop , Savor , Spurge coupons that were distributed throughout our community to be used at over 30 local retailers and restaurants . This year was also our first Main Street Market where we welcomed over 40 makers into the community center to help drive traffic to our downtown to encourage shopping and dining local for the weekend .
London Downtown was proud to have one of their most successful programs receive statewide recognition by being awarded Best Economic Vitality Initiative at the Kentucky Main Street Awards in Frankfort . The Shop Local coupons have become a popular addition to our Shop Local Weekends .”
London Downtown also partnered to host the Honey Bun Run / Cider Night concert and crafters market in October as well as Mistletoe Market , a craft show held the Saturday after Thanksgiving .
Outdoor events continue to draw guests to the area , with Wildcat Off-Road Adventure ’ s jeep and 4-wheeler trails , concerts , contests and activities . Hiking trails at Levi Jackson Park and Daniel Boone National Forest are also high tourism draws and promise to bring even more people to the area in the coming year .
Music also made a strong impact in 2022 . The Town Center concerts brought out large crowds for both nationally known and local groups . Little River Band headlined one show while Clay Walker opened the sessions . Music lovers were treated to double shows in September on back-to-back weekends . Country music star Tracy Lawrence packed Town Center during the World Chicken Festival in a standing room only concert that kept the crowd entertained with his hits . The Town Center concerts are held the first weekend of the month from May