Early Bird Gala Tickets, 1847 Zachary Taylor Token, $250 Presidents’ Day Discount on Event Spaces, and More
2026 Night at the Frazier graphic.
Guests pose at last year’s Night at the Frazier, April 5, 2025.
Guests order cocktails at last year’s Night at the Frazier, April 5, 2025.
Get ready to put on your stars and stripes!
Night at the Frazier returns on May 15 with the star-spangled theme of Red, White, and Bluegrass, a nod to Kentucky’s place within the 250th anniversary of the United States this year—our nation’s semiquincentennial, if you will.
Our announcement appropriately falls on Presidents’ Day, a day originally established to honor the life and legacy of George Washington, the first US President, that has come to recognize Lincoln and varying celebrations of the presidential office across each state.
At the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, we are embracing America250 through our exhibitions, programs, and events this year, with our third annual gala being no exception!
The museum will come alive in this signature evening, bringing our community together for a night of fun, philanthropy, and pride in the stories that connect us all. Guests are encouraged to arrive decked out in semi-formal attire inspired by the colors of our flag: Think stars and stripes, bold reds and blues, crisp whites, and a little sparkle for good measure.
From cocktail hour to midnight, Night at the Frazier offers something for everyone. Early Bird Party tickets are available, with access beginning at 8 p.m. Party guests will enjoy curated grazing stations, Bourbon from distilleries such as Horse Soldier, Dark Arts, and Larrikin, live music, opportunities to win cool items and experiences in the silent auction and Bourbon pull, and of course, the return of the ever-popular Kentucky-oke!
VIP guests are invited to begin the evening earlier at 5:30 p.m. with an extended cocktail hour, followed by a plated dinner at 7 p.m. and an exciting live auction—an elevated experience before joining the party celebration.
Night at the Frazier supports the museum’s mission to inspire, educate, and engage by connecting Kentucky’s past and present to shape the future. We are deeply grateful to Brown-Forman and all the sponsors and partners who make this unforgettable night possible.
Tickets and full event details are available here. We invite you to view photos from last year’s celebration here. We hope you’ll join us for an evening that’s bold, joyful, mission-driven, and unmistakably Frazier.
Much of today’s Frazier Weekly is focused on Presidents’ Day, with a new item in our collection featuring Zachary Taylor, a special $250 discount if you book an event at the Frazier, and a discounted price to an upcoming show with the Louisville Orchestra.
We can’t wait to sparkle and shine with you soon!
Hayley Harlow
Sr. Manager of Fundraising
Frazier Kentucky History Museum
This Week in the Museum
From the Collections: Zachary Taylor Token, 1847
Front of Zachary Taylor token made in 1847. Part of the Frazier Kentucky History Museum collection.
Back of Zachary Taylor token made in 1847. Part of the Frazier Kentucky History Museum collection.
Since today is Presidents’ Day, I want to spotlight an object from our collection related to a Kentucky-native President!
In 1785, a young Zachary Taylor came with his family to what is now Louisville, Kentucky. A military man, Taylor rose to the rank of Major General. He gained national attention for his victories in the Mexican American War, which included the defeat of Mexican General Santa Ana.
An active career officer, Taylor never publicly revealed his political beliefs or voted before the 1848 election. He thought of himself as an Independent, as he had a low opinion of politicians—though he would be convinced by supporters to declare for the Whig Party. At the Whig National Convention in 1848, Zachary Taylor beat three-time presidential candidate and party leader Henry Clay for the nomination and went on to win the election.
One of the biggest issues of Zachary Taylor’s presidency was what to do with the western territories recently acquired by the United States after the Mexican-American War. The biggest issue was whether or not those territories should be opened to slavery. While Taylor himself owned slaves, he did not support the expansion of slavery and tried to stay above the political fray.
Zachary Taylor was only in office for sixteen months before he died of stomach disease. This makes his presidency the third shortest in American history. He was buried at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville.
Today’s object from the collection is a campaign medal or token made in support of Zachary Taylor’s run for office. Made in 1847, it is believed this piece was made in support of his nomination from the Whig Party to run for the presidency. The token is made of brass with an image of Taylor on the front and the words “Hero of Palo Alto, Resaca De La Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista, 1847.” On the reverse side is an eagle with a shield carrying an olive branch and arrows.
While this object is not currently on view, we do have a new case of presidents’ items on view in our Founder’s Gallery.
Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement
Museum Shop: Presidents’ Day Goodies
Lincoln Bourbon sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, February 12, 2026.
Sip like a president this Presidents’ Day! From Lincoln Bourbon to a replica of George Washington’s still, we’ve got history worth raising a glass to—no executive orders required. Lincoln Bourbon is available in the Frazier’s Museum Shop.
Frazier’s Events Team Offers $250 Discount for Presidents’ Day
2026 Presidents’ Day sale graphic.
We are not going to let mattress stores corner the market with sales on Presidents’ Day! Our Events Team at the Frazier is offering $250 off any of our spaces that you book from today, February 16, through this Friday, February 20. That discount of course is in celebration of America250. Click here to see all of our wonderful choices of spaces and the events we can host. Get booking!
Sippin’ with Stephen: Kentucky Peerless Cognac Barrel Finished Bourbon with John Wadell
The Frazier Kentucky History Museum shares stories of the people, places, and producers of the Kentucky Bourbon industry. To learn more, visit our Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center or tour our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
This episode of Sippin’ with Stephen features John Wadell! John is the Head Blender, Taster, and Single Barrel Curator at Kentucky Peerless Co. John gives viewers several reasons to make Kentucky Peerless a part of your Bourbon journey. He also was kind enough to let me taste the Peerless® Cognac Barrel Finished Bourbon.
Cognac Barrel Finished Bourbon consists of Peerless Small Batch Bourbon that undergoes an additional aging process in barrels that previously held a premium cognac. This finishing process imparts unique flavors to the Bourbon, blending the rich, sweet, and spicy characteristics of Bourbon with the fruity, floral, and nutty notes from the cognac-soaked barrels. The Peerless team strategically selects Bourbon barrels that will create the perfect blend, highlighting the traits received from the cognac barrel. Due to the nature of these barrels, the new expression will be extremely limited and released in Kentucky only.
For additional information on everything Kentucky Peerless has to offer, visit their website. Cheers!
Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager
Frazier’s Program to Follow Four Roses’ $775 Million Sale to Gallo!
Behind the Roses flyer.
Hey all, I’m not sure if you saw the news, but Four Roses Bourbon ownership is moving back to the United States from Japan.
Japan-based Kirin Holdings has agreed to sell its Kentucky Bourbon distillery Four Roses to Gallo for approximately $775 million.
With the recent news, our March 5 program Behind the Roses: A Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Selection Experience just got a bit more interesting. As our regular attendees know, no topic is off the table as we share stories and sip great Kentucky Bourbon. I can’t wait to hear what Brent Elliot has to say about his new ownership and the always-evolving Bourbon industry climate.
I always enjoy these programs, and Brent is one of the absolute best, so I hope to see you in the front row for what I’m certain will be our latest sell-out. Live a little, come have a taste!
Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Nominate the Frazier for Best Museum in Kentucky!
2026 Best in Kentucky nomination graphic.
Folks, this is not a drill: Nominations for Kentucky Living’s 2026 Best in Kentucky awards are NOW OPEN!
If you want to help the Frazier Kentucky History Museum—the reigning Best Museum in Kentucky!—retain its crown, nominate us today.
The deadline for nominations is February 28, so act fast!
We thank you for your support.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Louisville Orchestra Offers Frazier Weekly Readers a Special Deal
Louisville Orchestra’s Sounds of a New Nation flyer
We love our partnerships! Thank you to the Louisville Orchestra for offering this special deal for our Frazier Weekly readers. We are leaning into America250 and so is the LO with two upcoming concerts titled Sounds of a New Nation on February 20 at 11 a.m. and February 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitney Hall. Keep reading to learn more about the concerts and how you can receive 15 percent off the ticket price.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding with the music that resonated through the American colonies during the fight for independence. Sounds of a New Nation brings to life the anthems, hymns, and symphonic works that shaped the soundscape of early America, juxtaposing patriotic fervor and European influences, and hear these anthems and hymns woven into the dizzying tapestry of Ives’s A Symphony.
William Billings, often called America’s first composer, captured the revolutionary spirit in his Part-Songs and Fuguing Tunes, while Chester—a rallying cry of the era—later found new life in Schuman’s New England Triptych. Charles Ives’s A Symphony: New England Holidays paints a bold and nostalgic portrait of early American traditions, echoing the music of the past through a modern lens.
Even as America declared its independence, European music remained influential. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9, composed in the same revolutionary era, just an ocean away, brings the elegance and sophistication admired on colonial concert stages.
Join us as we mark this historic milestone with a concert that captures the sound and spirit of 1776—music that inspired a revolution and shaped a nation. Credits include Teddy Abrams as the conductor and Jonathan Biss on the piano.
We've put together an exclusive offer for you Frazier Weekly readers: Get 15 percent off your ticket price by using the code FRAZIER.
Mallory Kramer
Marketing Director, Louisville Orchestra
Guest Contributor
Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Native Makes Comeback in the Olympics
Skier Nick Goepper poses with Rachel Platt on the set of WHAS11’s Great Day Live!, March 4, 2014.
Skier Nick Goepper poses in Team USA gear, 2025.
This year’s 2026 Winter Olympics is a comeback story for a native of Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
I first met Nick Goepper in 2014, interviewing him in my TV days, after he won his first Olympic medal in slopestyle skiing in Sochi.
A teenager who won bronze!
Pretty heady stuff.
Since then, he has won a silver medal in 2018 and another in 2022, also in slopestyle.
After Beijing in 2022, he decided he needed a break. He was burned out and took a step away.
The thirty-one-year-old is back for his fourth Olympics in Milan, but he has made the unprecedented switch into halfpipe skiing.
I watched a recent interview with him talking about his need to step away so he could get rejuvenated for his eventual un-retirement.
Goepper was a teenager when I interviewed him. The celebrity and fame as well as the grueling focus of Olympic athletes can take its toll, and it did.
But now he’s in a much better place. He is a believer in talking about it, and encouraging others to reach out for help and connectedness where and when you can.
Nick Goepper, I will be pulling for you in Milan. I will also be pulling for you in life. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Kentucky Paralympian Oksana Masters Stars in Toyota Ad During Super Bowl LX
A case of objects loaned by Paralympic athlete Oksana Masters in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, 2025.
Did you know Oksana Masters—who starred in this Toyota ad that aired during this year’s Super Bowl—is a Kentuckian?
Oksana was born in Ukraine and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where she attended Highland Middle School and Atherton High School. The effects of Chernobyl were suspected to play a role in birth defects that led to both of her legs being amputated. By the time she was thirteen, she discovered newfound freedom in adaptive rowing in Louisville—and the rest is history. With nineteen medals, she is now the most decorated US Winter Paralympian of all time.
In the Toyota ad, titled “Where Dreams Began,” Oksana—along with two of her fellow Team Toyota athletes, NFL player Puka Nacua and NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace—trains with a young version of herself. “I’m the you who never gave up,” the younger Oksana says—to which the present-day Oksana replies: “We got this.”
Oksana was also one of several notable figures who appeared in a Starbucks ad that ran during Super Bowl LX.
See a case of medals, apparel, and miscellanea from Oksana on display in our Cool Kentucky exhibition!
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
On the Trail with Abby: Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood
On the Trail with Abby graphic.
Bourbon tourism is booming—and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is growing faster than ever! Each week, the Frazier’s Abby Flanders takes readers on a digital stop-by-stop tour of this expanding adventure, spotlighting the distilleries, stories, and expressions behind America’s native spirit. Ready to hit the trail in real life? Start your journey at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, home of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center.
Exterior of Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Oldham County, Kentucky.
Kentucky Artisan Distillery opened as the first contract distillery in Kentucky and produces Bourbon for several brands such as Jefferson’s Reserve and Whiskey Row. But it also produces several lines and brands of their own! Churning out 6,000 barrels per year is no easy feat, especially considering that the team relies on older methods—only their senses—to determine when each batch has matured.
Most tours and tastings at Kentucky Artisan Distillery span their brands, meaning you can try several unique options. With the opening of their Clubhouse last year just half a mile from the distillery, you can taste straight from the barrel in a fun, farm-house environment. Keep on trailing on!
Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement
