Best Museum in Kentucky Award, 1988 Amy Lynch Harlow Wedding Dress, Estill County Mountain Mushroom Festival, and More
Now that was cool!
Frazier President Andy Treinen is interviewed on the big screen during Thurby at Churchill Downs, May 1, 2025.
I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and that you came out of our annual Derby city tradition healthy, wealthy, and wise. But let’s be honest: even two out of three may be a lousy bet!
Here at the Frazier, we are still glowing after partnering with Churchill Downs and Old Forester in presenting a Cool Kentucky–themed Thurby. Check out the pictures in these GIFs to see some of the Frazier’s activations spread out over 147 acres under the Twin Spires. What a blast!
Photos taken during the Cool Kentucky–themed Thurby hosted by Churchill Downs in partnership with the Frazier, May 1, 2025.
Photos taken during the Cool Kentucky–themed Thurby hosted by Churchill Downs in partnership with the Frazier, May 1, 2025.
Also, this week, the Frazier is once again a finalist competing for the title of best museum in Kentucky presented by Kentucky Living magazine. With all the amazing museums in the Bluegrass State, we’re honored to be a finalist—and we’d love your support.
Our new exhibition Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage continues to impress. Over the run of the show, we’ll feature wedding dresses dating back to the 1870s. In today’s Frazier Weekly, there’s a Frazier family connection. Plus, our Jason Berkowitz reports from the Mountain Mushroom Festival in Estill County, Abby Flanders spotlights a Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distillery in Logan County, and our Museum Shop plugs some neat Morse code bracelets for Mother’s Day (which is this Sunday!).
I hope you enjoy.
Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
Frazier-Featured Tori Murden McClure and John Timmons Recognized at Thurby
The Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs is usually reserved for the winning horses at the track, but on Thurby, it was for two icons who were honored during our Cool Kentucky partnership with Churchill.
Talk about winners!
Explorer Tori Murden McClure is interviewed in the Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs during Thurby, May 1, 2025.
Ear X-tacy founder John Timmons is interviewed in the Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs during Thurby, May 1, 2025.
Tori Murden McClure became the first woman and first American to row the Atlantic ocean solo, succeeding on her second attempt. She personifies never giving up—lessons for us all. Tori and her husband Mac donated her boat, the American Pearl, to the Frazier this past December.
My colleague Mick Sullivan and I got to help escort Tori to the Winner’s Circle as they played packaged stories we created on the Jumbotron. I talked with two Kentucky State Troopers assigned to the Winner’s Circle, and they were jaw-dropped by her story. So am I, and I’ve been following it for twenty-five years.
Our next icon honored at the track and in our Cool Kentucky exhibition is John Timmons, the man behind the beloved ear X-tacy store that closed in 2011. Gone but certainly not forgotten.
We have that iconic store sign here at the Frazier, and when people see it, you feel the memories and that sense of place that washes over them. John is just one of those cool people who made an impact and is still trying to process it all. Dude, you deserve the accolades!
I hope Tori and John soaked it all in. It was so cool for Mick and I to be part of their special day at the track.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Amy Lynch Harlow on her 1988 Kentucky Derby Day Wedding
Amy Lynch and Brad Harlow pose on their wedding day, May 7, 1988.
Amy Lynch and Brad Harlow pose by Amy’s wedding dress on display in the Frazier’s Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibition, April 5, 2025.
The Frazier History Museum recently opened Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage, an exhibition that explores the many ways love has been celebrated across time. A section called Decades features a chronological timeline of wedding dresses. When I learned this would be part of the exhibition during the curatorial planning process, I was excited to see my mother’s wedding dress selected to represent the 1980s, a time that saw the revival of the mutton sleeve trend. In sharing her gown, I uncovered more Kentucky ties in her wedding story than I ever realized. Though both of my parents are Eastern Kentucky University graduates, and my mom has called Kentucky home for over thirty years, she’s originally from West Virginia, where the wedding ceremony took place. But on May 7, 1988—Derby Day in Louisville!—she married a native Louisvillian in a dress purchased from a historic bridal shop right here in town. Their story came full circle at the opening of Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage the same evening of our Night at the Frazier gala where my parents experienced the exhibition and saw my mother’s dress on display—the first time out of its preservation box since 1988. I invite you to visit Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage, on view through March 29, 2026, and discover the many Kentucky stories woven into this celebratory, heartfelt exhibition.—Hayley Harlow, Sr. Manager of Fundraising
When our daughter Hayley mentioned the Frazier was planning to open an exhibition featuring Kentucky weddings throughout the decades, I had a reminiscent moment about my own wedding dress.
Many memories surrounding our wedding flooded into my mind: how I met the love of my life, Louisville native Bradley Harlow, in English class at Eastern Kentucky University in 1982; our plans after graduation in 1985; and our own journeys that led us apart for two years. Brad was going to Southern Baptist Seminary, and I headed back to my hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, to teach science. After two years of long-distance dating, we became engaged, and I moved to Kentucky.
Planning a wedding long distance was a challenge, but my mom Georgia was amazing. She planned many of the details, but I shopped for my dress. As most engaged young women, we all read Brides magazine. I ripped the page out of the magazine and headed to Greenups Belles and Brides in downtown Louisville as suggested by my future mother-in-law, Mary Harlow. I was warmly greeted by a saleswoman wearing all black. She brought out three dresses. The first one I looked at was the dress of my dreams. My wedding portrait was painted in oils by Louisville Maish-McMillen studios in 1987.
I’m honored that my 1988 wedding dress (purchased in 1987) was chosen to be in the Frazier’s tribute exhibition Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage. If you haven’t visited the Frazier recently, I highly recommend you make plans to do so soon.
Amy Lynch Harlow
Guest Contributor
Dispatch from Estill County: 2025 Mountain Mushroom Festival
120: Cool KY Counties graphic.
Did you know Irvine, Kentucky, hosts an annual festival devoted to morel mushrooms? Learn more in our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit. On April 26, the Frazier’s Jason Berkowitz and his wife Sarah paid a visit to the 2025 Mountain Mushroom Festival! We’ve asked Jason to recap that uniquely Kentucky experience for our readers.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
A ridge east of Irvine, Estill County, Kentucky, April 26, 2025.
A demonstration held during the Mountain Mushroom Festival in Irvine, April 26, 2025.
Kentucky agate minerals on display at the Mountain Mushroom Festival in Irvine, April 26, 2025.
Nestled right up to the Appalachian Mountains is the town of Irvine, Kentucky (located in Estill County and pronounced ER-vuhn). For years, the region has enchanted visitors with its stunning scenery and breathtaking views of the looming, ancient mountains marking the horizon. Once experienced, it becomes quite obvious why Irvine is said to be “where the Bluegrass kisses the mountains.”
Perhaps even more incredible is the community itself and the extraordinary traditions passed down over generations. For centuries, locals have explored the surrounding hills and wilderness in search of two unlikely bedfellows—the morel mushroom and the Kentucky agate. Both mineral and fungus can be elusive, with hunters relying on traditional knowledge amassed over decades by fathers, fathers’ fathers, and so on. Here we have ancestors and descendants separated by oceans of time, yet always connected via the ongoing practice of these traditions. Take the Stacey family: six generations of morel mushroom hunters with a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to share it.
But in order to truly experience the importance of mushroom and mineral in Irvine and Estill, one needs to mark their calendar for the Mountain Mushroom Festival, held every year during the last weekend of April. Since 1991, the Estill Arts Council has dedicated time and energy, sweat and tears, towards putting together an event which currently boasts over 30,000(!) in annual attendance. As Irvine has a population of approximately 2,000, longstanding festival chairperson Francine Bonny and others on the council deserve high praise indeed. And it is easy to see why the festival is so popular! There is no shortage of arts, crafts, vendors, food, food, and food, morel hunting, agate hunting, pie throwing, parade watching, food, mineral collecting, song and dance, games and classes, and, yes, MORE food.
Speaking of Francine, she had graciously invited me to the festival—even taking time from her tsunami of responsibilities to show my wife and I the sights, sounds, and tastes of the event. Her own story is remarkable, as she has worked tirelessly over decades to grow the festival into the behemoth it is today. From a one-day festival attended almost exclusively by locals to a nearly week-long celebration of all things morel and agate, bringing visitors from across the US and even abroad, this is a success story like none other and an excellent model for smaller communities looking to promote local heritage.
Credit must also be given to the Kentucky Folklife Society and, in particular, its Folk and Traditional Arts Director, Mark Brown, who has trained community leaders like Francine Bonny and Mary Reed as part of the Kentucky Folklife Program. As they say, it takes a village—and there is no bigger “village” than the Commonwealth when we choose to come together. Take a bow, Francine, Mary, Kendall Murphy, Mark Brown, and countless others who make the Mountain Mushroom Festival such a phenomenal experience and Estill County a destination worth its weight in mushrooms.
Jason Berkowitz
Stories in Mind Facilitator
Enjoy Behind-the-Scenes Exhibition Access at May 17’s Member Appreciation Day!
Visitors look at dresses during the Frazier’s Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibition opening, April 5, 2025.
With the opening of our brand new exhibition Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage, there is no better time than now to become a member! If you become a member by Thursday, May 8, you’ll be able to attend our next member-exclusive event, Member Appreciation Day on Saturday, May 17.
With the opening of our brand new exhibition, Member Appreciation Day is all about thanking our members with some behind-the-scenes access. After a quick bite to eat, members will take a special tour with our Curator Amanda Briede and later see some exciting items that were not included in the final exhibition with our Registrar and Manager of Collections Engagement Tish Boyer.
Member-exclusive events are not the only perk of membership. All of our members get free admission to the Frazier throughout the year, discounts in the Museum Shop and on public programs, and our monthly member-exclusive newsletter. And even better, Family Contributor members and above get free parking, NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum) membership, and more!
Gwendolyn Gray
Membership Coordinator
Museum Shop: Morse Code Bracelets for Mother’s Day!
Morse code bracelets sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 11. This year, tell your mom “I Love You” in code—Morse code, that is! These bracelets spell out sweet messages like “Mother” and “I Love You.” Slip one into a card and make her day. They’re available in the Frazier’s Museum Shop.
On the Trail with Abby: B.H. James Distillery in Logan County
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 History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
Exterior of B.H. James Distillery in Adairville, Logan County, Kentucky. Credit: B.H. James Distillers.
B.H. James playing baseball, undated. Credit: B.H. James Distillers.
This week, we’re heading to the southern edge of Kentucky to visit a distillery that’s as full of heart as it is flavor—B.H. James Distillers in Adairville, Logan County!
Founded in 2022 by Shawn McCormick, this small but mighty distillery is rooted in family history. Shawn named it after his great-grandfather, Burton Hulon “B.H.” James—a former pro baseball player who played for teams in St. Louis, Nashville, and New Orleans before spending most of his career with the Texas League. Eventually, B.H. fell in love and settled down in Adairville, where he made his forever home. In his honor, the distillery calls the old Adairville City Fire Station home, a building with deep local roots that’s been lovingly transformed into a working distillery and tasting room.
B.H. James officially joined the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® in 2023, and while it may be one of the newer stops, it’s already making big waves: it’s won seventy-seven awards in its first two years of operation.
Their current lineup includes fine whiskeys and Bourbons, such as the Burton James® Uniquely American® Whiskey blend “Five-Tool Player” and Burton James® Uniquely American Bourbon®, both of which hit a home run. Other products include the Kentucky Grit® Corn Whiskey, which can be purchased in an aged or unaged form. On the bench, but up to bat soon, is batch six: Texas Leaguer.
You’ll find B.H. James in the heart of Adairville, open Wednesday through Saturday. Bring your friends, your family, even your dog, as their tasting room and cocktail bar are pet-friendly! Their Bourbon slushes are worth boasting about, perfect for a summer day on the Bourbon Trail®.
This stop proves that great Bourbon can come from even the smallest towns—and that a good story always tastes better with a great pour.
Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement
Bridging the Divide
Oldham County History Center Exhibit The Quince Open Through May 24
A Quinceañera dress on display in The Quince at Oldham County History Center, 2025.
A Quinceañera dress on display in The Quince at Oldham County History Center, 2025.
A Bible on display in The Quince at Oldham County History Center, 2025.
“It’s more than just an epic birthday bash; it’s a meaningful coming-of-age celebration that marks a Latina girl's “journey into womanhood.” That quote is from Nancy Stearns Theiss, the Executive Director of the Oldham County History Center. The Center has a new exhibit called The Quince and we wanted you to know more about it and schedule a time to visit to learn more.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission
“The Quince”: A Rite of Passage, Culture, and Identity
Oldham County History Center
Exhibit Dates: March 22–May 24, 2025
The Oldham County History Center will launch The Quince: A Right of Passage, Culture, and Identity to highlight the unique ways we celebrate the milestones of life’s journey. The Quinceañera, or Quince, is a unique Latin American custom that marks a girl’s passage from youth into adulthood at the age of fifteen. It is a traditional celebration with deep cultural and family roots. Sometimes the celebration can be quite large with between 100 to 300 guests. It is estimated that there are more than 500,000 Quinceañeras annually in the United States.
The Quince celebration is certainly no stranger to Oldham County. Many of our local Latino families participate in this celebration of their daughters’ “journey into womanhood.” Examples of other events in our community similar to this would be sweet sixteen parties, junior proms, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, confirmations, and so on. This exhibit demonstrates how closely we are connected to each other: even though we may celebrate our personal milestones differently, we are also very much alike.
Even simple milestones like getting a driver’s license, being able to vote, and turning twenty-one are the recognition of the responsibilities that begin in adulthood. Celebrations are important to welcome our young people into the community, to embrace our children’s growing up and supporting them.
I think that most of us are tired of the way that social media directs our attention away from what is textual, experiential, and tactile. Research shows that the power of celebrations, festivals, and rituals are good for a community’s well-being. They provide a sense of community, bringing diverse cultures together to work for the common good of the local region. By comparing the commonalities of who we are, we give value to the individual people who live here in our community of Oldham County.
At the history center, celebrating our history recognizes the culture of what makes us unique. Through our local celebrations such as Oldham County Day, Day of the Dead, Juneteenth, the Corn Island Storytelling Festival, and others, we provide a sense of structure and meaning for who we are as Oldham Countians. Our history gives us roots and grounds us, the people we recognize from our past, and the traditions and rituals of our diversity. All of these things foster connection and belonging.
This exhibit, curated by fashion consultant Jo Ross, explores the various aspects of a Quince celebration, beginning with examples of the elaborate Quince dresses often described as princess dresses. “These dresses are being donated by families who have had Quince parties for their daughters,” Jo explains. “We will also have a few other “regalia” or “special costumes” such as Native American Jingle dresses and Bar and Bat Mitzvah attire that show the contrast and similarities between this special moment in a young adult’s life.”
Some common traditions often observed for a Quinceañera include:
· Mass or Blessing. A Quinceañera typically begins with a religious ceremony, where the Quinceañera gives thanks and seeks blessings for her future.
· The Last Doll. Symbolizing the end of childhood, the Quinceañera may receive a doll, often resembling the Quinceañera herself. After the ceremony, this is usually given away to a younger sibling or cousin, signifying the Quinceañera’s transition to adulthood.
· Changing of Shoes. The girl’s father or another significant male figure usually replaces her flat shoes with high heels. This act is a touching symbolic gesture, marking her stepping into womanhood.
· Court of Honor. The Quinceañera is usually accompanied by a group of young men and women, often consisting of family and friends. They perform choreographed dances, offering a spectacle for the celebration attendees.
· First Dance. The Quinceañera shares her first dance traditionally with her father or a father figure. The dance is said to signify her entry into society as a young woman.
· The Reception. This is the grand celebration, complete with music, food, and dancing.
For more information on the exhibit or if you want to connect to Nancy Theiss: Oldham County History Center, 106 N. Second Ave., LaGrange, KY, 40031. Phone: (502) 222-0826. Email: info@oldhamkyhistory.com. Website: oldhamkyhistory.com.
Nancy Stearns Theiss
Executive Director, Oldham County History Center
Guest Contributor
