Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide 2025

So You’ve Got Your Kentucky Bourbon Festival Tickets! Now What?

Your Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide

Are you looking for my 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide? Find it here.

Congratulations! You were fortunate enough to score tickets to the sold-out 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival! Now you’re likely counting down the days until you can sample from over 200 brands and expressions, attend premium and pre- and post-festival events, buy bottles, chat with master distillers, and more! With so much going on, you’re probably looking for some guidance on how to make the most of the festival. As a seasoned Kentucky Bourbon Festival attendee, I’m here to help!

Ticket Options: What Did You Buy—and What’s Included?

With all the different ticket options available, the first place to start is to learn what your ticket entitles you to.

The vast majority of tickets sold are the Weekend Bourbon Taster (AKA General Admission) tickets. There is also the Sunday only version, which is aptly called the 1‑Day Sunday Sampler. These tickets get you entry and unlimited re-entry to the festival, a KBF Wee Glencairn tasting glass, unlimited sampling from the 60+ distilleries and the ability to purchase premium tickets. Also included is access to the Bourbon Capital Bites area (food trucks), Marketplace Vendors and the Bourbon:30 Show viewing area.

There are a variety of VIP ticket packages available (VIP Decanter Club, VIP Flask Force, VIP Enthusiast & VIP Oris President’s Club), and they all include everything that the general admission tickets include. In addition, VIP attendees have access to the VIP Lodge (tent), which has unlimited small bites, a bar with premium pours and cocktails (unlimited), and my personal favorite perk – air conditioned bathrooms. Also included with all VIP packages is a ticket to Thursday evening’s Bourbon in the Air. If you have read my article about last year’s festival – Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2024: A Spirited Celebration – you would know that I feel that Bourbon in the Air is one of the best parts of the festival.

The VIP Oris President’s Club has many more amenities and perks, and if you are one of the 24 people who bought those tickets, you likely know what they are. So, I won’t discuss that ticket package any further here. Beyond that, the other VIP packages only differ in the type of swag that you get.

You Bought Tickets And Can’t Go? Now What?

If you bought a wristband(s) and can no longer attend, you can transfer them to someone else. Email info@kybourbonfestival.com or support@tixr.com, as well as the new buyer and provide the name and Order ID associated with the tickets. You will be responsible for shipping the wristbands to the new buyer. If you can’t get the wristbands to them in time, the original purchaser needs to email info@kybourbonfestival.com with the order number(s) and new buyer’s email address to indicate that wristbands for entry have been transferred to someone else.  At that time, the original wristbands mailed will be void and KBF can issue wristbands for the new buyer to pick up at will-call.

Locker Rentals

All attendees have access to lockers, which are located in the main event area. They are at the near end of the “Bourbon Breezeway” which is located in the church parking lot area, opposite the Preservation Distillery booth (# 1 on the Festival map), and to the left of the VIP Gate as you are walking into the festival. Lockers are available for all ticket holders for a charge. In addition, a substantial number of complimentary lockers are available for VIP ticket holders.

Lockers are useful for holding the swag and bottles that your purchase while you wander around the festival. However, there are many more attendees than lockers, so if getting one is important to you, you should plan ahead. Locker rentals are available to purchase prior to the festival online through your tixr account, however they may largely be sold out by now. For VIPs, there are way more complimentary lockers available than in prior years. However, to be on the safe side, you’ll still want to get there early and grab one if you want one, or book one in advance for a fee.

Note that VIP lockers are also located in the Sun Shade area, not in the VIP Tent as they have been in the past. Oris President’s Club ticket holders will each get a locker in the Brindiamo Penthouse.

Important Kentucky Bourbon Festival Details & Survival Guide Key Pro Tips

• Festival hours: Fri–Sat 12–6 PM, Sun 12–4 PM; VIP entry begins 11 AM daily.
• Wristbands ship ~2 weeks ahead; do not put them on early or remove them between days. If you haven’t received yours, check the FAQ on the KBF website for information. Be sure to follow the provided instructions to activate your wristband or you won’t be able to use it.
• Will-Call opens 10 AM daily Friday Sep 5 – Sun Sep 7; limited hours on Thursday Sep 4 beginning at 4 PM.
• Bring a valid ID
• You may bring a clear bag (12″×6″×12″ or smaller)
• It is highly recommended to bring an empty water bottle (≤1L). Water bottles can be filled inside the festival. Drinking water is very important; you need to stay hydrated. It can often be quite hot in Bardstown during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.
• Leave behind backpacks, outside food/drink, coolers, cameras, etc. There is a very large list of prohibited items in the FAQ. You are allowed to bring an EMPTY canvas bag with handles to transport bottles home.
• Wear comfortable practical shoes. This is an outdoor festival on grass. If it rains, there is mud. You don’t want your 4 inch heels to sink in.
• Eat before, during and after the festival. You need to absorb all that bourbon!
• If you have lanyard that fits a mini-Glencairn, bring it. It’s great to have your hands free! Lanyards will also be sold at the festival merchandise area.
• All attendees get only ONE (1) Mini-Glencairn Tasting Glass to use for the entire festival. So, bring your glass with you every day!
• You must scan your wristband every time you enter and exit the festival. If you forget to scan it when you leave, you will not be able to enter the festival again, and you will have to go to Will Call to have it reset.

Take Advantage of Special Events & Presentations

In addition to sampling bourbon, there are many additional educational and entertaining activities at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. However, it’s a careful balancing act to take advantage of these special sessions, but still leave yourself enough time to sample bourbon, talk with distillery representatives and other attendees, eat, visit the vendors, and everything else.

• Bourbon:30 Stage – The Bourbon:30 stage is located to the right of the main entrance, as you are walking in to the festival. It offers free educational and entertaining 30 minutes sessions, consisting of interviews and panel discussions. They generally begin on the half hour Friday and Saturday, and on the hour on Sunday. The full schedule will be on a sign by the stage. These sessions are a great opportunity to hear from luminaries in the industry. It is definitely worth trying to catch at least a few of them. Plus, you can usually find a seat in the shade.
• Master Distillers’ Auction – This auction takes place on Saturday at 2 PM at the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History / Spaulding Hall chapel. This year there will be over 50 items to bid on including premium bourbons, signed bottle collections, the Pappy collection, vintage firearms, custom cigar humidors and a guitar signed by a musical legend and more!
• Premium Events – Premium events refer to panel sessions, presentations and even a dinner that are available at an additional charge. Virtually all of the events take place on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds in the Great Tent. The Icons Dinner takes place off-site, at Fred & Freddie Noe’s houses, which are within walking distance of the KBF grounds. Tickets for all premium events can be purchased through your tixr account or via the link in your original confirmation email. While a few sessions, the Bourbon Icons Dinner and Bourbon in the Air are sold out, there are still a wide selection of events available.

Bourbon Sampling – Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide

Of course, the main attraction of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is the bourbon sampling. Attendees can sample more than 200 whiskeys from over 60 distilleries. That’s a pretty daunting task! Remember, bourbon tasting is not a sprint; it’s a long game. To survive and sample again another day you will need to pace yourself, drink plenty of water, and be sure to eat!

Make a Plan

With so many bourbons to sample, it is good to have a plan. There are maps of the festival grounds available, including on the KBF home page at kybourbonfestival.com. While it may seem like you will have plenty of time to sample whatever you want over three days, the time goes surprisingly quickly, and it’s easy to get involved with conversations and events and then notice that it’s suddenly closing time. So, it’s wise to keep track of the time and to make a list of any distilleries that you want to visit, and find them on the map ahead of time. Also, supplies are not unlimited, so if there is a bourbon that you really must taste, try to get to that distillery earlier in the day.

What Bourbons Will Each Distillery Have Available To Sample?

Well, that’s a little tough to say, because every distillery handles things differently. However, most will have at least a few samples from their main line ups, as well as a special bottle or two. Those special bottles could be limited releases or single barrels picked specially for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Sometimes, distilleries will only pour their limited releases during specific times, or on an allocated basis.

Also, for VIP ticket holders, in prior years, there have been pours of allocated bourbons available on a limited basis during predetermined time slots in the VIP tents. Generally, these would be poured by a distillery representative, often a master distiller. So, if you have access to the VIP tent, you’ll want to check the schedule and line up a little early, if there is something you really want to try. In addition, the bars in the VIP tent also often have some special pours.

Pro Tip: I mentioned this already, but if you have a lanyard that holds a mini-Glencairn glass, bring it with you or get one ahead of time. It is very nice to have both your hands free so you can do important things like drink water and eat. There are usually one or two booths giving out or selling lanyards, but the lines for them have been very long in the past. Again, use your festival time wisely.

Bottles for Purchase

How Do I Buy Bottles?

Most, if not all, of the distilleries at the festival will have bottles for sale. These generally include selections from their main line-ups as well as single barrels or other limited releases. If you are looking for a limited release or allocated bottle from one of the large distilleries, such as Heaven Hill, it’s a bit of a crap-shoot. They do not usually communicate what they will be selling ahead of time. Therefore, if you are hoping to get something like this year’s Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Old VVS, you’ll want to head to their booth first thing. You won’t be alone, though. People line up outside the VIP and Main gates very early to be the first to get into the festival and rush to the distillery booths.

Also, remember that VIP ticket holders get into the festival an hour before General Admission ticket holders. So, depending on the numbers of bottles available, there may not be enough available for everyone who wants one, especially if you do not have a VIP ticket.

To mix things up, some distilleries may not sell their allocated bottles until later in the day, or they may sell them intermittently throughout the day. It has varied year by year, and distillery by distillery, so keep your eyes open, and feel free to ask at each booth when and if bottles will be sold.

2025 KBF Distillers’ Row Series

The map on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival home page has an asterisk by the name of each distillery that will be selling special KBF single barrel bourbons (also known as the 2025 KBF Distillers’ Row Series). You can taste any of them before you buy them. However, some of these bottles are often in high demand, and the early bird often catches the worm. So, if there is a particular bottle that you really want, it is best to buy it early on to avoid disappointment. However, distilleries often divide their inventories between the days, so if you miss something on Friday, you may have the opportunity to pick it up another day.

Pro Tips For Getting Bottles That You Want

Pro Tip #1: Lines for allocated bottles can be very long. If you are not near the front of the line, think twice about waiting for hours. Is it worth missing a significant amount of the festival just to get one of those bottles, when there are so many fantastic bourbons out there waiting for you to sample them? Not likely. So go out and find your next favorite bourbon instead of waiting for an overhyped bottle.

Pro Tip #2: Make a plan — decide which allocated bottles you want, and then prioritize them. You may not be able to get them all, so you’ll want to make sure that you head to the line for the bottle you want the most, as soon as you get in the gate. Then have planned out where you will go next. Remember — distilleries may sell different bottles on different days, so always buy what you want when you have the chance!

Pro Tip #3: If you really want allocated bottles and don’t want to spend the entire festival standing on line, get in line at the VIP and GA gates early. Remember, GA gets in an hour after VIP, so there will already be lines. As a GA ticket holder, you want to get on line at the as soon as possible so that you can get in as close to noon as possible. That will enable you to maximize your time at the festival and have the best chance of getting a bottle. No one wants to stand on line for hours and leave empty-handed.

Food At The Kentucky Bourbon Festival – Survival Guide 2025

Drinking on an empty stomach is never a good idea. So, have a hearty breakfast prior to heading to the festival. At the festival, there are also ample opportunities to purchase food. This year, there are over a dozen of the region’s top food trucks in the Bourbon Capital Bites Area. You can’t miss it – you will walk past the food trucks to enter either the VIP or Main gates to the festival. You are free to exit and re-enter the festival grounds as often as you like, although you must have your wristband to get back in. Note that there are a couple of secondary gates that can be used to access the food truck area. You don’t have to use the main ones.

If you are VIP ticket holder, there should be ample complimentary food in the VIP tent. The Oris President’s Club ticket holders will also have food available in the Brindiamo Penthouse.

Marketplace Vendors

The Marketplace Vendors area will have around 40 vendors selling bourbon related arts, crafts and other merchandise. It is located just outside of the main festival grounds, opposite the main Kentucky Bourbon Festival entrance, on the other side of the food trucks, on West Flaget Avenue. You can get there by exiting the main festival grounds through any of the gates and walking through the food truck area. Unlimited re-entry to the festival is permitted, but, you’ll need to scan your wristband to get back in.

Transportation In and Around Bardstown – Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide 2025

Bardstown has very limited taxi service, and essentially non-existent Uber and Lyft. Therefore, getting around takes some planning. If your hotel is within walking distance of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds, then, of course, walking is your best option. If not, you will either have to have a designated driver, hope your hotel has some sort of a shuttle service, or hire one of the local transportation services (which would likely need to be done in advance).

Complimentary KBF Louisville Shuttle

For those staying in Louisville, there will be a Complimentary KBF shuttle daily, provided by  Xtreme Transportation, the official travel partner of the 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival. The shuttle will run:

• Friday Saturday and Sunday mornings: Buses depart the Tempo by Hilton NuLu at 9:30 a.m. There will be KBF flags indicating the pickup location and all vehicles will be marked with Xtreme Transportation
• Friday & Saturday Afternoons: Buses depart the Kentucky Bourbon Festival from Fifth and Broadway at 6:30 p.m. There will be KBF flags indicating the pickup location.
• Sunday Afternoon: Buses depart KBF from Fifth and Broadway at 4:30 p.m. There will be KBF flags indicating the pickup location.
• All guests heading to the festival must have a wristband or ticket confirmation information. All guests heading back to Louisville must have a wristband.
• Note that all guests can ride the shuttle to the festival in the morning, however, only those with VIP tickets will be allowed to enter the festival at 11 AM. All General Admission and Media will have to wait until Noon to enter the festival grounds.
• Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The shuttles may not be able to accommodate all passengers, so you are encouraged to have a back-up plan in place.

Some events provide a limited local complimentary shuttle service, such as Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Adventure Island After-Party on Friday night. So, be sure to check to see if your events offer any form of transportation, or make plans ahead of time if they are not within walking distance. If you are heading to Heaven Hill’s Bourbon, Cigars & Jazz after-party on Saturday night, please note that the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience is NOT within easy or safe walking distance of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds, so plan accordingly.

Parking

There is fairly limited parking in Bardstown, as it is mostly on the city streets, and some of those around the Kentucky Bourbon Festival itself will be blocked or have limited access. When you park on city streets, be sure not to block driveways and to stay off of private property.

There are generally a few pay lots available, in the St. Joseph Catholic School parking lot which can be accessed via W Stephen Foster Ave and possibly in the Bardstown High School parking lot, although not on Friday since school will be in session. In the past, parking has also been available in a field off of Broadway. However, note that there is also a football game at the Bardstown High School on Friday night – with the stadium located off of Broadway – which will add to congestion. If you can walk to the festival or find another source of transportation, it might make your life easier.

Activities Beyond the Festival Grounds – Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide 2025

After-Parties: There are many events that take place after the festival ends on Friday and Saturday. The most well known are Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Friday night party, which is called Adventure Island After-Party this year, and Heaven Hill’s Saturday night party known as Bourbon, Cigars & Jazz. Both of these after-parties require tickets to be purchased in advance, and both almost always sell out. Tickets, if available, can be bought through each distillery’s websites. (https://bardstownbourbon.com/ and https://heavenhilldistillery.com/heaven-hill-bourbon-experience.php)

Cheers to Bardstown returns Saturday, September 6. This free Main Street (3rd Street) festival runs into the evening and includes cocktails (for purchase), live music, food trucks (for purchase), and more.

Evergreen Liquors is offering many tastings and other events at their location on 3rd street both during and outside of festival hours. Check their website for the schedule and details.

Other local events: Many of the other local establishments and distilleries will also be having special events during Kentucky Bourbon Festival time. The Events Section of Visit Bardstown’s website should have a comprehensive listing.

Bourbon Capital District: In Bardstown’s designated Bourbon Capital District – which encompasses most of central downtown – guests are allowed to carry alcoholic beverages from one establishment to another, provided they are in a Bourbon Capital District plastic cup. So, if you want to wander from place to place, be sure to ask for your drink to be in one of these cups. Note, however, this does NOT include the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds. No outside alcoholic beverages will be allowed in. So, if you feel you need to pre-game before a day of bourbon sampling, finish up before entering the festival.

Lodging

If you are reading this guide now and you haven’t booked your lodging months ago, you might be in a bit of a pickle. Lodging in and around Bardstown is fairly limited and fills up quickly. Before we lived here, we used to book our lodging for the following year as soon as it was allowable. Louisville has considerably more hotels, but you will have to have transportation in mind, as it is about an hour away. I have also heard of people staying in Shelbyville, which is also about an hour away, and just east of Louisville. You may have to get creative.

Dining Options Other Than At The Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Bardstown has ample dining options, some of which are within walking distance of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds, and others which are a short drive away. There is a comprehensive list on the Visit Bardstown website.

Looking Ahead to 2026

All 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival tickets are sold out. To stay informed for 2026, you can sign up for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival newsletter and become a “Bourbon Insider” on the official website. The dates are already set – September 10–13, 2026. The 2026 festival will mark the event’s 35th anniversary. Mark your calendars!

Read my 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide!

Have Fun!

I hope my Kentucky Bourbon Festival Survival Guide 2025 will help you get the most enjoyment out of your time in Bardstown. I’ll see you at the festival! Cheers!🥃

I’m interested in learning about your experience at the KBF, or in any tips that you might have for future attendees. Please message me on Instagram or Facebook, or via this form.

If you would like to read about the 2024 event, check out my article: Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2024: A Spirited Celebration! If you would like to learn more about local distilleries, we have plenty of information Distillery Reviews.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!