Updated April 2026. Facts, pour sizes, hours, and sources checked against the official festival site.
The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival is September 10–13 in Bardstown, at Spalding Hall, 114 N. Fifth Street, Bardstown, KY 40004. It is 21+ with a valid ID. Admission tickets are required for the grounds. Official hours: Thursday 6–9:30 p.m. ET (Bourbon in the Air); Friday and Saturday noon–6 p.m.; Sunday noon–4 p.m. VIP entry 11 a.m.; general admission noon. The official festival-info page said 2026 tickets were sold out when we fetched it — use TIXR authorized resale, not a stranger’s screenshot.
This is not a Northern Kentucky “Kentucky’s Edge” event (that was leftover 2022 affiliate chrome). Bardstown is the published site. Bourbon itself is a TTB whiskey type — bourbon guide, Kentucky bourbon brands, bourbon brands, mint julep bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle.
2026 facts from kybourbonfestival.com
| Item | Official line |
|---|---|
| Dates | September 10–13, 2026 |
| Place | Spalding Hall grounds, 114 N. Fifth St, Bardstown, KY 40004 |
| Age | 21+ (valid ID). Kids are not admitted |
| Hours | Thu 6–9:30 p.m.; Fri–Sat 12–6; Sun 12–4 (ET). Distilleries to 4 p.m. |
| Outside alcohol | Prohibited |
| Tickets | Required. Public on-sale was April 14, 2026. Page said sold out at fetch |
| Rain | Rain or shine; sales final |
Tastings are still ethanol. A 1.5-ounce pour of 40% bourbon is one NIAAA standard drink; many festival pours are smaller — count the ounces and the proof on the neck, not the glass name. Barrel-proof samples scale up. Four full 40% shots are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Do not drive. Pour math: how much whiskey to get drunk.
Sources
- https://kybourbonfestival.com/festival-info/ (fetched August 27, 2026 PT): dates, address, hours, 21+, bag/alcohol rules, TIXR, sold-out note.
- https://kybourbonfestival.com/ — “September 10–13, 2026.”
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 (bourbon). NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). No invented ticket prices.