Is Bourbon on the Banks the Next Must‑Attend Whiskey Festival? Here’s What I Saw.
Bourbon on the Banks sits in the shadow of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which was held an hour down the road. But where KBF is a major industry spectacle, Bourbon on the Banks is a festival with a vibe that is much more casual, and it’s quietly becoming a real hidden gem on the whiskey calendar.
As I walked through the automated sliding doors, I was met with a sight that didn’t belong in a hotel lobby: a long table covered in open bourbon bottles, crowds of whiskey enthusiasts having a grand ol' time. It was the night before Bourbon on the Banks, and I had stumbled into a bottle share hosted by the Bourbon and Ballz podcast, which features four Cincinnati‑area friends who talk bourbon and sports (the “Ballz,” as they’ll remind you before your mind wanders).
Co-hosts Charlie Gillespie, Jeff McMullen, and Chad Hillsman were already holding court, greeting listeners who had traveled in from every corner of the country. For them, this weekend was one they’d been building toward since the previous Bourbon on the Banks festival in 2025.
“We’ve been talking about this since last year,” Charlie told me. “This has been a big buildup… probably a good eight months.”
Seeing a bottle share take over a hotel lobby isn't new for me; it's just surprising to see one pop up for Bourbon on the Banks. For Bourbon and Ballz though, this was the perfect event on the whiskey festival circuit for their meet-up.
“I gotta be honest,” Charlie said, “this is our favorite festival of the year. Bourbon on the Banks brings an intimacy you can’t get with a lot of other festivals. The lines aren’t super long. You meet the distillers hands‑on. It’s capped at 2,900 people, so it stays personal.”
Chad nodded toward the growing crowd in the lobby. “We have people from the West Coast, East Coast, Texas — everywhere. Literally all parts of the country coming in here to be part of this. Because it is about the community.”
Bourbon on the Banks, held the first weekend of October in Frankfort, sits in the shadow of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which wrapped up three weeks earlier an hour down the road. But where KBF is a major industry spectacle, Bourbon on the Banks is a festival with a vibe that is much more casual, and it’s quietly becoming a real hidden gem on the whiskey calendar.
If I had to describe the aesthetic of Bourbon on the Banks, I’d start with two words: local and laid-back. The week leading up to the main festival feels like a community-wide celebration: a pub stroll through downtown, brunch at the neighborhood hotel, and a slow cruise down the Kentucky River. Frankfort may be Kentucky’s small‑town capital, but Bourbon on the Banks week engages the local community just as much as it engages the whiskey crowd.
Thursday night set the tone. Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. opened its doors for tours and tastings, and locals rolled in with folding chairs, settling into the grass beside the distillery’s sea of corn. A band played, neighbors conversed, and the whole evening carried a casual, open‑air vibe with the buzz of a good ol' barnraiser.
Friday night shifted into gear with the VIP reception. Local whiskey names like Lisa Wicker of Whiskey Thief and Greg Keeley of Larrikin Bourbon Company greeted attendees alongside other Kentucky players such as Macaulay Minton of Dark Arts and Jodie Filiareau of Heaven Hill. Buffalo Trace, Frankfort’s hometown heavyweight, showed up with a flex of pours: E.H. Taylor Cured Oak and Four Grain, Eagle Rare 12, and Stagg.
The night wrapped with an auction benefiting Downtown Frankfort Inc. and other local charities. Weller verticals, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles, and a Larrikin barrel‑pick experience all hit the block. When the final bid landed, the winner rushed forward and lifted Greg Keeley clean off the ground in a bear hug, a perfect snapshot of the festival’s low‑stakes yet high‑fun energy.
Saturday brought the main festival to River View Park, where the Kentucky River and the cool October air gave a welcome contrast to Bardstown’s September heat. A new addition this year was educational programming from Bourbon Women. Throughout the afternoon, speakers like Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler packed the Bourbon Women tent with free sessions on bourbon history and food pairings.
As for the brands, an impressive line-up of whiskey makers from inside and outside Kentucky came with some amazing pours. KBF favorite Silk Velvet anchored the Western Kentucky Distilling space with a special single barrel release. Copper & Kings poured a 10‑year brandy finished in bourbon barrels at a fiery 140 proof. Bluegrass Distillers impressed my friends with a run of standout high-age single barrels. Barrell Craft Spirits showed up with “Sweet Peat,” a 22‑year American whiskey. Preservation Farms didn’t hold back either; they brought Very Old St. Nick Immaculata to Bourbon on the Banks and poured it without hesitation.
One of my favorite discoveries was Pauley Hollow Distillery from Pike County. They were one of my first stops, and I was impressed with their distillate.
Between pours, I caught up with friends at Pursuit Spirits, Potter Jane, Hartfield & Co., and Dark Arts. I had such a great time with folks; my only wish is that Bourbon on the Banks wasn't even longer so I could stop by more booths!
As the festival wound down, the small‑town charm came back into focus. Live music kicked off the after‑party, and people drifted toward downtown bars. I stayed behind at the park, talking with distillers as tents came down and tables were loaded into trucks. It was one of those moments you don’t get at bigger festivals.
It felt like a bourbon festival from the good old days, when the point wasn’t chasing rare drops but celebrating whiskey and the relationships that make this community work. Bourbon on the Banks is growing into a major festival, but it still feels like a neighborhood block party.
Jeff McMullen put it simply when I asked him about the appeal of Bourbon on the Banks: “This festival… it’s intimate. It’s more comfortable. It’s just better.”