The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival, Covington’s five-day celebration of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act, kicks off at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, with a ceremonial barrel tap at Wenzel Distillery, signifying the start of the festival.
The event will feature speakers, including Richard Dickmann of Smoke Justis, Bill Whitlow of Wenzel Distillery, Julie Kirkpatrick of meetNKY, and City of Covington Mayor Ron Washington, highlighting the unique and prominent role Covington has in the long history of bourbon.
After the ceremonial barrel tap concludes, bars and across Covington will be filled with live music and New Riff Bottled-in-Bond cocktails as part of the first event in the festival, the New Riff Bonded Spirit COV Crawl. This three-day pub crawl takes place from Tuesday, March 3 through Thursday, March 5. A full map of participating locations can be found at BondedSpirit.com.
On Friday, March 6, The B-Line is hosting a concert inside the Republic Bank Rickhaus, a heated tent built on Court Street for the festival and frames the John A. Roebling Bridge in the background. Featured artists include Slippery Creek, Johnny Estep and Lonesome Blend, Union Town Bluegrass, and Tidalwave Road.
Free tickets for Friday’s concert will be available in limited quantities at specific B-Line stops prior to the concert. Those who have purchased tickets to Saturday night’s main lineup will also gain access to the Republic Bank Rickhaus for Friday’s concert.
The festival wraps on Saturday with the meetNKY Main Event at the Republic Bank Rickhaus featuring headlining artists Bourbon Revival, Dan Tyminski, and The SteelDrivers. This 21+ ticketed event offers attendees locally and nationally acclaimed musical acts, flavor, and plenty of bourbon. Tickets and additional details on all events can be found at BondedSpirit.com.
Schedule of events:
Tuesday, March 3
• Ceremonial barrel tap at Wenzel Distillery, located at 412 Madison Ave in Covington
• The official kick-off of the festival featuring speakers and dignitaries including Richard Dickmann of Smoke Justis, Bill Whitlow of Wenzel Distillery, Julie Kirkpatrick of meetNKY, and City of Covington Mayor Ron Washington.
• COV Crawl in the Central Business District from 5-7 p.m.
º Happy Hour & History guided stroll will take place down Madison Avenue, telling the story of Covington’s bourbon roots.
º From 6-9 p.m. each location will have live bluegrass performers
º Participating Establishments: Braxton Brewing, Knowledge Bar and Social Room, Libby’s Southern Comfort, Revival Vintage Bottle Shop and Bar, Second Story, The Globe, The Hannaford, The Olde Towne Tavern, and The Well.
Wednesday, March 4
• On the River, including Roebling Point District and the riverfront
º From 5-7 p.m., Happy Hour & History will highlight neighborhood displays celebrating Covington’s bourbon heritage.
º From 6-9 p.m., each location will have live bluegrass performers.
º Participating establishments: By Golly’s, Covington Yard, Molly Malone’s, Smoke Justis, The Gruff, and The Works Pizza Co.
Thursday, March 5
• Mainstrasse Village
º Happy Hour & History from 5-7 p.m.
º From 6-9 p.m., each location will have live bluegrass performers.
º Participating Establishments: Cock & Bull, Village Pub, Crafts & Vines, Up Over, The Standard, Gypsy’s, OKBB, Doubt It, Juniper’s, and Wise Guys.
Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival