Renfro Valley
[ Mount Vernon, Kentucky ]
In 1939, a local named John Lair founded the “Renfro Valley Barn Dance” to feature traditional country music in central Kentucky. The show helped spotlight entertainers such as Hank Williams, Red Foley and Hank Snow early in their careers.
Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center still produces that energetic show with a cast discovered through auditions each year in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and the surrounding region.
“The people here really love what they are doing,” said Ashley Enneking Rouse, co-director of marketing. “At Renfro Valley, you really have a personal experience. You are literally feet from the stage. It is very intimate theater.”
The theater’s cast also performs “Tribute to the Legends,” which highlights classic performers like Conway Twitty, Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline. Other shows include the “Renfro Retro Revue,” with songs from the ’50s and ’60s, and “Old Tyme Broadcast,” with a format taken from old radio programs.
Church groups especially enjoy “The Gospel Jubilee,” which features recognizable Southern gospel music in a moving performance of praise and worship. On the first Sunday of every month, Renfro Valley also hosts the “Renfro Valley Gatherin’,” which is the second-oldest continuously broadcasted country-oriented radio program in the country.
“We like to stick to our roots,” said Rouse. “We have a lot of classic country, but we like to keep things fresh at the same time. Our shows are on a rotation, so you can come at a different weekend every month and see a different show.”
Guests can expand their trips beyond musical entertainment with options that include a backstage tour, browsing the crafts at Renfro Valley’s Shopping Village and dining at the Historic Lodge Restaurant, which is also celebrating its 75th anniversary.
