Lavender Season in Kentucky: Experience the Castle in Bloom

There is a moment in early summer when the grounds of The Kentucky Castle shift. Lavender comes into full bloom, The Teaching Garden reaches its peak, and the estate nestled in the rolling hills of Versailles, Kentucky is at its most breathtaking.

This year, The Kentucky Castle celebrates that moment with its Seventh-Annual Lavender Festival, held June 26th through June 28th. What started as a seasonal event has grown into one of the most anticipated summer weekends in Central Kentucky, and one of the best ways to experience everything the property has to offer.

What makes the Lavender Festival feel different from a typical outdoor market is that it is happening on the very grounds where the lavender grows. The Kentucky Castle cultivates its own lavender, and the festival is a direct celebration of that. Every ticket includes a hand-picked lavender bundle that guests select themselves from the property's own fields. It is the kind of experience that connects you to the land in a way that is genuinely hard to find.

Beyond the bundle, festival tickets include lavender lemonade, access to vendor booths, food and beverage vendors, and full access to both The Kentucky Castle grounds and farmland, including The Teaching Garden. Lavender Festival tickets are available for pre-sale online through June 21st. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door at standard event pricing pending festival capacity. We encourage advance purchase to ensure availability.

Throughout the day, a curated lineup of vendor booths showcases local artisans and small businesses, featuring handcrafted jewelry, specialty foods, handmade goods, and unique gifts. Live music runs all day, keeping the atmosphere relaxed and celebratory across the grounds. The kind of afternoon that makes you want to slow down and take it all in.

Throughout the festival, The Kentucky Castle Gift Shop pop-up will be on site with a selection of exclusive items to take home. Look for Lavender Festival t-shirts in adult and youth sizes, True Story Finished Bourbon and Rye bottles, lavender infused honey, flower u-pick bundles, and more. It is a great way to bring a little piece of the weekend home with you.

For guests who want to go a little deeper, add-on workshops are available each day in the Grand Ballroom. Options add on unique workshops like a DIY Lavender Sachet Bar, a Make-Your-Own Perfume Bar, and DIY Essential Oil-Infused Bath Salts, as well as a DIY Lavender Sachet Bar. Each workshop lets guests work directly with lavender and essential oils and walk away with something handmade. Workshop tickets can be added during checkout when purchasing festival tickets.

Farm Enrichment Activities run daily, offering a closer look at the property's agricultural side and how lavender is cultivated there. For something a little more playful, Goat Yoga on The Farm is also available as a ticketed add-on all three days of the festival. It is a beginner-friendly class set right on the grounds, and yes, the goats do join in. 

The Lavender Festival is welcoming to all ages, and Saturday is designated Family Day with extra programming for younger guests. Face painting runs from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, a scavenger hunt winds through the grounds, and surprise visits from special princesses are sprinkled throughout the day. It is one of the most festive and fun family outings in Versailles this summer, with enough variety to keep everyone happy from morning through the afternoon.

On the evening of Saturday, June 27th, the festival transitions into something a little more elevated. Lavender Nights On The Rooftops is a separate event held on the open rooftop of The Kentucky Castle and is one of the more memorable ways to experience the property after dark.

We welcomed guests with a cocktail upon arrival, followed by appetizers throughout the evening. From the rooftop, the views stretch across the rolling hills of the grounds, with The Kentucky Castle’s spires framing the horizon as the sun sets. 

A live DJ keeps the energy going while guests mingle beneath glowing lights, and curated photo opportunities throughout the evening make it easy to hold onto the moment. Lavender Nights pairs naturally with a daytime visit to the festival, but it holds its own just as well as a standalone evening out.

For a lot of guests, the Lavender Festival becomes the anchor of a full weekend at The Kentucky Castle. Arrive Friday evening and settle in at the Hotel, spend Saturday exploring the festival grounds, and close out the night at Lavender Nights on the rooftop. Sunday morning, unwind with a treatment at the Spa, grab a meal at the farm-to-table Restaurant, and take your time heading home. There is enough on property to fill every hour, and somehow it still leaves you wanting to come back.

The Seventh-Annual Lavender Festival at The Kentucky Castle runs June 26th through June 28th in Versailles, Kentucky, just minutes from Bluegrass Airport and Keeneland. Come for the day or stay for the weekend, but either way, you’ll enjoy the experience. See what The Kentucky Castle has in store this summer and plan your next visit.