By Payton Carns and Laren Hines

Louisville’s annual four-day music, food, and bourbon festival, Bourbon and Beyond returned to the Kentucky Fairgrounds at the end of September. With a record breaking attendance of over 210,000, the festival took over the city for the weekend. We were able to attend the first and last day, experiencing everything from good country music to line dancing. Keep reading to experience our two days of the festival as both music lovers and media personnel.

The Lounge 

Upon entering the festival on both days, we made our way into the media lounge, which served as a base for writers, photographers, and content creators.  

The outdoor half of the lounge featured wicker seating, cornhole boards, and two drink stands. Both stands were notably discounted from their in-festival counterparts, as we took advantage of free bottled water and handcrafted drinks from the “Drip” stand.

The other was a large tent teeming with outlets, WiFi, and staged interview sets. As we planned our own coverage of the festival, we saw others editing through raw photos and drafting write-ups. Some artists were ushered in for post-performance interviews, including husband-wife duo The War and Treaty and genre-bending artist Breland.  

We caught a large portion of Breland’s performance on Thursday at the “Yonder” stage, where he flaunted an energetic stage presence and sonic blends of country, gospel, and rap. Breland brought an impressive resume to Bourbon & Beyond: He opened for the European leg of Shania Twain’s tour last fall and boasts collaborations with Keith Urban and Nelly, to name a few.  

His lyrics ranged from vulnerable storytelling to forward and flirtatious. As we drifted into other areas of the fairgrounds, he stunned us with a performance of Thick, which he wrote about “how he likes his women,” he mentioned before the downbeat.

Breland during his Bourbon and Beyond set on Thursday. Photo by Daniel Rojas.

 In the lounge, however, he appeared down-to-earth as he chatted up two interviewers — no lights or cameras in sight. It was a stark contrast from his dynamic stage persona, but both sides felt equally authentic and charming in their delivery.  

The Music 

Although our time with the admittedly stacked Bourbon and Beyond line-up was limited to our two days of attendance, we were thoroughly impressed with what we saw; and, as self-proclaimed non-listeners of country music, surprised by how much music we actually knew. 

Our inexperience with most of the artists there meant that we never chained ourselves to one stage to save our spot or wait for a specific song to play. Instead, we drifted from one stage to another, taking in the new sound and enjoying the beauty of live music. 

For us, Thursday brought with it performances from the aforementioned Breland and iconic rock band Matchbox Twenty. We also caught the last few minutes of Maren Morris’ set as we made our late arrival. While we ourselves did not join the packed crowd to watch Sting close out the night, it was clear by the way the crowd flocked to the main stage that English headliner was the fan favorite of Thursday’s line-up. 

Sting closes out day one of Bourbon and Beyond. Photo by Steve Thrasher.

Come Sunday, we planned an earlier arrival than the first day, which also meant we got to see more live shows. This was the day we found out our media wristbands scanned us into the VIP area, and after wandering into a growing crowd around the Barrel Stage, we accidentally ended up at the barricade of The Beach Boys set. Their music was vaguely familiar, though our excitement was no match for older mothers and fathers in the crowd.

Of course, we ended the night with of Kentucky’s sweethearts, Tyler Childers, along with over 14,000 festival attendees. His country-folk, bluegrass hybrid sound is an ode to his Eastern Kentucky roots, making him the perfect person to close out the weekend.

Tyler Childers ends Sunday night as the headliner. Photo by Payton Carns.

The Food

We sampled a few of Bourbon & Beyond’s food offerings across our two days of attendance. The festival brought a large variety of options, from typical “concession” style bites to hibachi, mac n’ cheese, and steak. (Yes, actual steaks.)  

On Thursday, we grabbed a large serving of smashburger fries: A plate of crinkle-cut fries topped with burger meat, onions, cheese, and burger sauce. Despite sharing the plate (and the hefty $20 price tag), we could not overcome the sheer volume of fries we were served. The plate still packed loads of flavor – a deliciously reminiscent remix of the classic burger and fry combo. Our combined average rating was 7.25 out of 10. 

Sunday, after separating to explore the unique options available, we returned to the lounge with two different, yet still savory, dishes: grilled cheese and steak hibachi.  

Our concessions from the festival. Photo by Payton Carns.

The grilled cheese was, well, grilled cheese. There was nothing adventurous about the menu option, but for 14-dollar price point we were expecting more garnish or display to the sandwich. The cheese was so well hidden in the bread we had to double check it was even there. Its presentation did not affect the taste, though, making for a perfectly respectable grilled cheese. It also came with a sizable portion of well-seasoned fries, topping off a delicious, carb-heavy dinner option after a long day at the festival. It gets an overall rating of eight out of ten. 

 The steak hibachi was unsurprisingly more exciting. It was fresh, umami, and flavorful, albeit a little unorthodox in comparison to the other food offerings. Understandably, the steak bites were all well-done to keep the lines moving, but the toughness did take away from the tenderness of the rice and vegetables. Still, it was a pleasant change of pace, getting an overall rating of eight and a half out of ten. 

 Beyond the Music 

While music is predictably the star of the show at Bourbon and Beyond, we both were very pleased with how many activities, tents, and other attractions the festival had set up throughout the vast square footage of the fairgrounds. From bourbon tasting, to line dancing lessons (which we participated in), and even psychic readings, there truly was something for everyone. What stood out to us the most, though, was a small, white tent with a sign that read “Sober and Beyond.”

Partnered with Harmonium, a non-profit organization that supports addiction recovery through music, the group’s main mission is to provide a safe space for people who are experiencing music festivals sober, or are actively in recovery.

There’s a huge demographic of festival-goers that want to stay sober for the day, and need a place to go,” said Gary Gardner, head of staff at the tent.

Throughout the day, the group hosted scheduled meetings for people to come, relax, and feel supported by festival attendees going through a similar experience. Gardner emphasized the importance of this due to the overwhelming alcoholic marketing that is present at festivals.

“Festivals don’t make their money off ticket sales, they make their money off merchandise and alcohol,” Gardner said. 

The group has appeared at various popular festivals across the United States, including Louder Than Life — known as “Sober Life” in the exact same spot.

“Sober and Beyond” was an example of the diversity of experiences at Bourbon and Beyond, and its goal of supporting all its attendees.

Final Thoughts 

Even though we were unable to attend all four days of the festival, we were still able to get an immersive, diverse experiences that included more than just music. From line dancing to trying new foods and learning about programs like “Sober and Beyond,” Bourbon and Beyond was as much an educational experience as it was an entertaining one.