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Prime places to shop in Central Kentucky

By harriett hendren | hhendren@herald-leader.com

[Get directions to the places in this story on an interactive map. For more great local shopping tips, check out Harriett Hendren's blog, Fash Food]

A thriving arts and crafts community and equine-related businesses make for some fabulous shopping in the Bluegrass. These destinations offer up a great selection of merchandise that’s uniquely Kentucky.

The local horse industry relies on many specialty stores, including Pinkston's Turf Goods (1098 West High Street, (859) 252-1560, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-noon Sat., closed Sun.), which sells items such as blankets for horses and leather belts for humans with brass nameplates like the Thoroughbreds wear.

The Keeneland Gift Shop at picturesque Keeneland Race Course (4201 Versailles Road; 1-800-456-3412, Ext. 4236; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., extended hours during racing, sales and holidays) carries merchandise including artwork, jewelry and clothing as well as items sporting the Keeneland logo.

Specialty stores all over the country carry colorful table linens, kitchen accessories and bags from Pomegranate Inc. But this Lexington-based business has an outlet store right here in town (951 Floyd Drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., (859) 293-0988, ) offering discount prices all year. And look for even bigger bargains during warehouse sales a few times a year.

Kentucky has a rich history of folk art, and you can see an assortment of works on display and buy items to take home at the museum shop of Morehead's Kentucky Folk Art Center (102 West First Street, Morehead; (606) 783-2204; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.).

At Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill (3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg; 1-800-734-5611; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily April 1-Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily Nov. 1-March 31, closed Dec. 24-25), shop in the craft store for furniture and accessories made in the simple but beautiful Shaker style.

You could try to track down all the cool artists’ workshops around the state, or you could visit the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea (975 Walnut Meadow Road, Exit 77 off I-75; (859) 985-5448; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Here you’ll find a huge selection of Kentucky-made arts and crafts. While you’re there, pick up brochures and maps for the craft-filled town of Berea, which is brimming with unique shops offering loads of Kentucky-crafted items. You’ll find hand-turned wooden bowls, exquisite jewelry, pottery and more.

One of the biggest and best-loved bookstores in the region, or even the nation, is right here in Lexington. Joseph-Beth Booksellers (The Mall at Lexington Green, off Nicholasville Road; (859) 273-2911, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.) offers two stories of titles, magazines and gifts including books and calendars featuring photos of horse farms and other Central Kentucky landmarks by local photographer James Archambeault.

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