Wake up and smell National Coffee Day. Local places help celebrate.

Friday is National Coffee Day. (How every day isn’t National Coffee Day, I don’t know. I guess coffee politely steps aside so cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies can have a moment in the sun.)

For one day, coffee officially gets the spotlight, and lots of places would like to help you celebrate. If you hit all of them, you might still be celebrating by the time next year’s coffee day comes around.

▪  Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, has always been known for its cinnamon coffee and its Alfa Blend, and on Friday, everyone gets a free cup with any entree purchase. There will be a few coffee specials on the menu as well. The dessert specials will feature coffee flavors, and Alfalfa will unveil a few new cocktails made with espresso bean-infused Bulleit Bourbon.

▪  A Cup of Common Wealth, 105 Eastern Avenue, wants to spread the love: It is encouraging customers to support other coffee houses on Friday. Then come to A Cup of Common Wealth later in the day, tell them where you went, and you will get a free cup.

▪  Common Grounds Coffee House, 343 East High Street, has its own version of the ubiquitous fall favorite, the pumpkin spice latte.

▪  High on Art & Coffee, 523 East High Street, will have a surprise coffee drink and will offer regular coffee 50 cents off each cup. One of its best sellers: the Strank, a coffee milkshake.

▪  Coffea, 385 Rose Street, also is participating.

▪  North Lime Coffee & Donuts, 575 North Limestone, will have two special doughnuts: a coffee cake doughnut with vanilla buttercream frosting and crushed biscotti on top, and a coffee cream-filed doughnut.

▪  Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery, 529 West Main Street, will have $2 pour-overs of single-origin coffees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. And check out ira gluten-free pastries while you’re there.

▪  Wild Fig Books & Coffee, 726 North Limestone, is debuting its Cuban latte, a sweet latte with almost a tres leches flavor, $4.25 each.

▪  Coffee Times Coffee House, 2571 Regency Road, is having specials: giving away to-go mugs with its logo with the purchase of any large specialty drink, and taking $1 off each pound of bulk coffee.

▪  To go with coffee, how about The Midway Bakery’s coconut chocolate chip scone? It’s available at 510 South Winter Street in Midway.

▪  Another option: Lussi Brown Coffee Bar, 114 Church Street, has goodies from Pig & Pepper, plus cold brew if you’re not into hot coffee. And for National Coffee Day, drip coffee will be $1 all day. If your coffee day turns into coffee evening, after 4 p.m. you can get Irish coffees and white Russians for $4.

▪  If you’re looking for something a little extra, Crank & Boom Ice Cream Lounge, 1210 Manchester Street, or The Barn at The Summit at Fritz Farm has the affrogato: Nate’s Coffee espresso with your choice of ice cream.

▪  Or stop by La Petite Delicat, 722 National Avenue, and get a macaron ice cream sandwich made with Crank & Boom ice cream to go with a cup of Nate’s Coffee cold brew.

▪  Dunkin’ Donuts is having a buy-one, get-one free offer: Buy a medium or larger cup of hot coffee and get an extra medium free. Krispy Kreme is extending coffee day to coffee weekend: Get one free coffee (any size hot brewed or iced premium blend) free each day.

▪  And Chocolate Holler, 400 Old Vine Street, has coffee, hot chocolate and new baked goods for fall, including Oreo balls, peanut butter bars and no-bake cookies.

▪  Speaking of Chocolate Holler, the coffee and sweets shop is hosting a tapestry weaving class by Level Up Lexington at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27. Limited spots are available. The class is $55, taught by Maddison Wilkerson of West Domestic. Book a spot at Leveluplou.com.

▪  Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, is bringing back the Wednesday dinner series with Oktoberfest on Wednesday night. Meat and vegetarian/vegan specials will be available that will pair well with the West Sixth Oktoberfest on special for $2.50 each. Specialties for the event include Stone Cross Farm bratwurst simmered in West Sixth beer and served with grilled onions, soft pretzel and sour red potato salad; chicken and gravy; and eggplant and portabella schnitzel.

▪  You don’t have to love black walnuts to make a little cash off them. Black walnut hulling stations will open across Kentucky on Oct. 2. Anyone can join in the harvest; just pick up the walnuts and take them to a spot near you. Hammons Products Co. will pay $15 dollars for every 100 pounds harvested.

▪  The Red Mile, 1200 Red Mile Road, will host a chili cook-off 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The competitors, professional chefs, caterers, and food truck operators, will be judged, and the fan-favorite chili and the judges’ choice winner will each receive $1,000. Fans can sample all the chilis for $5 or bring in at least 10 canned goods to be donated to God’s Pantry Food bank. They get a token to vote for their favorite. Full-sized servings will be sold, too.

Contestants will include Gastro Gnomes, Dupree Catering, Buddy’s World Famous Food Truck, Hogfather’s BBQ, and Corto Lima.

▪  Taylor Made Farm, a top Thoroughbred breeder and seller, has opened a full bar and restaurant. Last year, the farm bought High Point Golf Course nearby; the barn that housed the pro shop has been remodeled to add Daddy Joe’s Bar & Grill, which opened in June. The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, is the launch point for farm tours. The menu includes starters including Hall’s beer cheese and pretzels, wings, burgers and sandwiches, plus cocktails, including one named for the farm’s top stallion: California Chrome.

“We were inundated with fans when we got California Chrome on the farm, and we were doing tours, and our office was too small,” experience director Laura Richard said. Taylor Made also has added an events division, which rents out the bar, greenspace overlooking the golf course, or space on the farm for corporate events or weddings.

▪  Lexington made USA Today’s list of five underrated Southern food cities, along with Baton Rouge, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; Greenville, S.C.; and Athens, Ga. The article singled out Stella’s, Dudley’s on Short, Middle Fork, Lockbox, and Ouita Michel’s restaurants, including Honeywood and the Barn, both at the Summit at Fritz Farm.

▪  Red Herring, 1757 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, has launched #100Days100Cocktails to countdown to the end of 2017. The cocktail and coffee lounge is marking the final 100 days of the year with daily beverage specials selected from its menu of 100 classics. Anyone ordering the featured libation of the day can enter to win a VIP experience at both Heaven Hill and Evan Williams, in addition to receiving 10 percent off their drink. The last day will feature a complimentary champagne toast during Red Herring’s New Year’s Eve party. The grand prize winner will be announced that week. For more information, go to RedHerringLou.com.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Wake up and smell National Coffee Day. Local places help celebrate.."