Flashback to when Lexington was ‘Athens of the West.’ March events celebrate city’s history

Lexington’s past as a cultural and educational mecca will take center stage in March during 250Lex’s year-long celebration of the city’s founding, officials said.

David Farmwald, middle school social studies teacher at The Lexington School, and Anissa Franklin, vice president of the Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County, serve as ambassadors for the 250Lex events in March.

They said activities would not only highlight education in Lexington, but illuminate the city’s history as an educational center.

“For me it is exciting to see education taking a spot that is as exciting or even more important than sports,” Franklin said. “This will be a celebration of academics that is on a level that’s on par or above sports, in some ways.”

Among the events scheduled for the month will be open houses at the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The events will allow the entire community to experience the campuses to see what is available.

BCTC’s 250Lex Campus Showcase will go from 2-6 p.m. March 27 on its Newtown Pike location and provide campus tours, as well as areas where potential students will be able to get assistance filling out applications and financial aid forms.

Transylvania University will open its campus March 28-30 for guided admission tours or self-guided walking tours, including exclusive tours of the school’s Special Collections of historic materials for those who register in advance.

UK will offer its Campus Showcase from 1-4 p.m. on March 30 and offer self-guided tours through some of the campus’ most iconic spots, as well as an opportunity to watch the DanceBlue Marathon at Memorial Coliseum supporting Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

Farmwald said the events highlight the city’s education past.

“I think it hearkens back to the founding days of Lexington when we were known as the Athens of the West,” he said.

“Lexington was just a place that was thriving as far as theater and learning and progress. Anything that was west of the Appalachian Mountains, we were the hub of that, and that is something that I think a lot of people within the city aren’t as aware of and it’s something that we can further highlight throughout this month of March.”

Farmwald said he’s most eager to see the Kodo Drummers perform at 7:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March 4 at UK’s Singletary Center. The athletic drummer ensemble is part of a centuries-old Japanese tradition and has not been in North America for more than 40 years.

Farmwald said he’s also looking forward to the Girls Who Lead Conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at the Morton Middle School.

“I teach a lot of students right now who are always looking for opportunities to change the world and become involved in making social change,” he said.

“Having this ability to bring some of my female students, give them this opportunity to meet professionals that are changemakers in the world and get them the tools necessary to further their own dreams is really beneficial for me personally.”

Franklin said she’s looking forward to the community having the opportunity to learn about the higher education opportunities in Lexington.

“One thing for me is that our CEO was one of the first Black students at UK,” she said. “What a great time to go and learn more about that history and the statues that were put up of the Black football players at the time, like Greg Paige.”

Paige was one of six Black football players who attended the school on football scholarships in 1969. They were not only the first Black players on UK’s football team, but the first Black football players on an SEC team, a feat that made headlines in such magazines as Jet and Ebony.

250Lex is the city’s year-long celebration of its founding in 1775. Event planners have pulled together more than 200 events, many free or low-cost, that focus on different aspects of the city’s history – from horses and the equine industry to sports to business and community.

You can find more information about events and how to get tickets to them at the 250Lex.com website.

This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 4:00 AM.