Visit Central Kentucky horse farms for free this weekend at 250Lex event

Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.

It wouldn’t be a celebration in Central Kentucky if there wasn’t some neighborly love involved — but this time, your neighbors are horses.

As part of the 250Lex festivities, the year-long celebration of Lexington’s 250-year history, Visit Horse Country will open their tours to residents for free. The “Meet The NEIGHbors” event will take place June 14 and 15 across Central Kentucky.

Hallie Hardy, executive director for Visit Horse Country, said the event lets locals get an inside glimpse into the industry that has brought so much to the area.

“Ultimately, the goal of the event first and foremost is just to be able to connect with our community,” Hardy said. “The equine industry is the signature industry of the Bluegrass and of the Lexington area, but not everybody always gets a chance to connect, so we want people to be able to get up close and personal with the horse and to learn some insights about the industry.”

While the farms offer paid tours year-round, residents can access free tours this weekend when purchasing tickets from the Visit Horse Country web site by entering coupon code “MTN2025.”

Normally, tours can cost as much as $34.50, but during this weekend, participating locations in Bourbon, Fayette, Jessamine, Oldham and Woodford counties will open their doors to allow visitors to meet famous stallions, see foals and yearlings and get a behind the scenes look at world-class equine care.

“Hopefully, they’ll leave with a sense of pride of being from the horse capital of the world,” Hardy said. “We’re proud as an industry of what we do here in Lexington, and we want to make sure people feel connected to it.”

Each tour is a little different, she said, but each gives insight into what the location does and how the thoroughbred industry works in Kentucky. From foaling farms to equine medical facilities, the tours can open residents’ eyes to the major economic driver in their own backyard.

Since 2018, local residents have made up about 20% of ticket sales, Hardy said.

But much of that is also residents taking their friends and family on tours when they visit Lexington. With this being “Come home” month for 250Lex, farm tours have been very popular. Some of the tours this weekend have already sold out, she said.

This marks the third year for the “Meet the NEIGHbors” event.

“I think some people who are local and who don’t go on horse farm tours all the time, they kind of wait for this event,” Hardy said. “But this year, I feel like I’m seeing a whole lot of new names and new people coming through, which I would credit to 250Lex and all that they are doing to help us spread our message to the local audience.”

More information about the “Meet the NEIGHbors” event and the discount code are available at Visit Horse Country’s website at https://visithorsecountry.com.

Have a question or story idea related to Lexington’s 250-year history? Let us know at 250LexKy@gmail.com.