August 250Lex events celebrate back-to-school season, local businesses

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.

Summer is winding down, but the city’s year-long celebration of its anniversary is still going strong.

In August, the focus will be on business and school.

This weekend, the 250Lex Commission will host the Back to School and Big Cake Celebration. From 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 2 at the Kentucky Horse Park, all public and private Fayette County K-12 students, as well as their teachers, staff and families, will get free admission to the park.

There will be horse shows, horse meet and greets, pony rides, food trucks, door prizes, giveaways and more. At 6 p.m., organizers will give the first 250 kids at the event a free cupcake to celebrate Lexington’s 250th birthday, said Eunice Beatty, co-chair of the 240Lex Commission.

Beatty said August was the perfect time for the celebration. .

“This is all about celebrating going back to school, and 2025 — Lexington’s 250th birthday,” Beatty said. “I’ve been saying there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than with kids and youth. So, this is just a perfect time for us to do the big cake celebration.”

The organizers will give out other party favors, she said, like popcorn, candy and 250Lex t-shirts, among other things.

The celebration isn’t just for kids though. It’s for teachers and staff as well, Beatty said. The party will be a way to say thanks for the work that teachers and school staff members do every day.

August will celebrate businesses as well.

Commerce Lexington will focus on small businesses with its annual Salute to Small Business Awards. From August 11 to 15, Commerce Lexington will introduce its small business award winners through behind-the-scenes videos and live experiences, all culminating with the Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on August 15 at the Central Bank Center.

Mark Turner, chief communications officer for Commerce Lexington, said the week of activities will highlight small businesses and their contributions to the city.

Starting on August 11, Commerce Lexington will be visiting a small businesses that has won an award each day and doing a Facebook Live segment highlighting them.

On Tuesday, August 12, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., Commerce Lexington will hold its @330 Series, featuring a panel of representatives from small business award winners to discuss the issues the winners faced on their road to success. On August 13, the Lexington Legends will hold Salute to Small Business Night at the ballpark to celebrate the award winners.

Other events keep the celebration going throughout August.

Lexingtonians can enjoy a blast from the past during the Lexington Philharmonic’s Back to the 80’s Picnic with the Pops. Music Director Melisse Brunet will lead the Philharmonic on an evening of some of the decades hit songs including “The Power of Love,” “Time After Time,” “Material Girl,” “I’ve Had the Time of My Life,” and “Addicted to Love,” among others.

Tickets for the event sold-out earlier this month, but there will be more performances by the Lexington Philharmonic in September to enjoy.

The Kentucky Theater is continuing its Summer Classics series on Wednesday nights with beloved films from across the decades for just $6.50 per seat. The 103-year-old theater will show “Notorious” on August 6, “All That Jazz” on August 13, “Blade Runner” on August 20 and “The Big Lebowski” on August 27. For more information, visit www.kentuckytheater.com.

The year of celebration is just over halfway done, and there’s still more to come. For a complete list of events, go to www.250Lex.com.

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