Bardstown celebrates the Fourth of July in two parts: a downtown parade, then an evening at My Old Kentucky Home State Park that ends with fireworks after The Stephen Foster Story. In 2026 the parade ran on Friday, July 3, and the park festivities ran 5 to 9 p.m. on July 4, with the fireworks after the show. The date carries extra weight here, because Stephen Foster was born on July 4, and Federal Hill was dedicated as My Old Kentucky Home on July 4, 1923. The 2027 plans have not been announced, so use 2026 as your guide.
How the 2026 celebration went
For America’s 250th, Bardstown ran a months-long series called “Red, White & Bardstown”, with events from February through July. It peaked on the holiday weekend:
- Friday, July 3: the parade through downtown, organized by Wilma Sorrell.
- Saturday, July 4: festivities at My Old Kentucky Home State Park from 5 to 9 p.m. A WBKO report put the start at 6:30 p.m. outside the amphitheater, with bounce houses for kids.
- After the evening performance of The Stephen Foster Story: fireworks over the park.
The America 250 site also listed a 9:30 p.m. July 4 event at Dean Watts Park. The 2026 night doubled as Stephen Foster’s 200th birthday.
The America 250 series was a one-time build-up, but the core of Bardstown’s Fourth, the parade and the fireworks after the show, is what tends to repeat.
Why July 4 matters here
Stephen Collins Foster was born on July 4, 1826, in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. He wrote more than 200 songs, including “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!”, published in 1853 and adopted as Kentucky’s state song in 1928. Whether Foster ever actually visited his Rowan cousins at Federal Hill is a legend historians have not been able to confirm, but the mansion took the song’s name anyway.
The state bought Federal Hill in 1922 and dedicated it as a state historic site, renamed My Old Kentucky Home, on July 4, 1923, as the park’s history records. So the fireworks mark three birthdays at once: the nation’s, the songwriter’s and the shrine’s. Our Stephen Foster and the song page tells the fuller story, including the 1986 lyric change.
Getting the best view of the fireworks
The simplest plan is to buy tickets to The Stephen Foster Story for July 4 and stay in your seat. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre, seating opens 45 minutes before, and the fireworks follow the final curtain. In 2026 tickets were $28 for adults, $25 for seniors, $15 for ages 6 to 12 and $9 for ages 2 to 5, plus a $4 fee per ticket, with reserved seats. Holiday-night seats are the ones to grab first, so book when the season goes on sale. The box office is 502-348-5971. Our Stephen Foster Story guide covers the show itself.
Without show tickets, the evening festivities on the park grounds were the place to be in 2026. Get there early, park once, and bring a blanket or lawn chairs.
Spend the afternoon at the house. Mansion tours at My Old Kentucky Home run on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ($18 for adults), capped at 25 people, first come, first served. On a holiday, the early tours are the ones to catch.
A Fourth of July day in Bardstown
Here is one way to fill the holiday, built around the 8 p.m. show:
- Morning: walk downtown before the heat. Court Square, the 1779 Talbott Tavern, the old jail and the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral are all within a few blocks. Our self-guided walking tour maps the route.
- Late morning: if the Fourth falls on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, the Bardstown Farmers Market runs from 7:30 a.m. at the East Flaget Street pavilion. In 2027 the Fourth is a Sunday, so go on Saturday the 3rd.
- Lunch: something light downtown, then a rest in the air conditioning.
- Afternoon: a Federal Hill mansion tour, ideally the 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. slot, so you are already at the park when the evening festivities begin.
- Evening: an early dinner, then your seat at the amphitheater by 7:15 p.m., when seating opens.
- Night: The Stephen Foster Story at 8 p.m., then the fireworks.
Planning for July 4, 2027
No 2027 schedule is out yet. A few things to know:
- July 4, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so the parade and fireworks may shift. Do not assume the 2026 days of the week.
- Watch Visit Bardstown and stephenfoster.com in spring, when the Stephen Foster Drama Association posts its season.
- Book lodging early for the holiday weekend, since the show, the fireworks and summer road-trippers all land at once.
Getting to the park
My Old Kentucky Home State Park is at 501 E. Stephen Foster Ave., about a mile east of Court Square along US 150, and the amphitheater is inside the park at 411 E. Stephen Foster Ave. On the holiday, arrive well before the 5 p.m. start of the evening festivities if you want an easy parking spot, and plan to stay put until the fireworks end. Leaving takes a while when everyone heads for the exits at once, so an inn within walking distance pays off tonight more than any other night of the summer.
Distilleries and the holiday
Plan bourbon around the Fourth, not on it. Willett’s visitor center closes on July 4, and other distilleries may keep holiday hours, so book tours for the day before or after. Save the tasting for the daytime, and if you are having a pour before the fireworks, hand the keys to someone else. Our guide to drinking responsibly in Kentucky covers the rules and your options for getting back to your room.
Heat, bugs and small kids
Early July is peak heat. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals give Bardstown an average July high of 86.6°F, with a low around 66°F, so the evening at the park is warm and often humid. Bring water, bug spray and a light layer for after the show. Fireworks are loud for toddlers and dogs, so pack ear protection for small children and leave pets at home or at the hotel.
Where to stay
For the Fourth, stay close to the park. The Old Bardstown Inn sits directly across from the park entrance on East Stephen Foster Avenue, with rooms from $84.99, which means no driving after the fireworks. Bardstown Motor Lodge is on the same stretch, and the downtown inns are about a mile away. Our where to stay guide compares the neighborhoods.
Keep the week going
The Fourth kicks off the busiest part of summer. In 2026 the Broadway musical Annie started its Wednesday and Friday run at the amphitheater on July 8, and the Nelson County Fair opened on July 13 with a rodeo and midway (see Nelson County Fair and Buttermilk Days). The free Friday concerts at Bardstown Community Park play all summer. Summer in Bardstown has the full season.
