By: Harrison Stiles and Claire O’Neill
Starting November 29th, DLP encourages you to Shop, Dine, Play and Stay Downtown with our Shop and Celebrate program! In this blog post, we will be focusing on how you can have some fun downtown during the holiday season. Don’t forget, anytime you spend $25 or more at one of our participating businesses, you can text ‘downtown’ to 474747 and follow the instructions you receive to be entered to win one of our weekly prizes!
Family-Friendly Events
Lexington Children’s Theatre
Founded in 1938, Lexington Children’s Theatre (LCT) is a fully professional, non‐profit organization dedicated to the intellectual and cultural enrichment of young people. The LCT seeks to encourage and cultivate artistic inclination in children of all backgrounds and does a fantastic job at what they do. Their shows are always entertaining and impressive. Give a gift this year that will not only be entertaining but will also give back to the community of Lexington and its youth – they are currently offering single tickets to their shows starting at $15 and season subscriptions from $65. Or if you know an aspiring actor or actress, they have theatre school classes starting at $95.
Upcoming Event: Aesop’s Fables On Stage
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, December 14 @ 11:00 am (Sensory Friendly)
Saturday, December 14 @ 7:00 pm (Pay What You Can)
Sunday, December 15 @ 2:00pm
418 W Short St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 254-4546
Lexington Opera House
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Lexington Opera House is one of the premier performing arts centers in the region. Programming at the Opera House offers something for everyone: ballet, opera, children’s productions, family shows, comedy, music, and professional national BROADWAY tours! Performances never disappoint so grab some tickets soon and head down to see a show!
Upcoming Events:
Acoustic Jam 2019
December 10th, 2019 at 7:30 PM
Kentucky Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker
December 14-22, 2019
401 W Short St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 233-4567
Rupp Arena
Recognized as an epicenter of sports excellence, Rupp Arena is renowned for its storied history, marquee matchups, and year-round top-quality events and entertainment. Named for legendary college basketball Coach Adolph Rupp, the arena opened its doors in 1976 and it continues to be a hub for exciting events even today. Check out their website for tickets to upcoming events and shows that are sure to make an excellent Christmas gift for just about anyone.
430 W Vine St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 233-4567
Triangle Park
We’ve transformed Triangle Park into a winter wonderland, complete with the Unified Trust Company Ice Rink, a concession stand serving beer, hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks, as well as a massive Christmas Tree which is the size of a house. If you haven’t been down to see it yet, make sure you do before it’s too late!
400 W Main St
Lexington, KY 40507
Nightlife
Bluegrass Tavern
This bar is truly all things Bourbon. They are very proud to be home to Kentucky’s largest bourbon collection. But don’t worry, even if you’re not a bourbon connoisseur, their staff is very friendly and helpful when you’re trying to figure out what bourbon to try next. Let their experts help you find out why Kentucky is famous for its bourbon! If you’re looking for a unique gift for someone this winter (or for yourself), they have exclusive bourbon barrel picks ranging from $65-$75 as well as $15 t-shirts, which are a steal!
115 Cheapside
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 523-7976
Bigg Blue Martini
Established in 1998, Bigg Blue Martini has become a local favorite martini bar in Lexington, Kentucky. A traditional gathering spot for the University of Kentucky fans before Cats’ games, Rupp Arena concert goers, and the Lexington Opera House viewers. The BBM has a wide menu selection including appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees. They also offer private rooms that can be booked for holiday functions hosting anywhere from 10 people to 500 people. Check out their website for special packages and perks!
369 W Vine St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 231-9000
Centro
Located in the heart of Downtown Lexington at the 5/3 Pavilion, Centro is THE place to enjoy all the horse capital has to offer. In the Historical Old Courthouse Plaza at 5/3 Pavilion, they’re steps from a host of restaurants, bars, hotels, shops, and Rupp Arena. You’ll find yourself in the middle of all the action, yet comfortably enjoying delicious cocktails, local beer, and bourbon with friendly locals – whenever you choose to hang out there. While they don’t have a private room, they do host Holiday parties of up to 50 people with no booking fees. It’s the perfect place for holiday happy hours, with $5 Tito’s, Four Roses, and 2 for 1 house wines for just $7 every day from 4 pm-7 pm. They also host a ladies’ night every Wednesday with $3 glasses of wine and a new specialty BOGO cocktail each week.
113 Cheapside
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 368-7972
Ethereal Brewing
Ethereal Brewing is known for its hand-crafted micro brews designed for taste, smoothness, and quality. Although their offerings are quite broad, their main focus will be on brewing delicious Belgian farmhouse and American craft beers. Ethereal can host private parties of up to 45 people and if you’re looking for local gifts, they have hoodies, knit beanies and hats all for sale. They also sell a metal Ethereal sign for $15 which is perfect for decorating a home bar or man cave or just to show some local pride! Etheral currently has 4 specialty beers on tap for $5 apiece: Asmodeus – a wine & bourbon barrel-aged Belgian beer, Priory of Shadows – a milk stout, Quadzilla – a Belgian quad, and barrel-aged peanut butter milk stout. They are passionate about good beer, and it shows in what they produce! Located on Manchester Street, stop by and enjoy a local craft beer this holiday season.
1224 Manchester St
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 309-1254
Harvey’s Bar and Hugo’s Ultralounge
Harvey’s Bar is Downtown Lexington’s premiere bar with Hugo’s Ultra lounge next door. Equipped with DJ, dance floor, and amazing service, Hugo’s Ultra Lounge is a perfect place to dance the night away! This bar also has one of the best patios in Downtown Lexington if you’re looking for a little fresh air. Stop in and grab a drink at Harvey’s this weekend and let it carry you right out onto Hugo’s dance floor!
200 W Main St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 226-9333
McCarthy’s Irish Bar
McCarthy’s Irish Bar is rich in history, named after one of the most famous bars in the world, located in Fethard Co, Tipperary (Ireland). The name is hundreds of years old and the independent location in Lexington first opened in Lexington on March 22, 1996. It quickly expanded with several additions and now boasts two indoor bars as well as another outside in its back alley patio area. The bar stays true to its Irish roots with a community feel to the space, and there’s never a shortage of friendly people to get to know.
117 S Upper St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 258-2181
The Roxy/Quiet Please
If you’re wandering around downtown Lexington on a weekend night in the next month and come across a sign for the Roxy Theater, you might want to check it out. It’s the latest — and most under-the-radar — venture from Seth Bennett, owner of Two Keys Tavern on Limestone and Stagger Inn on Main Street. The venue isn’t even actually called Roxy. Signs on the building at 269 West Main, the Court Square Building, refer to “QP” — as in Quiet Please. Above the entrance to Stagger Inn, QP offers a slightly more elevated environment to enjoy drinks and dancing in a night-club atmosphere with your friends.
269 W Main St.
Lexington, KY 40508
Skybar
Accessible by an elevator on the ground floor, Skybar is true to its name. The venue offers a great view of Downtown Lexington and a classy, albeit still relaxed environment to chill out and sip drinks or grab a bite to eat with some of your closest friends. Their DJs always make the dance floor the place to be, so don’t feel like you have to keep it too classy!
269 W Main St
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 368-7900
Soundbar
Soundbar is one of the most exciting places to go out in Lexington. An establishment that prides itself on inclusivity, they welcome anyone and everyone and make them feel like they’re at home. They have a DJ and a dance floor which is almost always a hub of activity, but they also have an upstairs lounge with couches in case dancing isn’t your thing. Don’t think you have to wait for the weekend to check them out either, they have different specials throughout the week if you’re after a casual drink or two. If you’re looking for a place to host your holiday party, look no further. For $350 you can rent their second floor on a Friday night, which includes space for up to 150 guests (21+), a staffed bar, seating, the ability to pick your own music, parking, 7 flat-screen TVs, and a heated balcony and deck.
208 S Limestone
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 523-6338