RICHMOND, Ky. (WKYT) – A beautiful, fall day in downtown Richmond. The streets lined with people, pets, vendors and crafts.
“I think about communities around us. Winchester has their Beer Cheese Festival, Irvine has their Mushroom Festival, Brea has their Spoon Bread Festival. Richmond’s signature event will now be the Millstone Festival. That’s what we’re going to be known for,” said City Manager Rob Minerich.
Minerich said the inaugural event was cancelled last year due to COVID. And the community made sure to show up in full force Saturday. Something that’s good for morale and even better for small business.
“They come out, showcase what they have. People remember that. They’re going to come back and visit them. They’re going to go downtown,” Minerich said.
And they’re going to support local shops that took big hits the past year and a half.
“We’ve both lived here for almost 20 years. We went to school here and settled down. It’s kind of neat to be set up in your community and see all your friends and family members,” said The Bent Needle owner Sunny Mitchell.
Sunny Mitchell and Brittany Vandecar started the Bent Needle as a hobby four years ago. Thanks to social media, and festivals like this, the two have been able to turn a side project into a thriving business.
“We didn’t know what to expect with this being the first year and the turnout. But Richmond has shown up and it’s been wonderful.”
A nice economic boost Minerich plans to repeat for years to come.
And if you were wondering how the festival got it’s name, according to Minerich, the city has a collection of 42 different millstones.
They were used throughout madison county in old mills to crush corn to turn into flour, another way for the city to celebrate its history.
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