By Mark White and Leeann Fragosa
One of the biggest events of the year, Colonel Fest, returns to downtown Corbin this weekend.
A pair of live musical acts, 53 vendors and several contests are among things lined up for the 2026 Colonel Fest.
The event will run from 3 to 9 p.m. on April 10 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 11 on Main Street.
There will also be a petting zoo, bounce house, slides and a parakeet encounter.
The event is mostly free. There will be a $0.25 charge for feeding with the petting zoo as well as the parakeet encounter. Hillview Stables will charge $5 for feed and entry.
The event is full of activities honoring Colonel Sanders, the creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) finger-lickin’ recipe.
“I hope we have something for everyone. Come out and enjoy it,” said Corbin Tourism Director Emily Roberts.
This will be the sixth year for the annual festival.
This year, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, the festival will feature a red, white and blue flower arch, which will be displayed at Sanders Park for people to use a photographic background.
“That is our little partaking in America’s birthday,” Roberts noted.
All contests will be at the Hometown Bank Farmers Market Stage and are free to enter.
The egg toss contest will take place at 4 p.m. Friday and will require players to toss an egg back and forth with a partner.
The Finger Lickin’ Chicken 0.5k Race will follow after at 5 p.m. Racers must move 820 feet, eat a chicken tender and then move the final 820 feet. The first racer to cross the finish line wins.
Todd Campbell with perform live on stage starting at 6 p.m. at the Hometown Bank Farmers Market Pavillion. The festival will wrap-up for the day at 9 p.m. Friday, but will open back up Saturday at 10 a.m.
At noon, the chicken costume contest will take place. Contestants must wear a costume that resembles a chicken in a creative way.
The Kentucky Reptile Zoo out of Slade, Kentucky, will have a presentation from 1 – 2 p.m. with live amphibians and reptiles.
At 2 p.m., the chicken cluckin’ and strutting contest will take place followed by the Colonel Sanders Look-A-Like Contest at 3 p.m.
Chad Rogers will take the stage starting at 4 p.m. with the festival concluding at 6 p.m.
Because of the celebration, Main Street in downtown Corbin will close from Second Street to Gordon Hill staring at noon Friday. It will reopen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
