Lincoln Days is a festival with Presidential flair

Downtown Hodgenville was filled Saturday with spectators, vendors and Abraham Lincoln look-alikes for the annual Lincoln Days festival.

Neal Cardin

An Abraham Lincoln impersonator waves to the crowd Saturday as the parade moves through Hodgenville during the annual Lincoln Days Festival.

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Neal Cardin

A family enjoys festival food Saturday as they wait for the Lincoln Days parade to begin.

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Neal Cardin

Broom maker Skip Peek fashions a broom Saturday at the Lincoln Days Festival.

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Festival-goers stepped in and out of stores on the square, bought treats such as kettle corn and stopped to watch women compete for the best portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln.

Linda Brewer won that competition, which was her first time portraying the former first lady.

Brewer is from Central City and attended Lincoln Days for the first time last year. She and her husband enjoyed themselves and he encouraged her to try her hand at the look-alike competition. They’re involved in other similar events.

She began studying Mrs. Lincoln and went shopping for a wardrobe.

“I just started hunting and looking and piecing together whatever I could find,” she said.

She was able to add a sash to her ensemble after winning the competition.

“I’m just tickled to death I won,” she said.

Festival planners worked to emphasize the history of LaRue County in this year’s event, especially with children. They created a scavenger, hunt which takes participants to several sites on the square, while picking up historical facts along the way. The top prize for completing the hunt was $50.

Charlie Setters, past president of the Lincoln Days board, said he hoped the hunt would add to their understanding of Kentucky history.

Brewer wasn’t the only person to travel to take part in the festival. Lissa Alls came from Owensboro to set up a crafts booth.

“I just like the opportunity to talk to other crafters,” she said.

She enjoys meeting other festival patrons in general. Town festivals have a lot of meaning to residents.

“I think it’s kind of like a homecoming for a lot of people,” she said.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.