MIDWAY FALL FESTIVAL is also a major revenue source for local Midway businesses. Main Street bookstore “A Likely Story” owned by Ashlee and Annie Denington hosted 15 authors for book signings and launched Midway author Logan Nance’s newest book “Saturday Shepherd and the Winter Wolves.” Versailles own Erin Chandler, pictured, signed her new and well-reviewed book “Bluegrass Sons,” which is a memoir populated by gamblers, smugglers, drug dealers, CIA agents, murderers, prostitutes and, as Erin says, “is the true story behind the best-selling book ‘Bluegrass Conspiracy.’” Chandler will be the featured author at this year’s Kentucky Book Festival on Nov. 2, at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, and will also be at the Woodford County Library on Nov. 14. 

 

“I HEAR THE TRAIN A-COMING, its comin’ round the tracks . . .” Midway’s active R.J. Corman rail line, with tracks bisecting Main Street and vendors wall to wall on both sides of it, was a bright spot for visitors at the 50th annual Midway Fall Festival.

 

MIDWAY CORNER GROCERY, owned by the Patel family from India, always gives their neighbors and Fall Festival visitors a treat with reasonably priced and stunningly delicious Indian street food at a booth that is always set up in front of Midway Makers Market. The authentic offerings included samosas, curries and mango lassis. Shown here is your editor’s lunch . . . chole bhature, a mouth-watering street food from the Punjab region that is made with chickpeas, spices and vegetables, and served with a deep-fried Indian flatbread. To quote myself, “Lawdy, Lawdy, that is goooood and spicy!” (Photos by Scott White)

 

The 50th Annual Midway Fall Festival took place last weekend, Sept. 21 and 22. Though Saturday was a real scorcher with temps rising above 90 and high humidity, the crowds moved along at a leisurely pace, enjoying a kaleidoscope of vending and high-level live music opportunities. 

In addition, 422 vendor booths offered a wide variety of food from shrimp boils from Atlanta to Indian street food from the family who owns Midway Corner Grocery, booths from all of the Woodford County distilleries and craft brewers, an array of fine arts and crafts from original oils to primitive art sculptures, a free kids zone for face and pumpkin painting and roughly 35,000 attendees, according to city officials. 

Attendees came from as far away as England, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Pakistan, Guatemala, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Chile, Denver, Biloxi, New Orleans, Chicago, Indianapolis, Brooklyn, Montpelier, Miami and likely from most of the state’s 120 counties. 

The visitors experienced “Midway hospitality” from a small army of volunteers organized and deployed by Volunteer Coordinator Zach Grayson. The event’s new parking plan and shuttle service led to a dramatic decrease of in-town Midway traffic.  

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, “The 50th Fall Festival was one of the best ever. Extremely well organized and attended, I’ve heard so many compliments from citizens on how well traffic flowed this year, and I agree “