Louisville
At Louisville’s Butchertown Market, an 1800s meatpacking facility is now a one-stop shop for locally made products and cuisine. The Butchertown Market houses chic boutiques, bourbon-themed shops and the city’s first brandy distillery: Copper and Kings.
“Louisville Tourism can arrange champagne or mimosa drinks to welcome groups to Butchertown and elevate the experience,” said Katie Kubitskey, marketing communication manager for Louisville Tourism. “Groups that set it up can also see how an on-site chocolatier at Cellar Door Chocolates makes chocolate, from the bean to the bar.”
The gourmet chocolate shop takes scheduled groups to its kitchen to demonstrate chocolate-making and offer samples. The quirky shops continue from there, with locally crafted jewelry at Work the Metal, bourbon-smoked spices at Bourbon Barrel Foods and handcrafted lotions at Moss Hill.
The Butchertown Market sits within the larger Butchertown Historic District, which includes the 1866 St. Joseph Catholic Church. Greek Revival homes and shotgun houses in the area put the neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We also like to recommend Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass,” said Kubitskey. “They will send a shuttle to your hotel for free and take you to the shops. It is the opposite shopping experience of Butchertown Market. It has brand-name items.”
Groups can arrange a wine and appetizer reception before meandering through the 366,750-square-foot shopping center. Groups can schedule a fashion presentation for VIP access and insider tips.
Most groups opt for the raffled $100 gift card, a branded tote bag, a coupon book and swag from various retailers. Shoppers can save up to 70 percent on designer brands such as Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.
Bowling Green
Groups can add a little fire to their shopping excursion at the SoKY Marketplace. Bowling Green’s indoor farmers market offers exclusive group cooking experiences, such as a bananas Foster demonstration. Other options include a local baker showing how to make toaster pastries or cinnamon apple chips.
Even without the added interactive experience, groups love browsing the farmers market products, which include soaps, breads and seasonal items.
Groups interested in shopping Bowling Green’s downtown should start at Fountain Square Park.
“Our downtown has a lot of locally made items, which people like because you can’t just get them at any shop,” said Beth Noffsinger, public relations manager for the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The heart of downtown is historic Fountain Square Park. The park is a great place to stop and take a break for a while. If you wanted, you could grab carryout from a restaurant and stop there to eat.”
From the park, visitors can easily walk to other shops, like Barbara Stewart Interiors, for jewelry, furnishings and other items. Candlemakers on the Square pours candles on-site and offers locally produced art. Art also lines the walls at the Love Art Gallery and the Pots Place Gallery, which sells work from eight local potters.
After a day’s shopping, visitors can stop for a treat at Mary Jane’s Chocolates. Or if bourbon sounds more appealing, Corsair Distillery offers tours and tastings for up to 15 people.
