I want Bellevue to be the most family friendly city in this whole tri state area.

>> How a transformed downtown and some clever marketing are drawing people to this river city.

>> We don't have high rises, and we have just what we have.

But we're proud of everything we have.

>> And we head to a small Kentucky town that is working to keep its future bright.

>> They joke about it being the center of the universe, and it's absolutely true.

>> Plus, we'll take you downtown to explore one of Kentucky's hidden gems with lots of history.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

>> Good evening and welcome to a special edition of Kentucky Edition.

I'm Kelsey Starks filling in for Renee Shaw.

Thanks for joining us.

Tonight we're featuring stories from our Mondays on Main series, where we highlight cities across the state that have grown stronger economies and vibrant, engaged communities.

We begin in Versailles, the seat of Woodford County.

It's world-famous.

Bourbon distilleries and horse farms bring a lot of visitors to Versailles, but the city felt more could be done to get them to stick around longer.

So it invested in new revitalization efforts in hopes of getting tourists and locals to spend more time in downtown.

>> It began nearly over ten years ago with Kentucky League of Cities.

We hired Kentucky League of Cities to do a study about how to revitalize downtown.

At the time, very little shops were opening.

Most were closing, so were looking for ways to revitalize.

So they came up with a plan that included tying Main Street to Big Springs Park, and that would include using this area we call the district for our farmers market, for our stage, for our Ada compliant walkway and the water feature.

>> In terms of the revitalization.

Our job is to help create a strategy, a vision, an overall sense of space.

We call it placemaking, and the idea is that we have the right environment, both business and tourism guests.

A welcoming experience for people to want to start a business, have the ability to grow and then people to want to come here.

>> I remember downtown Versailles when you had you shopped downtown Versailles.

They had a clothing store for children.

They had a women's clothing store.

There was a department store.

There was a men's clothing store.

There was a candy market.

They delivered your groceries.

It got empty for a long time when all those stores closed.

Then you had so many empty storefronts.

And now we're getting storefronts back.

>> Weird positive thing that happened during Covid is people realize that you can stay in town, you can stay in your own town and accomplish what you want to accomplish.

So it was sort of right after Covid, people were still used to being local and staying home and shopping locally, that we decided we wanted a place right on Main Street where we could keep that energy going.

I opened My Darling two years ago.

We bought it and with the help of our community and our church, we gutted it.

And then because of the grant that the city was able to offer, they really helped us to restore the facade.

>> So for me, I'm literally born and raised here.

Growing up, I never, ever really thought of Versailles in terms of downtown to be a place I wanted to go.

So the city's grown in a lot of ways with, you know, the entertainment district being a thing and, you know, all of the the things they've done to revitalize it.

>> The district is its shortened name, but it's for sales, market and entertainment district.

We hope to encourage more participation from the farmer's market, but it's also a place where vendors can come and sell things, you know, at at different events.

The entertainment stage has been really great.

We have had musical acts down throughout the summer and food trucks in the in the parking lot area.

>> Farmer's market or the pavilion function has 4000ft█!S outside covered.

So farmers market or vendors can get inside and sell their wares.

The inside portion is heating and air conditioned, and so you can have a number of things inside during the winter and fall season.

>> So one of the things that excites me is it gives people entrepreneurs who are just starting out their their journey.

They can pop up down there, they can do different events and get their start.

And I think that will in turn bring more industry to Versailles.

I'm also excited about festivals and different things.

It will draw people to downtown, and they'll stay here and want to enjoy what we have to offer.

>> We have these big places that bring millions of people here every year that they want to, you know, see, but then they realize, oh, there's so much to do around here.

There's these horse farms, there's all these businesses.

And so Main Street has almost become like a bridge between those things.

So if people are coming from the castle, they'll come here, they'll explore Main Street.

>> Downtowns are what define communities.

Many towns have big boxes, and they pretty much look the same are fast food restaurants.

They look the same.

Every every community has them.

So what a downtown is, is something that's different, that sets you apart from other places.

And we want our downtown to be revitalized.

It's great for economic development and it's just great for quality of life.

>> It's a northern Kentucky River city that is only one square mile, but the small city of Bellevue in Campbell County has managed to generate big interest with the help of some clever marketing.

>> Back in the 70s, we had just everything in Bellevue.

It was pretty amazing.

So one at a time when the big box stores came in, they started big super grocery stores, super Department department stores, big super hardware stores.

And one at a time, these little places started not being able to make it, and they started closing by the year 2000.

A lot of that stuff that made Bellevue really charming was gone.

2002 the corner turned, and I think within a couple of years, five of those buildings were bought, then six, then seven.

Downtown now is looking really good.

>> So we don't have a street named Main Street.

People call it the Avenue.

And you know, when people say, we're going to the Avenue, it's Fairfield Avenue.

>> I think what's so unique about Bellevue that we don't see as much now, in the last 20 years of just modern development, is getting back to the roots of what makes a main Street downtown possible.

And it's it's truly these small businesses lined up and down both sides of the street.

So whether you're traversing it, walking or biking or driving, you realize I've arrived and seeing people walk along the downtown and have more density there really creates this lively nature of the community.

And I think as Bellevue continues to attract not only businesses but people to to stop and stay, I always look at the the Saturday or Sunday morning test when it's anywhere from about 9 a.m.

to noon.

Where are people out doing life?

Are they walking to that coffee shop?

Are they walking their dog or are they going to the park?

And I think it's just really unique what you see along Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue, that they have this lively nature and they've never lost the historic nature that this community has always had along the avenue.

>> The city and the business groups do a great job of promoting business here and helping out all the the little stores.

You know, we're fortunate that we're right across the river from Cincinnati.

So we draw from that crowd, too.

You know, it's a five minute drive over a five minute drive back.

>> We're very proactive and intentional about the events that we plan, and a lot of times we like to tie into an event that's already happening.

So, for example, when Taylor Swift came to Cincinnati last summer, we knew we had a Taylor Avenue.

And, you know, I started thinking about downtown is going to be so crowded.

What about people that don't want to be in the big crowd but are still going to see the show?

We quickly decided we're going to put up the pink street signs and temporarily change the name of the Avenue, but we also collaborated with all of the businesses on the Avenue to make different specials to attract people to Bellevue before the concert, so they could have a Taylor Swift themed dinner, go to a bar, have a Taylor Swift themed drink, and then maybe get a little Love Story ice cream at Schneider's Sweet shop.

>> I love any time we can do anything fun, like fun just brings people in, you know?

So it was just it was all people from out of town.

And that's so good for places like us and the other small businesses in Bellevue, because it brings people that have never been here before.

>> It makes the city alive.

And that's what I want.

I want Bellevue to be the most family friendly city in this whole tri state area, and we're getting there.

I think we almost got it.

>> The little town with the big heart.

Carlisle in Nicholas County has been making major changes in the last few decades, renovating old buildings and making improvements to its historic courthouse that sits in the town square.

We learn more about what makes this quaint town special.

>> Historically, Carlisle was a little bit of an epicenter and a hub for a lot of trade cattle, tobacco, the railroad which connected Lexington to Maysville, where the river was, was a thoroughfare of commodities and people coming off of the riverboats as those legacy employees kind of got older and retired and went away, Carlisle kind of got to be a little sleepy, but we're ready to see it kind of wake back up.

>> Here at the jailer's house was actually the first building that was started in the renovation of a facelift of Carlisle.

We have the the second most iron facades left in the state of Kentucky.

The reason is because people didn't think they should do anything to their property.

So when we started this project, we were laughed at and people said they'll never finish that building.

So it was just a labor of love.

>> This building was given to us by a gene, the Neils, and they wanted it to become a museum and welcome center.

And so the founders of the Historical Society came along and worked really hard to put $1 million worth of renovation into this building.

It was a vision for this place to be a place of community where people could come together for various parties and events and weddings and concerts.

>> We both started with, you know, small businesses in the downtown area.

And I noticed this in a lot of small towns.

I think it's very important to have retail spaces, because having things for people from out of town to come do also for local residents to come and enjoy is important for keeping Main Street alive.

>> I always kind of had Carlisle kind of, you know, looking back over my shoulder, so to speak, to say we needed to go back there and do something when we can and when the opportunities, you know, started to kind of crop up with being able to get a building.

And my wife got through law school and it was like, well, that was fun.

And we rejuvenated this one.

It's like, well, it's let's do another one.

The Broadway building is where Garrett's on Broadway is.

That's that's over on the corner.

And the building we sold was just it's one building over from here on Main Street, looking directly over at the courthouse.

And there's another building on Main Street that we can check off that is now going to be rejuvenated.

Another beautiful building that people can see when they come into town.

>> It's sort of like stepping back in time, you know, and you walk down and you see the streets and you see the buildings and you see our wonderful little shops and how beautiful the courthouse square is.

>> This is the third courthouse, and it was built in 1893.

We have done a roofing project with some storm events.

The the clocks on the top of the tower would have been damaged.

We've we've done some re refurbishing projects to that and got them back and going.

We have the historic flag.

There's only two of those in in the United States.

>> It's been it's been a big source of pride forever.

I mean the courthouse and the flag I mean obviously the courthouse is magnificent.

>> The charm of our town and the fact that we have not lost what a lot of cities have, and we don't have high rises, and we have just what we have, but we're proud of everything we have.

>> It's been ranked the number one best southern small town by USA today.

Maysville, Kentucky is home to nearly 9000 people and sits at the northeast corner of the state.

Over the years, Maysville Maysville Downtown District has gained recognition for mixing modern attractions with historic preservation.

>> If Maysville is your home, then your downtown is your living room because that's where you go to be entertained or to celebrate.

>> The historic buildings.

And the history of Maysville is what makes it unique.

And when tourists come, that's one of the main things that attracts them.

>> You can come here and you walk the same streets that Daniel Boone walked or that Simon Kenton walked.

We're very proud to say we have what you call a full set of teeth, which means all the buildings are still there.

They're not some big gaps like you would see in your teeth.

>> In the middle of Covid.

In 2021, we had 30 some new businesses open in Maysville.

>> Just to have a big variety of businesses that I can, you know, kind of bounce around and walk into is amazing.

>> There's a great little cafe called the Park Cafe, which is just a little slice of Paris.

I mean, you could be on the Champs Elysee when you're having your muffins and coffee at the Park Cafe.

But then you turn around.

One of our oldest businesses downtown is a place called the Lights, which is a nice little greasy spoon.

So many of our professional places are old.

We've got the oldest bank of Kentucky, the Bank of Maysville, and you walk in there and it's like a scene out of It's a Wonderful Life.

I mean, they have kept the marble floors and the old windows with the brass and all that.

I mean, it's a tourist attraction in and of itself.

>> There's a lot that stays.

This has stayed the same, which is very comforting, familiar and great because those are institutions in Maysville, for example, the Maysville Opera, the Washington Opera House, which is the home of Maysville players.

>> We're the longest running community theater in the state of Kentucky.

It's like a family.

We pull in everyone from the community and surrounding communities and we put on shows here.

>> There's our Kentucky Gateway Museum Center and the miniature collection there.

It is internationally renowned.

>> They're like nothing you've ever seen.

They're jaw dropping.

It's the largest private collection in the world.

>> We've had visitors from nine countries already this year alone.

And when you look at January, February, March being tourism months that don't see usually a lot of traction, I think that's phenomenal.

And 17 states on top of the countries.

>> A few years ago, even the term was coined center of the universe.

And I think the person that just kind of started saying it, his name was John Breslin, who, side note, just happens to be the tour director for Garth Brooks.

So Garth Brooks runs around with a sweatshirt that says Maysville, Kentucky Center of the universe.

You can see some of his Instagram.

>> I think what drives you most to stay in downtown Maysville is because you know each other.

You go into Bradley's Boutique, they know you by name.

They say, hello, David, how can I help you?

>> We're a different kind of company.

I offer brand new boutique items but also bring in crafters.

We also do consignment, so I have consignment for men's, women and children's.

All the apparel you can think of.

You wouldn't believe how many vendors we have for that.

>> There's no doubt that when you go downtown, you will meet people and they will stop you and talk to you and say hello to you.

I love that about our town and actually Kentucky.

>> I'm always welcoming somebody to town and I say, where are you from?

Why are you here?

My friends say, why are you talking to everybody?

But it's important to make them feel welcome and why they're here.

And it's interesting to say, well, we just happened to see it.

We took a day trip.

We thought we'd come to Maysville, and they keep coming back because Maysville is a very welcoming town and it's a beautiful town.

>> So which Kentucky city has a ferry boat?

No franchise stores, and a connection to one of the most famous families in Hollywood.

Augusta, Kentucky sits on the bank of the Ohio River, and even though the population is small, the city has a big impact on tourism.

Our Emily Sisk takes us to the heart of Augusta.

>> Augusta is.

>> Kind of like, step back into time.

>> We're like a hallmark town, so everything about it is small and quaint.

>> Small and quaint indeed.

Augusta, Kentucky is home to 1100 people, and it sits right on the edge of the Ohio River in Bracken County.

Even though the population is small, its tourism impacts are mighty.

>> The view helps a lot.

We have nothing in front of us, between us and the river, which is fantastic.

>> Ruth Laycock is a lifelong resident of Augusta.

>> I've lived here in Augusta for 87 years now, getting close to 88.

>> In her 87 years.

Laycock described the change she's seen in the city with one word progress.

>> Oh my goodness, we used to not have tourists.

>> Now Augusta sees plenty of tourists.

Last year, Bracken County brought in $2 million in tourism revenue and visitors come from across the world.

>> I've had somebody in as far as the Republic of China, France, Germany.

>> So what brings these travelers to the river?

City?

Tourism Director Janet Hunt said.

It's a few things.

>> If you like bourbon, you need to try the Augusta Distillery.

If you like White Christmas, you got to see the Rosemary Clooney Museum.

>> In fact, the Rosemary Clooney Museum has the largest collection of white Christmas memorabilia in the world.

And speaking of the Clooney's, Augusta is the hometown of the famous family.

George Clooney still makes frequent visits to Augusta, where his parents reside.

>> Now he's got two kids, brings them and his wife, Amal.

It's a normal thing.

>> One not so typical thing about Augusta is the lack of chain stores and restaurants.

>> We don't have any franchise.

Everything's open by individuals or family owned.

>> A walk down Main Street shows not just one, but five different restaurants in the city of 1100 people.

One of those is the Beehive Augusta Tavern, which offers an upscale dining experience.

Katie Swonger took over as general manager about three years ago.

>> It's always been my dream to run a restaurant.

I have tried several times to leave hospitality.

I've been doing it since I was 16 and I can never leave.

>> Swonger said.

Many people learn about Augusta on social media and decide to make the trip.

>> If you can get people to come to Augusta, they'll fall in love and they come back and they bring people and they bring groups and and they really, truly love it.

>> And one of the places for those visitors to stay is the Benchmark Inn, which has 12 unique rooms and the only coffee shop in the city.

>> All of our guests will get free complimentary coffee in the mornings, and it's also open to the public.

>> One experience visitors literally can't miss is the Jenny and Ferry, which runs back and forth between Ohio and Kentucky every day except for Christmas.

>> That is an experience itself.

It takes probably about five minutes.

>> Tourism continues to grow in Augusta, as families like the glands look to open up new attractions like an antique car museum.

>> There's roughly 4042 in our collection.

Most of the antiques are early 20s, some early 30s as well.

>> The family plans to open the museum in the spring, and they've already gotten a positive response from the community.

>> The last couple of weekends and the weather's good.

We put them all outside and in the parking lot, and we have company all day long.

Some of them stay for hours.

>> And for Laycock, who has seen lots of change in 87 years, her favorite things about Augusta remain constant.

>> The scenery, the beauty, the unobstructed view of the river.

God takes care of us.

He likes it here.

>> Leaders in Augusta said it's their mission to keep local businesses alive and maintain what they call hospitality from the heart.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Sisk.

>> Known as the Heart of Lake Cumberland, Monticello in Wayne County, has about 5 million visitors a year.

But the small town wants to be known for more than just the lake, and they hope their downtown revitalization efforts do just that.

>> Monticello is a pretty versatile type town.

You know, we get a mixture of people here.

You know, we're in between right on the edge of Appalachia.

You know, we have the mountains to the east, and then it starts flattening out.

And, you know, we run into the lake.

>> One of the things we've noticed in Monticello in the past, at least, is a lot of people come, they graduate high school, they go to college, they move away, they don't come back.

But we've really worked as a community to change that culture and that mindset.

So we want to definitely stay small town, but we want to have something that people can come back to.

>> We don't have the things of the big cities, but we have things that big cities don't have.

You know, like our old town pool hall, you know, our bookstore, our quilt shop.

We're bringing back the little mom and pop stores that that have left, you know, Southern America.

And we're proud of that.

That's what keeps us going.

>> Over the last 5 to 10 years, there's been a revitalization, and there's been people that have made a concerted effort to I want to be downtown, and I think we can offer something and we can make it grow that way.

>> And my husband both grew up here.

We have lived here our whole lives and for a very long time.

The only thing to do was go get a pool hall burger.

Like that was the only thing that was downtown.

Everything was either abandoned or it's just apartments.

So there was nothing really to do downtown.

So just in the last two years, I mean, having six new businesses pop up has really been a big game changer for downtown.

In, I guess, 2019, we decided we wanted to add on at our house to make more space for our our projects and everything, because we were running out of space.

And then Covid hit and everything skyrocketed.

So instead of building a new garage, we said, why don't we just find that old building downtown and renovate it?

And we had friends at the store and some other people downtown.

They were kind of looking at the area, too.

So it all kind of happened at once without us even knowing.

>> We opened up Happy Hoppers, coffee and more on highway 90 about seven years ago, and we want to help build and grow our downtown in Monticello.

So the employees created an offspring of happy hoppers and we call it the Lily pad.

The lily pad is a small grab and go shop.

It has coffees from Happy hoppers and then it also carries some treats, some candies.

>> As a chamber.

We have started the Monticello Market Downtown event, which is a vendors event downtown that draws in vendors, arts, crafts, food trucks, a different theme each each month like a car show, a Jeep show, kids fest, agriculture and those things bring down tourists off the lake and into town.

It is a good culture increase or culture boost for the local community.

>> We're we're proud of the Doughboy.

It's a big part of our community.

>> It represented the soldiers that went off to World War One.

And there's some plaques commemorating those people.

>> You know you can come through at night.

And if you top the little knoll there in the city, you see the lights.

Well, the first thing you see is the doughboy sitting there, the Brown Lanier house.

I think that's going to be a game changer for our community.

Being on the National Park Service now.

So people's already traveling to come and see that they're getting ready to do a revitalization of that building.

Then we have the historic Mill Springs.

You know, we still have a working meal that grounds corn.

So, you know, we're proud of that.

That's a big draw.

And of course, the lake, the lake speaks for itself.

And what we're trying to do is just pull from that to bring them into our community.

And that's what keeps our small businesses going.

>> Thanks for joining us.

Have a great night.