One Small Town in Kentucky Celebrates the Holidays With Santa And a Huge Lights Festival

The pumpkins are all but gone and the holiday season has come in with all the bells and whistles or should we say lights.  One Kentucky town knows just how to celebrate.

WHAT IS PATTI'S 1880'S SETTLEMENT?

Patti's is located in Grand Rivers, Kentucky about three miles off the interstate.  My first experience with Patti's was in high school when I played in the Kentucky Lake soccer tournament.  I was hooked after that.

Maybe it was the flower pot bread and the homemade strawberry butter or it could be the delicious variety of home-cooked meals to choose from.  Now I can't forget about the mile-high meringue pies.  Patti's is just a really special place.  It's the very first-weekend adventure my husband, Joe, and I took when we started dating.

Bill and Patti Tullar visited Grand Rivers in 1972 and loved the town so much that they purchased a small motel there. Just five years later they decided along with some friends to open Patti's Hamburger and Ice Cream Parlor. Eventually, they outgrew the small shop they were in and started turning motel rooms into dining rooms.

Bill Tullar wanted a business of his own so they built Mr. Bills which was more of an entertainment venue and restaurant all in one.

Patti's has always been a family kind of place. We welcome the little ones and planned for their entertainment by adding a small animal walk-through park, 18-hole miniature golf, a playground, mining, and remote control boats.

Today, our two restaurants serve over 350,000 people each year, in our little town of 350 people. People come from many states for our great food, beautiful gardens and Patti's great southern hospitality. Our log cabin settlement offers a wide variety of shopping with names such as Brighton, Fontanini, Spartina, Anju, Lizzy James and Music of the Spheres Chimes.

Get our free mobile app

A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY TRADITION

Patti's 1880s Settlement knows how to do many things well and one of those is the holidays.  Each year they host the Festival of Lights starting at the beginning of November through January.

The grounds of Patti's are transformed with over a million and a half lights that line the sidewalks, the trees, the structures, and more.   This grand event starts Friday, November 4, and runs nightly 4-10 pm through January 31st. It is a walk-thru event and the best part it's free to the public.

Start a tradition with your family this year and go to visit Patti's.  Grab a bite to eat and then check out all the beautiful lights.

Santa arrives on-site this weekend too!