Bourbon & Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week is the only LGBTQ+ inclusive bourbon week in the country. Presented by Queer Kentucky, Kentucky’s only LGBTQ+ newsroom, it’s our invitation to experience the best of what Kentucky has to offer in a space where you are welcomed, celebrated, and seen.

Now in its third year, Bourbon & Belonging spans four cities across the state: Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah. October 1-4, 2026, you’ll find exclusive distillery experiences, queer history tours, drag shows, panels, bar crawls, and more, all designed with our community in mind.

Kentucky’s bourbon culture belongs to everyone. We built Bourbon & Belonging because we wanted LGBTQ+ travelers and locals alike to have a home in it.

Bourbon & Belonging is made possible with support from our bourbon partners including Old Forester, Michter’s, Beam Suntory, and New Riff, our tourism partners in Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah, and our media partner Passport Magazine.

Presented by Queer Kentucky | GLAAD-nominated independent newsroom

***description from website

Get tickets to events here

Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Tasting Experience
Oct 1 to Oct 4
Enjoy a complimentary express tasting experience at KY Peerless, which includes two pours of any of Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.’s offerings.

Angel’s Envy Tours & Tastings: Bourbon & Belonging
Oct 1 to Oct 4
Join us for a discounted tour experience at the distillery and enjoy a specialty cocktail featured for Bourbon & Belonging from October 1-4. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this cocktail will benefit Queer Kentucky.

Queer Louisville: Kentucky LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour
Oct 1 to Oct 4
Explore the Queer stories of Louisville’s past! Get to know the gays of Glitter Ball City on this 1.5-hour walking tour through Louisville’s vibrant Highlands neighborhood.

Poured With Pride: A James Beam Experience
Oct 1 – 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Join us Thursday, October 1st from 3–5pm at Fred B. Noe Distillery for an exclusive co-hosted experience with James Beam Distilling’s LGBTQ+ employee impact group. The Beam family has been shaping American bourbon for seven generations, and Fred B. Noe Distillery carries that history in every barrel.

First Toast: A Weller Bourbon Dinner at Otto’s
Oct  1 – 6:00 PM 9:00 PM
We’re raising a glass to community, incredible food, and some of the most sought-after spirits in the world, with a curated menu featuring pairings from Buffalo Trace’s legendary Weller collection. Each course is thoughtfully paired to highlight the unique profile of these rare pours.

The First Pour at The Green Door
Oct 1 – 6:00 PM 9:00 PM
Kick off Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week at The Green Door, Covington’s favorite dry bar, for an evening of good music, great drinks, and even better company.

Behind The Velvet Curtain: By Blanc’s Burlesque
Oct 1 – 9:00 PM 11:00 PM
Blanc’s Burlesque presents Behind the Velvet Curtain, a night of classic burlesque turned all the way up. Performances built on tassels, timing. Enjoy cocktails and entertainment in a unique Louisville spot. Music runs from jazz and show tunes to R&B and slow-burn sensual, because a good tease knows how to change its tempo.

Whiskey Row Walking Tour
Oct 2 to Oct 4
Explore downtown Louisville’s Main Street with a guide who’s spent his life here. Louisville’s bourbon distilleries, historic Whiskey Row, and horse country bringing firsthand knowledge of the city’s growth over the past 35 years.

The Bourbon Trolley: Distillery Tour, Tasting Rooms & Bourbon Experiences
Oct 2 – 1:30 PM 4:30 PM
Step aboard Louisville’s historic Old Fashioned Express trolley to explore distilleries, tasting rooms, & bourbon-infused bites!

The Blend at Bespoken spirits
Oct 2 – 4:00 PM 7:00 PM
Sip on Bespoken Spirits cocktails, meet fellow bourbon lovers from across the queer community and beyond, and kick off festival weekend in style.

Beyond the Barrel: An Immersive New Riff Experience
Oct 2 – 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
New Riff’s exclusive evening celebrating community and connection, featuring a behind-the-scenes tour, exceptional whiskey and delicious food pairings.

Beyond the Barrel: Walking Bourbon Tour with Food Pairings
Oct 2 – 5:30 PM 8:30 PM
Go beyond the barrel to dive into bourbon’s storied history and learn all the stories they won’t tell you on a Kentucky Bourbon Trail distillery tour.

Big Gay Mainstrasse Bar Crawl
Oct  3 – 2:00 PM 6:00 PM
The Big Gay Mainstrasse Bar Crawl is your invitation to take up space, make friends with strangers, and raise a glass across some of NKY’s most beloved spots

Flavor Deconstructed: Bourbon, bitters & chocolate by Art Eatables + Bluegrass bitters
Oct 3 – 6:00 PM 7:30 PM
Come deconstruct an Old Fashioned piece by piece and taste your way through chocolates built to complement (and sometimes challenge) different bourbon flavor notes. Part tasting, part flavor science, entirely delicious.

Rhinestone Rodeo: A Smoke & Queers Western Burlesque Revue
Oct  3 – 9:00 PM 11:00 PM
Saddle up. Smoke & Queers is riding into Second Sight Spirits for a night of drag, burlesque, and queer artistry with a western twist.
Expect sequins and spurs. Expect boas and boot scoots. This queer burlesque troupe brings bold performances and unapologetic joy to one of Ludlow’s own stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, pairing the art of the tease with the art of the pour.

Queer to Tell: Louisville presents “I’m Going Out Tonight!”
Oct 4 – 6:30 PM 9:00 PM
Queer To Tell: Louisville is a storytelling series that celebrates the voices of queer people within our community. Join us on October 4th for our show, “I’m Going Out Tonight!” to hear true stories of unforgettable nights out! Come hear true stories from our community about someone’s first night out at a gay club, meeting an alluring stranger, dancing all night, and all of the good, bad, and in-between that happens through the adventures and misadventures in queer nightlife.
Grab your specialty bourbon cocktail at the bar and bring your friends to hear tales of queer folks Going Out!!
This show is brought to you in collaboration with Pandora Productions, a theatre company that inspires human connection, creates space for community, and celebrates those who identify as LGBTQIA+.