Southcentral Kentucky has attractions from Barren River State Resort Park to Mammoth Cave National Park, and this weekend will be Park City’s turn to show off with the annual Bell’s Tavern Heritage Festival.

Park City, the gateway to Mammoth Cave National Park, is home to historic Bell’s Tavern. The annual festival is on the grounds of Bell’s Tavern Historical Park, 117 West Old Dixie Highway. The five-acre park celebrates the town’s earliest beginnings, its link to Mammoth Cave and the area’s transportation history.

“This is an event to show off our town,” said Joy Medley Lyons, chairperson for Bell’s Tavern Historic Park. “Park City is a small community and many may think there’s not much here, but there is … like the ruins of Bell Tavern, which is a draw for many. There’s just a lot of 19th-century history that you can still see.”

The festival will kick off Friday with food, crafts and musical performances by three different groups, ranging from bluegrass to gospel. Saturday will bring a full day of activities starting with the sHOw Modular Model Railroad Club display of model trains. The models will be set up in the dinning room of the Mentz Hotel, which was built in 1905, Lyons said.

“This is a huge deal for train enthusiasts,” she said.

At 10 a.m. the annual antique tractor parade will commence, going through downtown Park City. And at noon the day’s event will move into full swing with more than 30 crafts booths to peruse, food to eat and a variety of musical performances to enjoy.

“It is a mix of country and bluegrass,” Lyons said. “All performers are local artists, from Bowling Green to Glasgow to Edmonson. All are experienced and good.”

The groups will switch about every hour, Lyons said.

To cap the festival, the night’s sky will light up with a “phenomenal” display of fireworks, Lyons said – the festival’s biggest draw.

“No one would expect for a community this size to have such a display. It’s like we don’t care if we burn something down – that’s just how good they are,” Lyons joked. “It’s just a really enjoyable event.”

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Bell’s Tavern stands today as it did in 1865. Built in 1830 by William Bell, Bell’s Tavern served as a stagecoach stop that brought visitors to Mammoth Cave. The inn was famous for its elite patrons, cuisine and a special drink of peach and honey brandy. The tavern burned in 1860 and was being reconstructed by Bell’s grandson, William F. Bell, and stepfather, George M. Proctor; however, the tavern was never completed because of the Civil War.

The grounds are now open to the public free of charge.

“People can expect to have a fun, laid-back opportunity to enjoy each other and the community’s history,” Lyons said. “It’s just a great opportunity to spend quality time and enjoy doing so, and they don’t have to spend a dime to do it.”