SoKY’s Choice: Wine, music and memories fill the RailPark at seventh annual BG Wine Fest

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – On a warm summer Saturday in Bowling Green, the sound of clinking glasses mixed with live music under the tent at the Historic RailPark. Dozens of wine lovers wandered between train cars and tasting tables for the seventh annual BG Wine Fest.

Several wineries from across Kentucky poured samples, including J&H Farm and Winery, one of the newest on the scene.

“This is our very first time here in Bowling Green,” said J&H Farm and Winery co-owner and winemaker Jacob Regan. “It’s really special, especially here being at the RailPark. The venue is awesome, and the people have been amazing.”

The event stretched across the front lawn and through the depot, with food trucks, local craft vendors, and live music adding to the festival feel. A few vendors even served up frozen lemonade wine.

“There’s a lot more people this year, a lot better energy,” said returning attendee Katy Rylatt. “We get to drink wine, support food trucks, and just enjoy each other. I think everybody in Bowling Green should come.”

What set Wine Fest apart from other summer gatherings was the purpose behind the pour. The event raised funds the century-old L&N depot, a key piece of Bowling Green history.

“This place… a lot of people would say if these walls could talk,” said Wine Fest Coordinator Molly Claire Abell. “When you come to Wine Fest, you’re not just making memories. You’re helping preserve the stories and lives that have passed through these walls.”

Abel, a recent graduate of Western Kentucky University, planned this year’s event after starting as an intern in January.

“It’s been so much fun,” she said. “I come from a small town, and Bowling Green has really helped me find my voice. Getting to plan something that brings the community together and supports this historic place has been incredibly meaningful.”

For the wineries, the guests, and the organizers, Wine Fest offered more than a day of tasting; it offered a toast to heritage, growth, and community.

The RailPark will host its next major event, the Rendezvous, on October 16, followed by holiday-themed Polar Express readings in December.