SHAKER VILLAGE

News release

HARRODSBURG — Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill will debut new programming for their daily riverboat cruises aboard the Dixie Belle Sept. 6-Oct. 31. The tour entitled “Civil War on the Kentucky River” will give guests a history lesson on how the Civil War affected the Shakers who relied on the Kentucky River during wartime.

“We are proud to offer seasonal programming, not only for our riverboat excursions, but for our Daily Adventures, so there is always something new for our guests to learn and experience,” said President and CEO Maynard Crossland. “The topic of the Civil War always brings great interest, and we are excited that we get to showcase how this fascinating and difficult time in America’s history played out right here in central Kentucky.”

Passengers will take a narrated journey along the Kentucky River to discover how troop movement impacted the accessibility of the river for the Shakers at Pleasant Hill. The Shakers were pacifists, but the skirmishes, battles and consequences of the war affected their community just like many others in the South.

The Dixie Belle Riverboat embarks every day at 2 and 4 p.m. Tickets should be purchased at the Welcome Center. Pricing for ages 13+ is $10, $5 for ages 6-12 and free for ages five and under. All river adventures are subject to weather and river conditions and will only run if the temperature is above 50 degrees. All scheduled excursions can be found on the Shaker Village Events Calendar.

Shaker Village also welcomes guests to participate in its second annual Community Sing event, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sept. 7. The event will be held in the historic Meeting House, the space where the Shakers would come together every week to sing, dance and worship.

The day will kick off with group singing of Shaker hymns, traditional Gospel hymns, folk music and other styles that will be featured in workshops. Singers of all levels are invited to participate and may come and go throughout the day. There is no admission fee, but donations at any level to support the preservation of Shaker Village are welcome.

For more information, visit shakervillageky.org.