Where to Stay for Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2026

Planning Your Stay for the Sept. 10–13 Weekend in Bardstown

If you’re reading this, you probably already registered for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2026. The 35th festival, running Sept. 10–13 in Bardstown has sold out its VIP tiers, its Weekend Taster general admission, and Bourbon in the Air. Only the single-day Sunday Sampler still has spots available. The only question left is where you sleep between festival days. The obvious answer of using the festival’s official accommodations partner becomes less obvious when you realize that it’s almost an hour’s drive away from Spalding Hall.

On the plus side, that opens up a very wide array of potential places to stay, making it much more likely you’ll find one to suit your tastes and preferences.

The Official KBF Lodging

KBF’s hotel partner is the Tempo by Hilton Louisville Downtown NuLu. Getting from there to the festival grounds requires either a car or a paid shuttle pass ($30/day) and the trip takes roughly an hour each way. Here’s the shuttle schedule from the festival’s website:

• Thursday, Sept. 10: Depart Tempo 4:30 PM / Depart KBF 10 PM
• Friday & Saturday: Depart Tempo 9 or 10 AM / Depart KBF 6:30 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 13: Depart Tempo 9 or 10 AM / Depart KBF 4:30 PM

In other words, even the official festival accommodations partner is a commute. While you may be looking for closer options, this at least opens up the field to find accommodations you really like. What kind of stay do you want to come back to after a full day of sampling from 60+ distillery booths?

The answer is entirely up to you, but if you are looking for ideas, then we have some suggestions:

What Matters for a Four-Day Bourbon Festival Stay

KBF is a long weekend built around tasting. Even general admission includes unlimited sampling, the Bourbon:30 Show, and access to the Marketplace and Bourbon Capital Bites. VIP ticket holders add the climate-controlled VIP Lodge, meet-and-greets, and Premium Events. By the time the gates close each evening, most visitors want a private space to relax with their group, keep the conversation going, and be ready to do it again the next day.

The Bourb Inn Difference for KBF Weekend Room for the whole group: 4 king bedrooms, sleeps up to 10. The Bourbon Bar: Built from reclaimed barrel staves. A luxurious and excellent place to keep debriefing the day’s pours. The fire pit: For winding down under the stars after a late Bourbon in the Air night. Steve Higdon: An Executive Bourbon Steward to help plan the days of and around the festival.

Tips for Your KBF Weekend

• Plan to self-drive: The Bourb Inn isn’t on KBF’s shuttle route, so you’ll drive in each day. It’s a similar distance away compared with the shuttle route, just under an hour. The festival’s parking is cash lots and street parking within walking distance of Spalding Hall.
• Designate a driver: Unlimited bourbon tastings and driving don’t mix well. Plan who will stay away from the alcohol to act as your driver back to the cabin each night.
• Know your entry window: VIP entry opens at 11 AM daily, general admission at 12 PM. Sunday runs shorter than the rest of the weekend. On Sunday the festival grounds close at 4 PM and some food trucks stop serving as early as 2 PM.
• Add a stop before or after: Whiskey Thief is just 7 miles from the cabin door. Every Bourb Inn guest gets a complimentary VIP tasting there with promo code bourbinn. It’s a very easy trip to add on if you’re arriving early Thursday or staying an extra night after the festival wraps up. Schedule early; the influx of bourbon lovers for the festival may affect availability.

Why The Bourb Inn Beats a Bardstown-Area Hotel Room

• Privacy: 32 private acres instead of a small rooms opening onto a shared hallway.
• Space to gather and relax in: A great room, full kitchen, and shuffleboard table give your group somewhere to enjoy yourselves and unwind as a group after the day’s events.
• It’s part of the trip, not just where you sleep: A luxury log cabin with its own bourbon bar is a fitting home base for a festival weekend. 

Secure Your Home Base for Kentucky Bourbon Festival WeekendCheck Availability at The Bourb Inn

Or Contact Steve to Start Planning Your KBF Weekend