Eastern Kentucky
MTSterlingTourism.com; Facebook.com/MtSterlingTourism—“Conveniently located off Interstate 64, east of Lexington, Mount Sterling is full of interesting attractions,” says Tracy Pearce, tourism director for Mount Sterling-Montgomery County Tourism. “These include Gateway Regional Arts Center, historic Ruth Hunt Candy Co., and a beautifully restored historic downtown full of unique shops and restaurants. Visitors can take a walking tour from the history museum or walk the Arts Trail to see our many murals.”
A new meeting or dinner location is Irish Hills Restaurant & Events at the 18-hole Irish Hills Golf Course. “This location offers seating for more than 300 in the enclosed pavilion and more than 200 in the full-service Irish Hills Restaurant, with a delicious Kentucky menu. Full catering services are available, and there also are smaller meeting rooms upstairs in the newly renovated meeting spaces,” Pearce says.
Unique attractions for group excursions or family fun include tours and samples at Ruth Hunt Candy Co., which still uses some of the founder’s 100-year-old recipes, paint-and-sip classes at Gateway Regional Arts Center, and Judy Drive-In Theatre, entertaining locals since 1952.
Other event facilities include the 10,000-square-foot Clay Community Center, which can accommodate 600 guests; Gateway Regional Arts Center, a restored historic building with a performance stage and seating for 175 theater style; and the 69-room Ramada Limited Mount Sterling and attached Ramada Conference Center, with seating for 250 theater style or 180 for banquets.
