We can't wait to get our tourism motors running on all cylinders again, and many of our attractions and activities have reopened with careful plans. The health and safety of Bowling Green/Warren County residents and those traveling to our community continue to be of extreme importance to us. We are continuing to monitor the state, federal and international response about COVID-19/Coronavirus and following their guidelines to help keep our community and travelers feel safe and informed.
*As of January 7, 2021, Warren County remains a RED ZONE county and reduction recommendations from the Governor may affect availability of events and activities.
*Effective December 14, some restrictions have been lifted, but the following are still in effect:
Indoor Venues, Event Spaces, or Theatres
Indoor Social Gatherings
Currently in Kentucky, the positivity rate is 8% and all residents are strongly advised to follow Healthy at Work orders. As as of July 10 at 5 p.m., face masks are required in all public settings where six feet of distance is not easily kept at all times, both indoors and outdoors. Travel into Kentucky is allowed, but a travel advisory for Kentuckians visiting other states was issued during the summer. Read the travel advisory in full here.
Reopening in Kentucky has hit the following benchmarks so far:
Restaurants were allowed to reopen for in-person dining in May (and again Dec. 14 after a second, temporary closure) with reduced capacity (50% indoors, 100% outdoors as of Aug. 11) and other safety measures in place. Food and drink service will stop at restaurants and bars (including wineries) at 11pm with the facilities closing by midnight.
All of our locally-owned restaurants that have reopened continue to offer curbside and carryout options. Also, providers such as Take-Out Waiter, Uber Eats, and GrubHub are available in the area.
Non-essential retail shops were allowed to reopen May 20. Like our restaurants, several of our locally-owned shops continue to offer curbside service, local delivery and shipping.
*For businesses or drivers making local deliveries, the Planning Commission has updated its City and County maps and are available digitally by reaching out to Tonya Colley, tonya.colley@bgky.org.
The main Bowling Green Visitor Information Center (352 Three Springs Rd.) remains closed to walk-in traffic at this time; however, limited staff is back in the office Monday-Friday and is gladly assisting visitors curbside and by phone. Additionally, local brochures are accessible on the front porch rack including Kentucky Visitors Guides, state highway maps, hotel coupons, and area driving tours.
All hotels in Bowling Green and Kentucky were allowed to remain open continuously. For those opting to close temporarily (two properties as of April 8), that information will be noted on their individual listing.
Only small gatherings and events that are closely following the guidelines are available at this time, and more events will be announced as we learn of updated guidelines and allowances. We are updating the Events calendar of our website with notes about postponements and cancellations as that information becomes available. If you need to look at future dates, please contact us as our office is uniquely positioned to assist event organizers looking to reschedule due to our relationships with industry partners.
Several Bowling Green attractions and businesses are streaming events, behind-the-scenes videos, yoga sessions, and even online car shows to keep us entertained at home. Read this 'i love bg' Blog post with all the details, or check out the Virtual BGKY section on this page for quick links.
When the time is right, we look forward to welcoming our Corvette enthusiasts, adventure-seeking families, and hot rodders back to town. Until then, we encourage everyone to follow CDC guidelines on staying healthy during this situation.
Be Safe. Keep the motors running.
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Society of Association Executives
CARES Act Relief Resources FAQ
CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers
Commonwealth of Kentucky and City of Bowling Green
Facebook Small Business Grant Program
Kentucky Chamber and Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Kentucky SBDC Disaster Recovery Toolkit for Small Businesses
Kentucky Travel Industry Association
National Endowment for the Humanities CARES Grants
Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
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