BEREA, Ky. — Thirty years is a long time to do anything side-by-side—long enough for life to change keys a few times, long enough for a town’s soundtrack to gain new verses.

On Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m., Berea College is putting that kind of longevity on stage with a faculty recital titled “Our Time: 30 Years Together in Music,” featuring Prof. Liza DiSavino and A.J. Bodnar in Gray Auditorium (Presser Hall) on the Berea College campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

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👫 The Human Element: What 30 Years Together Sounds Like

In Berea, we’re used to music that’s communal—front-porch harmony, jam circles, festival sets, and college concerts where the crowd includes students, faculty, and neighbors all at once. DiSavino and Bodnar’s long-running partnership fits that tradition.

Berea College’s own faculty profile notes that the two have performed widely as a duo and have also taken their musical curiosity into research—digging into the traditional music of the Catskills and comparing it with Southern Appalachian traditions through a fellowship project tied to Berea’s Hutchins Library Sound Archives.

Meanwhile, the duo’s own description of their work emphasizes range: a “multi-style acoustic duo” with a wide repertoire and more than 20 instruments in the mix.

That combination—deep roots plus restless curiosity—is exactly what makes a milestone recital feel personal instead of ceremonial. You’re not just hearing “best-of” selections. You’re hearing a relationship: how two musicians learn each other’s timing, how they adapt when life shifts, and how the music becomes its own shared language.

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🌟 Why This Matters Right Now in Berea

This recital lands at a moment when many residents are still easing back into routines after winter disruptions—when even small, familiar gatherings can feel like a community “reset.” A one-night concert won’t fix icy roads or power worries, but it can restore something quieter: the sense that Berea’s public life is still here, still meeting, still listening.

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

What: Faculty Recital — “Our Time: 30 Years Together in Music” (Liza DiSavino & A.J. Bodnar)
When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 8 p.m.
Where: Gray Auditorium, Presser Hall, on the Berea College campus
(101 Chestnut St. is a general address for the college; Presser Hall is a specific building on campus—plan to enter college grounds and follow campus signage.)
Cost: Free, open to the public
What You’ll Hear: “An anniversary in story and song” spanning traditional, original, jazz, and international music.

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🎤 From Campus Stages to Town Stages

Berea’s arts scene works best when its venues reinforce each other—campus concerts feeding downtown dinners, local performances reminding students and visitors that Berea’s culture doesn’t end at the edge of campus.

That’s also the role The Spotlight Playhouse plays: giving Berea a year-round place where people gather for live performance and leave talking about what they just experienced. If you’re making a weekend of the arts, check what’s on the Playhouse calendar as well—Berea’s stages are at their best when they’re all in conversation.

BEREA, Ky. — If you’ve ever snapped a photo of a strange mushroom, a bird you couldn’t name, or a plant you swear you’ve never seen before, here’s your chance to help turn “What is that?” into real data.

The Berea College Forestry Outreach Center is hosting an iNaturalist I.D.-a-thon on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The goal is simple: help identify wildlife observations already logged from the forest so they can be classified more accurately—moving them closer to a confirmed species ID.

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🔎 What an “I.D.-a-thon” Actually Looks Like

This isn’t a hike, and it’s not a lecture. It’s more like a community work session—drop in, pull up observations, and help label what people have seen.

The Forestry Outreach Center says no experience is needed, and asks participants to bring a computer (preferred) or a smartphone to join in identifying iNaturalist observations.

If you’re new to iNaturalist, don’t worry: the point is learning as you go. Think of it as a low-stakes way to get better at noticing details—leaf shapes, feather patterns, bark texture—while helping build a clearer picture of the biodiversity in the Berea College Forest.

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🌳 Why It Matters in Berea

Berea’s trails are used year-round by hikers, families, students, and birders. Many of those visitors also log sightings on apps like iNaturalist. But observations only become truly useful when they’re identified and verified. Events like this are the “behind the scenes” work that turns a casual photo into something researchers, educators, and the public can actually learn from.

And it’s a great winter activity: you can participate without muddy boots, and still feel like you spent your Saturday doing something outdoorsy-adjacent.

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🗓️ Make a Half-Day of It

The Forestry Outreach Center also lists Forest Meditations (10–11 a.m.) and a Group Hike at the Pinnacles (1–3:30 p.m.) on the same day, which makes Jan. 31 an easy pick for anyone who wants a “choose your own adventure” Saturday—quiet time, citizen science, or a guided hike.

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IF YOU GO

What: iNaturalist I.D.-a-thon
When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 (Update – Rescheduled for Feb 28th)
Time: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Where: Berea College Forestry Outreach Center, 2047 Big Hill Rd., Berea
Bring: Laptop (preferred) or smartphone
Cost: Free; no experience needed

Originally Published November 1995 | Updated Jan. 27, 2026

BEREA, Ky. — In the spring of 1992, a busload of Madison Southern High School students rolled into Nashville for the Music City Classic, hoping to bring home a trophy. They returned with awards, but one student returned with a life-altering choice.

As Berea’s arts community looks forward to a busy 2026 season, we opened our archives to look back at a pivotal moment for Chad Hembree—known to a generation of young actors today simply as “Mr. Chad.”

The 1992 Music City Classic In April 1992, the “Southern Singers,” directed by Karen Girard, traveled to Nashville to compete against choirs from across the region. The group stayed at the Maxwell House Hotel, toured The Hermitage, and visited Opryland USA.

The trip was a success on paper: the choir earned fourth place overall. But in the solo vocal competition, Hembree’s performance of “I Am a Friar of Orders Grey” earned second place—and caught the ear of the right person in the crowd.

The Offer from a Legend Following his performance, Hembree was approached with an invitation that sounds like a movie script: a chance to meet country music legend Roy Acuff.

The meeting wasn’t just a handshake. Acuff and his team saw potential in the Berea teenager, discussing the possibility of him becoming a regular performer at the Acuff Theatre. The offer included potential daily work at Opryland USA and a pathway to the Grand Ole Opry stage. Hembree was even invited to meet Acuff’s band, The Smoky Mountain Boys, and sang harmony with them in an impromptu session that reportedly went well.

The Decision to Stay In the months that followed, serious discussions took place. A plan was drafted that would have seen Hembree home-schooled during the week to accommodate a performance schedule in Nashville.

Ultimately, Hembree made a choice that surprised some: he turned down the Nashville fast track. He chose to stay in Berea, finish high school with his friends, and pursue a broader education in music and theater rather than locking himself into a country music career at 17.

34 Years Later: A Different Kind of Legacy At the time, the original 1995 article asked: “Was Nashville a once-in-a-lifetime door that should have been walked through?”

In 2026, the answer is clear. Hembree didn’t leave the stage; he just built a new one at home.

Today, Chad Hembree serves as the Executive Director of The Spotlight Playhouse and Spotlight Acting School. Instead of performing for tourists in Nashville, he has spent decades teaching thousands of Berea kids how to find their own voices.

From directing The Wizard of OZ to producing community blockbusters like The Tomb, Hembree’s decision to stay planted in Madison County meant that his experience didn’t just benefit him—it benefited the entire community.

“Berea has always found ways to celebrate its local talent,” the original editor noted. Today, thanks to that decision in 1992, Berea doesn’t just celebrate talent; it cultivates it, one student at a time.

BEREA, Ky. — Winter can make the woods look like it hit pause—bare branches, brown leaves, gray skies. But if you know where to look, the forest is still full of color.

That’s the idea behind “Family Activity: Likin’ Lichen Walk,” happening today (Sunday, Jan. 25) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. The program is billed as a slow-paced, child-led walk in the lower forest to learn about lichen and moss, with time to collect small samples and bring them back to look at under a microscope.

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🌱 Why Lichen is a Great “Winter Nature” Subject

Lichen and moss don’t wait for spring. While many plants are dormant, these hardy organisms keep showing up on rocks, logs, and tree bark—tiny pockets of texture and green that can turn an ordinary walk into a scavenger hunt.

The Forestry Outreach Center’s description leans into that simple joy: notice what’s still living, slow down, and let kids lead the pace and the questions.

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🧭 What to Expect

The event description is short, but the format is clear:

• Meet at the Forestry Outreach Center, then head out for a slow walk.
• Kids help decide what to stop and look at (“child-led”).
• Participants can collect and then examine samples under a microscope back at the Center.

If you’re new to the facility, the Forestry Outreach Center notes it is open Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 12–4 p.m., with trails that are dog-friendly (leash required).

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🎨 A “Berea Creativity” Thread

If your family likes hands-on activities—building, crafting, drawing, performing—this kind of nature program fits right into Berea’s broader creative culture.

For families who want an indoor arts option later in February, The Spotlight Playhouse has The Tomb, a murder mystery dinner show scheduled for Feb. 13–15, keeping Berea’s arts calendar moving even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

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IF YOU GO

What: Family Activity: Likin’ Lichen Walk
When: Today (Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026)
Time: 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Where: Berea College Forestry Outreach Center, 2047 Big Hill Rd., Berea
Cost: Free
Details: Child-led walk + microscope look at lichen/moss samples

Berea doesn’t need a trip to New York to get a night of showtunes. “Finally: A Broadway Revue” is back at The Spotlight Playhouse for a run Feb. 20–28, presented by The Bluegrass Players.

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🌟 What a “Broadway Revue” Means (and Why It Works Here)

Unlike a book musical (where one story runs from curtain to curtain), a revue is designed as an evening of standout numbers—a fast-moving mix of solos, duets, and group moments that lets audiences enjoy a lot of musical theater in one night.

That format also makes it an easy “bring-a-friend” show: you don’t have to know the plot ahead of time, and you’ll probably recognize more songs than you expect.

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📅 Dates, Times, and What to Expect

The Playhouse lists the run as Feb. 20–28. Berea Tourism’s calendar shows performances including Feb. 27 at 8:00 p.m. (running to about 10:15 p.m.) and Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. (also ending around 10:15 p.m.).

Showtimes can vary across a run, so the safest plan is to check the ticket listing for the specific night you want.

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🎶 A Good “February Arts Month” Pairing

If you’re building a February calendar, this is the kind of production that pairs well with everything else happening in town—an upbeat night out that still feels local, from a venue that runs performances year-round and serves as home base for both The Bluegrass Players and Spotlight’s performing arts programming.

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IF YOU GO

What: Finally: A Broadway Revue
When: Feb. 20–28 (listed performances include Feb. 27 & Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m.)
Where: The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road, Berea
Tickets/Details: Available through Spotlight’s ticketing listings and the Berea Tourism event pages

BEREA, Ky. — Berea’s GameStop at Shops at Berea (222 Brenwood St.) is now closed, according to the company’s store page, which lists the location as closed every day of the week. A photo circulating locally also shows an in-store notice stating the shop would be “closed effective 1.8.2026.”

The shutdown appears connected to a wider round of GameStop closures in Kentucky and beyond, described in recent reports as part of a corporate restructuring and a continued pullback from physical storefronts. A WHAS11 list of impacted locations includes the Berea store among Kentucky closures.

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🕹️ A Routine Disrupted

For many Berea residents, GameStop wasn’t just a place to buy a game. It was a habit: stopping by to browse, trade in older titles, grab a gift, or talk releases with staff.

As with any sudden disruption, people don’t instantly “replace” a closed store—they re-route their routines. That adjustment can be especially noticeable for families budgeting around trade-ins, collectors looking for specific items, and teens who used the store as a familiar hangout stop.

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📍 Richmond Location Remains Open

The good news for shoppers who want a traditional GameStop experience: the Carriage Gate GameStop in Richmond remains open at 837 Eastern Bypass, Ste B. It’s a straightforward drive up the road for many Berea residents, and it may become the default option for preorders, trade-ins, and accessory needs.

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🏠 Local Options Closer to Home

If you’d rather keep your gaming dollars closer to home, two smaller shops in Berea are worth putting on your radar:

• (Update – Reported closed) Bad Wolf Gaming (711 Chestnut St, Suite 2): A locally rooted store that focuses on tabletop gaming, including role-playing games, trading card games, and community play.
• Berea Card Shop (594 Glades Rd): A buy/sell shop for sports and trading cards, serving the broader collectibles ecosystem many gamers overlap with.

These businesses aren’t one-for-one replacements for a chain video game retailer, but they do something national chains often can’t: build community around the hobby, with local relationships and in-person play.

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💳 Returns and Trade Credit

If you have trade credit or pending orders tied to the Berea store, the safest step is to check your GameStop account online or reach out to GameStop customer support. Policies can vary by circumstance during store shutdowns.

If you’re looking for a winter night out that’s indoors, affordable, and genuinely different, the Berea College Planetarium has a fresh option on deck: “Habitat Earth” is the featured full-dome show for the Jan. 30–Feb. 1 weekend, with performances listed at 7:00–8:00 p.m. Friday (Jan. 30) and 4:00–5:00 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 1).

The planetarium plays a different full-dome show each weekend, which makes it easy to return without feeling like you’re repeating the same program.

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🌱 What “Habitat Earth” Is About

From the planetarium’s show descriptions, “Habitat Earth” explores the “living networks” that connect life on Earth—ranging from ocean ecosystems (like kelp forests) to underground connections between trees and fungi, and the way human systems intersect with the natural world.

In other words: it’s not just “space stuff.” It’s a science-and-nature show that fits Berea’s outdoor-minded culture, even when the trails are muddy or the weather is too cold for a long hike.

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🎟️ Tickets, Location, and a Quick Heads-Up About Weather

Berea Tourism’s listing notes the public shows are typically Fridays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m., with tickets listed as $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors (cash only).

The planetarium is located at 271 N. Main Street on Berea College’s campus, in the Margaret A. Cargill (MAC) Natural Sciences and Health Building, 4th floor.

One thing to keep in mind in winter: the planetarium calendar has shown at least one recent listing marked “SHOW CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER,” so it’s worth checking the show calendar before you head out.

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🗓️ Make It a February “Two-Weekend” Plan

If you like building a month around experiences—science one weekend, performing arts the next—Berea has plenty to choose from. Looking ahead, The Spotlight Playhouse has “Finally” A Broadway Revue scheduled for Feb. 20–28, 2026, offering another easy night-out option later in the month.

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If You Go

Berea College Planetarium — “Habitat Earth”

• Friday, Jan. 30 — 7:00–8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 1 — 4:00–5:00 p.m.

🎟️ Tickets: $5 adults; $3 children/seniors (cash only)
📍 Where: MAC Natural Sciences and Health Building (4th floor), 271 N. Main St., Berea

After a stretch of rough winter weather across the U.S., Nvidia dropped a rare piece of genuinely practical “AI good news”: the company says it has released three open-source AI models designed to make weather forecasting faster and cheaper—and, in some cases, competitive with traditional physics-based approaches.

Nvidia unveiled the models at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Houston as part of its Earth-2 initiative.

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🚀 The Headline Claim: Speed Changes What’s Possible

Weather agencies and private forecasters often run predictions in “ensembles”—many slightly different simulations from the same starting conditions—to estimate uncertainty and catch rare but high-impact outcomes.

That’s historically expensive, because each ensemble member is a full-blown simulation. Nvidia says once trained, AI inference can run about 1,000 times faster, which removes a big bottleneck: you can afford to run far more ensemble members.

Nvidia’s climate simulation research director Mike Pritchard told Reuters that insurers are already running 10,000-member ensembles to stress-test scenarios like flooding and hurricanes—something that would be painful (or impossible) at scale with conventional methods.

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🧩 The Three Open Models: What Each One Does

• Medium-range forecasting (out to ~15 days): A global model aimed at multi-day forecasting.
• Nowcasting (0–6 hours): A severe-storm model focused on very short-term forecasting over the U.S., trained on radar/satellite inputs to predict the evolution of storm systems.
• Data assimilation: A model to integrate “disparate data streams” (satellites, stations, balloons, etc.) into cleaner initial conditions, making downstream forecasts more useful.

Nvidia is positioning the release as a fully open, accelerated stack—models plus tools—so researchers, startups, governments, and enterprises can run or fine-tune on their own infrastructure.

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🌍 Why This Matters Beyond “Cool Tech”

This is the shift from “will it rain?” to “what’s the probability my exact neighborhood floods?”—the kind of question that emergency planners, utilities, and insurance underwriters are paid to answer.

The promise isn’t that AI magically stops disasters. It’s that AI makes it cheap enough to explore more ‘what-if’ futures, faster—especially the ugly tail-risk scenarios that traditional modeling can’t afford to run at massive scale.

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⚠️ The Important Caveat

Even proponents say the real future is hybrid: AI models augmenting (not instantly replacing) traditional numerical weather prediction, with ongoing validation, careful use, and clear communication about uncertainty.

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About the Author

Chad Hembree is a certified network engineer with 30 years of experience in IT and networking. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio show Tech Talk with Chad Hembree throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, and previously served as CEO of DataStar. Today, he’s based in Berea as the Executive Director of The Spotlight Playhouse—proof that some careers don’t pivot, they evolve.

BEREA, Ky. — In the wake of the January 2026 winter storm that blanketed the Commonwealth with snow, ice, and power outages, Kentucky residents have entered a new phase of the weather emergency: the aftermath. While snow and ice have largely moved out of the state, dangerously frigid conditions remain—and returning to a regular schedule will take patience, caution, and community support.

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🥶 Extreme Cold Warning Remains

Early Tuesday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear renewed an Extreme Cold Warning in effect until 11 a.m., reminding Kentuckians that frostbite and hypothermia can occur in as little as 10 minutes in this weather. The Governor again urged residents to stay off the roads and limit outdoor exposure as the state continues recovery efforts.

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🌨️ The Storm Isn’t Over—Not Really

Although snow and ice have technically passed, the conditions they left behind remain a threat. Roads that appeared clear during brief thaws can quickly refreeze under subzero temperatures, leaving secondary routes especially treacherous.

Crews from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and local departments have been working around the clock, but even with progress on plowing and deicing, winter’s impact has a lingering hold.

For many Berea families, this means delays in returning to normal routines. School schedules, work commutes, and delivery services are still disrupted in parts of the region—not because snow is falling now, but because ice-packed roads and cautious travel still slow everyone down.

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🧊 Cold, Not Just Snow, Causes Danger

Data from state briefings show that although power outages have dropped sharply from a peak of more than 73,000, thousands of homes and businesses were still without electricity early Tuesday. Utility crews from Kentucky and neighboring states have pitched in, but restoring reliable power in rural and hilly regions takes time in extreme cold conditions.

And the cold itself remains a health risk. Temperatures with wind chills dipping below zero mean that even short trips outdoors—walking the dog, checking on elderly neighbors, or clearing a car windshield—can lead to serious health issues if precautions aren’t taken.

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🏠 Warming Centers: A Temporary Lifeline

In response, state and local authorities have expanded warming center locations across Kentucky, including sites in several state parks. These centers provide a safe, heated refuge for those without power or adequate heating at home.

For Berea residents looking for help, community organizations and churches have joined the effort to check on neighbors, assist with transportation to warming stations, and share information on safe travel. Local emergency management continues to update resources online.

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🔜 Looking Forward

For many in Berea and beyond, the focus now is shifting from surviving the storm to managing its residual effects. Roads still need repair and clearing, power lines remain vulnerable, and the mental toll of days spent in isolation or under threat of freezing conditions weighs on families.

Yet, there are signs of progress: Primary routes are more passable than they were just days ago, crews are making steady improvements, and the state is coordinating resources for sustained recovery. Still, Gov. Beshear made it clear that we aren’t quite in the clear: even as the worst weather moves on, the risks of extreme cold and ice remain for several more days.

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📝 COMMUNITY REMINDERS

• Travel: Check GoKY.ky.gov for real-time road conditions before venturing out.
• Safety: Keep emergency kits in your vehicle and check on vulnerable neighbors.
• Government: Due to road conditions, please check the City of Berea website for the status of this week’s scheduled meetings, including the rescheduled City Council session.

Berea’s Valentine weekend calendar is getting a twist of suspense this year — and it comes with dinner.

The Spotlight Playhouse will stage “The Tomb,” a murder mystery dinner show presented by The Bluegrass Players, running Feb. 13–15, 2026 at the Playhouse on 214 Richmond Road.

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🏺 The Setup: Pure Escapism

The story drops the audience into Egypt in 1999, where an archaeological team gathers to explore an ancient tomb. As the Playhouse’s show description frames it, romance and tension rise, secrets start surfacing — and then someone turns up dead, leaving the audience to help solve the crime.

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🕵️ What Makes This One Different: You’re Part of the Case

Unlike a traditional play where you sit back and watch the plot unfold, The Tomb is billed as an interactive experience with comic moments and plenty of turns built into the mystery.

And yes — dinner is included as part of the event experience.

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⏰ Showtimes to Know

Berea Tourism’s event listings indicate:

• Friday, Feb. 13 — 6:30–9:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 14 — 6:30–9:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 15 — 1:30–4:30 p.m.

(The production runs all three dates, Feb. 13–15.)

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💘 Who It’s Best For

If you’re planning a date night, this is an easy alternative to the standard dinner reservation: you get a meal, a story, and a built-in conversation starter on the drive home (“OK, who did you think it was?”). It also fits group outings — especially anyone who likes clue-solving games, themed experiences, or just laughing at suspicious characters making questionable decisions.

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If You Go

The Tomb — A Murder Mystery Dinner Show (Dinner Included)
Dates: Feb. 13–15, 2026
Venue: The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road, Berea
Listed times: Fri/Sat 6:30–9:30 p.m.; Sun 1:30–4:30 p.m.

BEREA, Ky. — Berea’s winter calendar has no shortage of ways to get out of the house, but some nights do double duty—fun for you, and meaningful for the town.

One of the biggest is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 21: the Berea Arts Council is bringing back “A Chili Night Out,” a benefit concert and dinner at Churchill’s. The Arts Council describes the evening as a cozy community fundraiser featuring live music by MudPi and a hearty chili dinner catered by Honeysuckle, with proceeds supporting the Arts Council’s work and programming in Berea.

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🎟️ More Than “Just a Dinner”

The Berea Arts Council is framing this as one of those “bring a friend and stay awhile” events—good food, live music, and a chance to support the kind of arts activity that quietly shapes the town’s identity year-round.

The setting fits the tone. Churchill’s describes itself as a respectfully restored historic property and notes it is part of the National Register of Historic Places, giving the night a built-in “special occasion” feel without needing formalwear.

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📅 What to Know Before You Go

Berea Tourism’s event listing posts the start time at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 21.

Tickets are listed online through the event’s ticket page, and the Arts Council has also promoted purchasing tickets online (with some posts noting ticket availability during gallery open hours).

If you’re the kind of person who waits until the last minute, this is one worth booking early—fundraisers like this can tighten up quickly once local groups decide to make it their winter get-together.

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🎨 Make It a February Arts Month

If you’re building a “do something local” February, Berea has another easy night-out option right after: The Spotlight Playhouse has “Finally” A Broadway Revue scheduled for Feb. 20–28, 2026.

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IF YOU GO

What: A Chili Night Out (Benefit Concert & Dinner)
Host: Berea Arts Council
When: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 (listed start time: 6:00 p.m.)
Where: Churchill’s (Berea)
Music: MudPi
Dinner: Catered by Honeysuckle
Tickets: Available online via the event ticket page

If winter has you itching to do something that isn’t another errand or another screen, the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center has a solid answer: a full Saturday of free programs at the Pinnacles area on Saturday, Feb. 7—including guided quiet time, outdoor art, and a group hike.

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🗓️ A Feb. 7 Schedule You Can Build a Day Around

All of these Feb. 7 programs are listed through the Forestry Outreach Center calendar, and they’re easy to mix-and-match depending on your energy level:

• Forest Meditations | 10:00–11:00 a.m.
  A guided hour meant to slow down and reconnect—alone, with friends, or with neighbors you haven’t met yet.
• Red Oaks Forest School Art Club | 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
  Red Oaks Forest School brings its monthly art club outdoors at the Pinnacles. The listing calls it “free and open to all,” with a welcoming vibe for any age or skill level.
• Nature Journaling Through the Arts | 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  If you’ve ever told yourself you want to write, sketch, paint, or even compose music “someday,” this session is designed to give you dedicated time to do it—using the forest as your prompt. Organizers suggest bringing what you love (a notebook, sketchbook, instrument, favorite materials) and note they’ll also have generic supplies available.
• Group Hike at the Pinnacles | 1:00–3:30 p.m.
  A Saturday group hike for anyone who wants company on the trail and a little more context while they walk.

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🎒 What to Bring (So It Stays Fun)

The Forestry Outreach Center’s own program notes point to a “come as you are” spirit, but a couple basics will make the day smoother:

• Dress for comfort inside and outside (layers are your friend in February).
• If you’re doing Nature Journaling, bring the creative tools you’re attached to—your favorite notebook or sketchbook, a particular set of paints, or an instrument—while knowing some materials are also provided.
• For Art Club and the hike, it’s always smart to bring water and something to sit on if you like to pause and look around.
• And because winter weather has its own opinions, it’s wise to check the Forestry Outreach Center’s calendar before heading out in case anything shifts.

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🗓️ One More Thing: Make It a February “Two-Weekend” Plan

If you like the idea of outdoors creativity one weekend and indoor entertainment the next, Berea has an easy follow-up.

The weekend after Feb. 7, The Spotlight Playhouse hosts “The Tomb,” a murder mystery dinner show, running Feb. 13–15, 2026 at its Richmond Road venue.

It’s a very different kind of storytelling than journaling in the woods—but it makes for a nice rhythm: quiet and creative first, then social and theatrical.

On winter afternoons when kids have energy to burn and parents are looking for something that doesn’t involve another screen, the Madison County Public Library’s Berea Branch has a simple answer: LEGO Club+.

The weekly program meets in the Berea branch Community Room on Thursdays from 4:00–5:00 p.m.—and the library’s pitch is exactly what it sounds like: they supply the bricks, kids supply the imagination.

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🏗️ What Happens at LEGO Club+?

According to the library’s event listing, LEGO Club+ is designed for elementary-age builders and mixes free-building with a little structure:

• Kids can build whatever their time and imagination allow
• Each week includes an optional build challenge to spark ideas
• When a build is finished, staff take a photo and add it to a “Brick Wall” display in the children’s area

That last part is a small detail with big kid appeal: it gives children a visible “gallery” of their work—something to point to the next time they walk into the library.

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📅 Upcoming Berea Dates

On the library’s “Upcoming Events” list, LEGO Club+ (Berea) appears on:

• Thursday, Jan. 22 — 4:00–5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 29 — 4:00–5:00 p.m.

(The program listing also shows it as a repeating Thursday event.)

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🏢 Countywide Note: Richmond Has LEGO Club+, Too

If your family bounces between towns for work, school, or errands, the Richmond branch also runs LEGO Club+—and the library’s description there emphasizes displaying creations in a display case.

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📍 Where It Is and Who to Contact

Madison County Public Library — Berea Branch
319 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY 40403
Phone: (859) 986-7112

The LEGO Club+ listing names Alisha Strunk as the program contact (email and extension listed).

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🎭 A Theater Tie-In for Families Building a Winter Activity Calendar

If LEGO Club+ becomes part of your Thursday routine, families looking for another local creative outlet can also keep an eye on Spotlight Acting School, which offers theater education and performances for youth ages 4–18 and is based at The Spotlight Playhouse (214 Richmond Road, Berea).

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If You Go

LEGO Club+ (Berea Branch)
🗓 Thursdays, 4:00–5:00 p.m. — Community Room
📍 Berea Branch: 319 Chestnut St., Berea

For the most up-to-date dates (weather, holidays, schedule changes), check the library’s Upcoming Events list.

If you were planning to catch “Lil Willy’s Panto-Loons” in Richmond on the originally advertised Jan. 23–24 weekend, the key change is this:
the show is no longer listed on the EKU Center for the Arts’ main public events calendar/show listings. (Several readers have also reported the same after checking the EKU Center site directly.)

At the same time, the production’s own channels have posted that the Richmond-area showings scheduled for “next week” were canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances,” with ticket buyers told to watch for an email from EKU Center.

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What It Appears to Be Moving To

EKU Center’s “series” listing for the show currently posts Li’l Willy’s Panto-Loons at EKU Pearl Buchanan Theatre, and notes that a limited number of free tickets for EKU students are available courtesy of Student Life (ID required).

In addition, EKU Musical Theatre social posts (as indexed publicly) have promoted the production as a spring run with performances beginning Thursday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Pearl Buchanan Theatre—consistent with the idea that the show has shifted into the spring slot.

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Why Some People May Still See January Dates Online

Even when a venue calendar is updated quickly, older event pages and third-party listings can lag. For example, some community event calendars and ticket marketplaces still show the January weekend.

For the most reliable “what’s actually happening,” the best indicator is the venue’s current event calendar plus any official production announcement.

Tip: For the latest, check the EKU Center for the Arts event calendar or follow EKU Musical Theatre on social media.

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Still Want a Show That Weekend? Here Are Specific Options (Jan. 23–25)

If you had set aside Friday or Saturday night (or Sunday afternoon) for live entertainment, here are confirmed alternatives in Berea for that same window:

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🎭 Live Theater Option in Berea

Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch (or The Perfumed Badge) — The Spotlight Playhouse

• Fri, Jan. 23 — 8:00 p.m.
• Sat, Jan. 24 — 8:00 p.m.
• Sun, Jan. 25 — 2:00 p.m.

For a lot of Berea businesses, Richmond isn’t “another market” — it’s part of the weekly routine. Insurance agencies write policies on both sides of Madison County. Real estate professionals meet clients wherever the listings are. Contractors, health providers, and service businesses follow the work.

That’s why the Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Chamber Kickoff & Vendor Fair is worth a close look for Berea-area owners who do business in both towns.

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📅 Event Details

The 2026 Chamber Kickoff & Vendor Fair is scheduled for
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Organizers describe it as a signature networking event featuring a Chamber Member Vendor Fair and a complimentary light lunch to-go.
It’s free for Richmond Chamber members, and non-members can attend with a $25 ticket. Registration was listed as Jan. 6–Jan. 20 (space limited) and is now closed.

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🤝 Why Berea Businesses Find Richmond Chamber Events Useful

Even if you’re “Berea-first,” Richmond events can make sense when your customers aren’t neatly divided by city limits. The Kickoff is designed for practical introductions — the kind that lead to referrals later, especially in industries built on trust and repeat relationships.

For insurance agencies, that can mean meeting potential referral partners (real estate offices, lenders, property managers). For real estate, it can mean connecting with service vendors and community organizations that help keep deals moving. And for any small business selling services to households, it’s a concentrated way to meet the people who shape where business flows.

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💸 Cost: The “Richmond Is More Expensive” Story May Be Outdated

A lot of business owners remember a time when Richmond membership felt like the pricier option. But based on published information and current messaging, that gap appears far smaller now.

• Richmond’s membership application lists a base annual “Signature Membership” rate of $300/year for 1–5 employees (with higher tiers by employee count).
• Berea’s Chamber Join page states: “Become a member for only $30 per month, or $300 annually!” (Businesses should confirm what membership category best fits their situation.)

When the dues are in the same neighborhood, the decision shifts from sticker price to return on time: Which Chamber will you actually use, and where do your best referrals come from?

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🌐 Berea Businesses Aren’t “Berea Only”

Networking decisions make more sense when you think in service areas, not city limits. Plenty of Berea-based organizations draw customers, clients, and participants from across Madison County and beyond — including education and training businesses.

For example, Spotlight Acting School attracts students from multiple communities, which means its relationships naturally extend into Richmond and other nearby towns. For businesses with that kind of footprint, being visible in more than one Chamber network can match how people actually move across the county.

That’s also what makes Richmond’s Kickoff a solid “test” event for Berea companies: it puts a wide slice of the regional business community into one room — and lets you decide afterward whether deeper involvement makes sense.

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If You Go

2026 Annual Chamber Kickoff & Vendor Fair — Richmond Chamber of Commerce
🗓 Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 | 12:00 noon–1:30 p.m.
💵 Free for Richmond Chamber members | $25 for non-members
🍽️ Includes: Vendor Fair + complimentary light lunch to-go
📝 Registration window was listed as Jan. 6–Jan. 20 (space limited) and is now closed.

If you’ve ever walked past a glowing studio furnace and wondered what it would be like to create something with your own hands, Berea has a winter answer: Fire & Fern Glass Studio’s Glass Snowman Workshop.

Listed on the Berea Tourism calendar for Saturday, January 24 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), the workshop invites participants to design and shape a handmade glass snowman—choosing colors for details like the hat and scarf for a keepsake that feels personal instead of store-bought.

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🏺 A New Name in a Familiar Berea Space

Fire & Fern is one of Berea’s newer creative storefronts, but the studio itself carries a longer local lineage. According to the studio’s “Our Story,” Fire & Fern moved into the former Weston Glass Studio location in 2024, continuing a glassblowing presence in that building that dates back to Weston’s founding in 2002. Fire & Fern is now led by Jacob and Lauren Moody, who describe their goal as building a space centered on craft, community, and hands-on learning.

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🧣 What to Expect (and What to Wear)

The workshop is listed as a private class for 1–6 participants, which makes it a solid pick for families, couples, and small groups of friends. Fire & Fern notes that no experience is necessary, but because it’s real hot glass, they recommend natural-fiber clothing like cotton and closed-toe shoes, and ask participants to avoid loose clothing, scarves, and long jewelry.

One more practical detail that matters: your piece needs time to cool. Fire & Fern says creations cool overnight in a kiln and are typically available for pickup the next day (with shipping options sometimes available).

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🎨 Make it a Full “Berea Arts Day”

For visitors or locals wanting to build a full Saturday around the arts, the timing pairs well with other live entertainment in town. That same weekend, The Spotlight Playhouse continues its run of “Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch (or The Perfumed Badge)”, with a performance listed Saturday night, January 24 (8–9:15 p.m.). It’s an easy way to spend the day creating something tangible—then cap the evening with a show.

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If You Go

Glass Snowman Workshop
Fire & Fern Glass Studio — 217 Adams St., Berea
🗓 Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
💵 $75 per participant/snowman | Age 12+ | Pre-registration required

What to wear: natural fibers (cotton) + closed-toe shoes
Pickup: after overnight kiln cooling

If Berea Online looks a little different today, that’s intentional.

As we head into 2026, BereaOnline.com is unveiling a new logo and visual identity—one designed to better reflect what the site has become and where it’s headed next. The update isn’t about chasing trends or reinventing ourselves for the sake of change. Instead, it’s about clarity, focus, and reaffirming our role in the community.

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🎨 Why Change the Logo?

Over the past year, a clear pattern emerged in our coverage. Story after story focused on performances, exhibitions, festivals, artists, musicians, and creative spaces that define Berea’s cultural life. From theater productions to live music and community art events, the site increasingly became a place where local creativity was documented and shared.

That shift prompted a simple question: Does our visual identity still reflect what we do best?

The answer led to a careful redesign process—one that emphasized simplicity, longevity, and meaning. The result is a logo that replaces the “O” in Online with a circular mark divided by a diagonal beam. It’s abstract by design, but intentional in symbolism.

The shape represents focus and attention—a visual metaphor for shining a light on stories, people, and events that matter to Berea. The transparent diagonal cut allows the logo to work across digital and print formats, from screens to signage, without losing its integrity.

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🖌️ Designed for Where We Are—and Where We’re Going

The refreshed color palette builds on Berea Online’s history while clarifying its purpose. Blue remains the foundation, signaling trust, consistency, and credibility. Yellow introduces energy and focus, reinforcing the idea of attention and visibility. Green grounds the mark in place and community.

Just as important as what was added is what was left out. The new design avoids gradients, heavy effects, or visual clutter. Every element was chosen so the logo can scale, print, and endure. It’s meant to support the journalism, not overshadow it.

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📅 What 2026 Looks Like for Berea Online

This new look reflects more than a design change—it signals a renewed editorial focus.

In 2026, Berea Online will continue to expand its coverage of arts, culture, and community life while maintaining its commitment to thoughtful local reporting. Readers can expect deeper features, more behind-the-scenes storytelling, and continued attention to the people and places that make Berea a creative and engaging town.

The goal is simple: to be present, to pay attention, and to document what’s happening here with care and curiosity.

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💡 Same Mission, Clearer Focus

At its core, Berea Online hasn’t changed. The site remains committed to telling local stories, supporting community dialogue, and highlighting what makes Berea unique. The updated logo and design simply give that mission a clearer visual language.

As 2026 unfolds, Berea Online will continue doing what it does best—observing, listening, and sharing the stories that shape life in Berea.

Now, it just has a look that reflects that purpose a little more clearly.

Berea doesn’t just host music — it grows it.
On Friday, January 23, Berea College’s Department of Music lists Songwriters Night at 7:30 p.m. at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, and the best part is the simplest: it’s free.

For locals who’ve never been, Songwriters Night is one of those events that quietly says a lot about Berea. It’s not billed as a polished concert with a velvet-rope vibe. It’s closer to a musical living room: writers, singers, and instrumentalists sharing songs—sometimes new, sometimes still in-progress—because this town still believes art is something you do with your neighbors, not just for them.

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🎤 What Songwriters Night Tends to Be Like

Berea College describes Singer/Songwriter Night as an annual start-of-semester tradition hosted by the Berea College Folk Roots Ensemble, welcoming students, faculty, and community members to share music together.
In a past write-up, the evening included originals and covers, spontaneous harmonies, and an atmosphere where “mistakes” were part of the charm rather than something to fear.

That “open door” approach fits the setting. The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center exists to engage Appalachian communities through learning, partnership, and service, and its gallery is designed to transform—from exhibit space to classroom to performance hall—depending on what the community needs that day.

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🌄 Why This Matters in Berea Right Now

There’s a reason nights like this land well here: Berea is one of the few small towns where you can spend an evening hearing songs that may not exist anywhere else yet — lines scribbled last week, melodies tested out in real time — and still be home at a reasonable hour.

And because it’s on the calendar the same night as other big arts options around town, it’s also a choose-your-own-adventure kind of Friday: you can lean into the listening-room intimacy at the Appalachian Center, or build a full weekend of live performance.

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🎭 A Natural Companion: Live Theater Across Town

If Songwriters Night puts you in the mood for more live storytelling after the last chorus fades, The Spotlight Playhouse opens its next show that same weekend.
“Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch (or The Perfumed Badge)” runs January 23–25 and January 30–31 at Spotlight’s Richmond Road location.

It’s a different flavor than a songwriter circle — bigger laughs, bigger characters — but it’s the same idea: local audiences showing up to keep Berea’s stages (and the people on them) thriving in winter.

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If You Go

Songwriters Night (Berea College Department of Music)
📍 Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, John B. Stephenson Hall (First Floor), 205 N. Main St., Berea
🗓 Friday, January 23, 2026
⏰ 7:30 p.m.
🎟 FREE

Also opening this weekend:
Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch — The Spotlight Playhouse

Berea is set for a warm-up from the winter chill with an evening of unplugged music in the heart of Old Town.
Friday, January 23, Top Drawer Gallery hosts “3 Men & A Banjo” from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. as part of the gallery’s ongoing Acoustic Nights series.
Admission is free, with donations encouraged.

🎨 Top Drawer Gallery, long known for showcasing handmade American artistry, has also become a welcoming space for live community entertainment—an easy stop for residents looking for a low-key night out or visitors building a weekend itinerary around Berea’s arts district.

And the live-performance energy doesn’t stop at the gallery doors.
Just down the road, The Spotlight Playhouse opens its next production the same weekend:

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🎭 Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch (or The Perfumed Badge)

January 23–25 and January 30–31, 2026 – The Spotlight Playhouse

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For anyone planning an arts-filled Friday night, the timing lines up neatly for a music-and-theater weekend in Berea—catch the acoustic set at Top Drawer, then make plans for a laugh-heavy night at the Playhouse.

Together, nights like these highlight what locals already know:
even in the coldest part of the year, Berea stays lively, with small venues and local stages keeping the town’s creative heartbeat strong.

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If You Go

Acoustic Nights at Top Drawer Gallery: 3 Men & A Banjo
📍 Top Drawer Gallery, 202 N. Broadway St., Berea
🗓️ Friday, January 23, 2026 | 7:30–9:00 p.m.
💵 Free admission; donations encouraged.

Also this weekend (and a great pairing):

The Spotlight Playhouse
🎭 Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch
🗓️ January 23–25 and January 30–31, 2026

The stage is set for a magical run as Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Jr. comes to The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea, January 9–18, 2026. This beloved musical brings the classic tale of Pinocchio to life, offering families and theater fans a heartwarming journey filled with memorable songs, colorful characters, and important life lessons.

✨ About the Show

My Son Pinocchio Jr. is a family-friendly adaptation of the timeless story, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The show puts a fresh spin on the Pinocchio tale, focusing on Geppetto’s perspective as he learns what it means to be a parent. Audiences will enjoy favorites like “When You Wish Upon a Star” along with new songs created just for this production.

🎟️ Performance Details

• Dates: January 9–18, 2026
• Venue: The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road, Berea, KY 40403
• Presented by: Spotlight Acting School
• Showtimes: Multiple performances across two weekends (check ticket link for exact times)
• Tickets: Available online at Spotlight Acting School Tickets and at the door; family-friendly pricing

🌟 Why See My Son Pinocchio Jr.?

This production is perfect for all ages, featuring a talented local cast and a story that celebrates individuality, honesty, and the power of family. The creative team has worked hard to bring the magical world of Pinocchio to life on stage with engaging choreography, vibrant costumes, and enchanting set pieces.

Attending My Son Pinocchio Jr. is a wonderful way to support local youth theater and share the joy of live performance with the whole family. Whether you’re a lifelong Disney fan or discovering the story for the first time, this show promises laughter, inspiration, and fun for everyone.

📍 If You Go

• Dates: January 9–18, 2026
• Location: The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road, Berea, KY 40403
• Tickets: Purchase online at Spotlight Acting School Tickets or at the door
• Admission: All ages welcome

🎨 More Local Entertainment This Weekend

Looking for more to do in the area? Don’t miss the performances of The Adventure of the Clutching Claw at the Spotlight Playhouse for a full weekend of arts and entertainment.

Make plans now to experience the magic of Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Jr. at The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea—where dreams really do come true! ✨