Hardin County Events: February 24 – March 1, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Family Tuesday at Social Food Hall pairs a vendor receipt with 30 free minutes of duckpin bowling — one redemption per family
• It's Lenten season, so fish is on the menu: the FAC Fish FryyAh runs Friday, 11 AM to 2 PM, for $12 a plate (cash or check only)
• Live music floods the weekend — Jon counted at least seven venues with shows, including back-to-back nights at Bourbon Barrel Tavern and Cosmic Golf, possibly a local record
• Saturday stacks up with a blood drive, a Crusade for Children chili supper in Upton, a Texas Hold'em tournament at the American Legion, and a Father–Daughter Sweetheart Dance
• Sunday closes the week with Cecilia Valley PTO Movie Day, a Sip & Craft ladies' day at J & H Farm & Winery, and an open mic at Flywheel

Summary

Jon O'Brien came to the table with one of the fuller event weeks Hardin County has seen in a while — and with a forecast calling for sunny, 70-degree weather on Saturday, he made the case that there's no reason to stay home. "Nice solid week, something for everybody," he said as he wrapped, noting he'd counted at least seven different venues hosting live music across the weekend. "That may be a record for us, and it also shows just how far we've come as far as offering entertainment."

The week opens with Family Tuesday at Social Food Hall, where a same-day food receipt earns 30 free minutes of duckpin bowling, and runs through a Lenten Friday of fish fries and live music into a packed Saturday and a relaxed Sunday. With the Tattoo & Food Festival also landing downtown this weekend (covered in its own segment), it's a genuinely busy stretch for Elizabethtown.

Watch this segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPuNSvY6Ap8&t=895s Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPuNSvY6Ap8

Full Article

If you've been waiting for the weather to break before getting back out, this is the week. Jon O'Brien walked through a slate that spans Tuesday, February 24 through Sunday, March 1 — and with sunshine and temperatures near 70 expected Saturday, he kept coming back to one theme: get out and enjoy it.

Tuesday kicks off at Social Food Hall

The week starts with Family Tuesday at Social Food Hall, 110 S Main Street, running 11 AM to 8:30 PM. The deal is simple and family-friendly: buy food from any Social vendor — StrEAT Kitchen, Wasabi, or My Yard — and show that same-day receipt at the duckpin bowling to earn 30 free minutes. "It's one per house redemption, one per family thing," Jon explained, framing it as a way to "show people that there's [more] than food at Social."

Wednesday: stillness and a paint workshop

Wednesday offers two calmer options. The Settle Into Stillness Ensemble (Roots & Wings Tour) brings a sound bath to The House on Helm from 6 to 7:30 PM, followed by small plates and community until 9. It's $65 per person, and a portion of proceeds benefits Warm Blessings Community Kitchen. For something more hands-on, the Paint & Plant Workshop — a collaboration between The Blue Door and HubHaus — runs 6 to 8 PM at HubHaus, 109 S Main Street. "$30 for a seat," Jon said. "Paint the pot, and then you plant something inside of it."

Friday: fish fries, business connections, and a stacked music night

Friday is the busiest day on the calendar. The Connect Elizabethtown Relaunch Meeting kicks things off at Shoney's from 8:30 to 9:30 AM — a business connection group returning for the first time. "This is the business connect," Jon said. "It's like really a lean-type connection group."

It's Lenten season, so the fish fries are on. The FAC Fish FryyAh runs 11 AM to 2 PM at 408 Nicholas Street — $12 for a fish sandwich or fish only, plus two sides and a dessert. One important note from Jon: "It is cash or check only. So don't bring that plastic. Don't bring that tap pay. It's not going to work. You got to have something that folds."

The evening fills up fast. Ryne Brashear plays Social Food Hall at 6 PM. The Flavor Connection Chef's Table at the CleangoodEats Cooking Studio runs 6 to 8 PM, a guided four-course dinner you help prepare and then eat — "so it's a win-win," as Jon put it. The Ultimate Doors tribute band hits The State at 7 PM, and John Langley brings his "All Request" show to Bourbon Barrel Tavern from 8 PM to midnight, free entry, 21 and up. "If you got something that you want him to sing, tell him you want to hear it and he will play it," Jon said.

Saturday: a little of everything

Saturday is the deepest day of the week. The Abby's Squad Blood Drive runs 9 AM to 2 PM at the Living Faith Baptist Fellowship sanctuary, 951 West Park Road — sign up at RedCrossBlood.org with sponsor code AbbysSquad, and donors are entered for a door prize. The Crusade for Children Chili Supper & Auction at the Upton Fire Department runs 5 to 7 PM with the auction at 6: "Go in there, get you a nice bowl of chili, donate what you can, and give to a good cause," Jon said. Donations only, with proceeds to the Crusade for Children.

The American Legion Hardin Post 113 hosts a Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament with registration at 5:30 PM and play at 6 — a $50 buy-in gets you 8,000 in chips, with add-ons and rebuys available. You don't have to be a member, and it's 18 and up. The Father–Daughter Sweetheart Dance at Let's Dance Studios runs 6 to 8 PM, $20 a couple, including music, dancing, a raffle, food, drinks, and photos. The Central Hardin Baseball 2026 First Pitch Dinner + Auction runs 6 to 9 PM at EC3 Johnston Hall, 200 University Drive, with an online auction component as well.

The live music keeps going: Ripped Pitino plays Flywheel Brewing at 7 PM. "They played a couple of years ago there, and it was a really good show," Jon said, describing how the band sets up outside and opens the whole parking lot to hang out. Over at Bourbon Barrel Tavern, Casey & Romy return for a Saturday-night set, 21 and up.

Sunday: movies, wine, and poetry

Sunday winds the week down. The Cecilia Valley PTO Movie Day at Crowne Pointe Theatre shows The Bad Guys 2 at 11 AM and 2 PM, tickets $5, with sales benefiting the CVES PTO. Ladies Day Out @ J & H is a Sip & Craft at J & H Farm & Winery, 2 to 4 PM in Vine Grove, where you paint a wine glass and sip from another (18+). And the week closes with an All-Poetry Open Mic at Flywheel Brewing, 3:45 to 6 PM.

"It's going to be a nice weekend of weather too," Jon said. "I think everybody's ready for it."