This Week: Summer Fest, Kroger Crowds & Anniversary Ice Cream

What We Covered This Week

It is peak Hardin County summer, and this episode felt like it. Phil had the wheel with Rachel on vacation (she is back next Tuesday), Nate returned from his travels to the biggest business week of the season, and the crew warmed up with a brand new game: This or That, Sweet Tooth Edition. Cone or cup, chocolate or vanilla, pie or cake. The rules said no explaining. Nobody followed the rules.

Under the summer energy, the calendar quietly turned a page: the first back-to-school event of the season lands this Sunday, free backpacks and haircuts included. Mid-July. It sneaks up every year.

In This Episode

Glendale Summer Fest Anchors a Stacked Saturday

Hardin County This Week — with Jon O'Brien

The big free family event of the month runs Saturday 11 to 5 in Glendale: monster truck, bounce houses, axe throwing, petting zoo, live music. Stack it with the Color Splash 5K, BARKET at Freeman Lake, and Casey and Romy at Social Food Hall, and you have built a whole Saturday. Plus the Oh SNAP! Summer Luau and the USSSA World Series all week at the Sports Park.

Hardin County Hits a Year High: 423 Homes on the Market

Hardin County Housing Market — with Rachel Brantingham

Rachel sent her full data from vacation: inventory jumped from 400 to 423 active listings, the most this year. A balanced 3.7-month market overall, but under $250,000 still belongs to sellers. The takeaway: pricing beats timing.

Kroger Opens Big, and Three E-town Brands Go Statewide

Nate's Business Buzz

The new Kroger Marketplace opened to huge crowds, ANU Face Mind Body holds its grand opening Thursday, and three Hardin County businesses are expanding outward: That Cute Little Shop to Louisville, Boundary Oak Distillery to Bardstown, and Crowne Pointe Theatre to Glasgow.

An Anniversary Dessert Run to Dewster's

The Experienced Eater — Britten & Michele McDowell

Fifteen years together, and they celebrated with dessert at Dewster's Homemade Ice Cream and Bakery, where every flavor is made in-house. The Butterfinger earned rare praise; the peach keeps the crown.

Also This Week

Phil ran three quick community updates in the guest slot:

Election interviews close July 15. Every candidate on Hardin County's November ballot gets the same offer: a free, fair, sit-down interview with questions shared ahead of time. Registration takes two minutes at HardinLocal.com/elections, and the door closes July 15.

Kentucky's Flock camera law is now in effect. House Bill 58 sets retention rules, search accountability, and a public-policy requirement for license plate readers. Phil is sitting down with the Elizabethtown and Radcliff police chiefs before publishing the full Hardin Local article, which lands first on this site.

Best of Hardin County is coming. A community-voted contest with nominations and daily voting, winners announced on the show. This week's ask: YOUR category ideas, and not just businesses. The comments are open all week.

Episode Highlights

"Big week in Hardin County. Glendale Summer Fest this Saturday. It's free and it has everything." — Phil, Host

"Three local businesses expanding to Louisville, Bardstown, and Glasgow in the same short amount of period of time. What does it say about Hardin County business right now, when we're exporting instead of just importing chains?" — Phil, Host

"Under $250,000, it's still a seller's market, under three months of inventory." — Scott, Co-Host

"My overall favorite dessert is either the banana or banana pudding ice cream from Dewster's." — Britten, The Experienced Eater

"It's just all guys today. That's for sure." — Phil, Host, on an all-gentlemen episode