Charles Turner from the Jeffers’ Bend Environmental Center appeared at Thursday’s Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club meeting to talk about the history of Jeffers’ Bend and what they have planned for 2024.
Jeffers’ Bend is home to walking trails, a botanical garden, a fishing lake, a wildlife observatory and much more. Turner shared that Jeffers’ Bend was once more of an agricultural society, but now it is more like a community center, because of the increased attendance they have had.
Turner says their first event of the season, Take the Kids Fishing started at Jeffers’ Bend in 1999 and around 200 people attended. In 2012 Turner says around 1,650 attendees fished on the lake.
This year’s Kids Fishing and Water Activities event will take over Jeffers’ Bend on May 25. In the following month Jeffers’ Bend will be hosting their biggest fundraiser, Benefit for the Bend a dinner that serves to raise funds for ongoing operations and maintenance of buildings and grounds at Jeffers’ Bend.
Turner says their fundraising goal for this year’s Benefit for the Bend is $32,000. The event is on June 15.
One of the newest events to be hosted at Jeffers’ Bend is the Hummingbird festival which started in 2022. When he was proposed with the idea for the festival, Turner says he was not sure if the community would be interested, but hundreds of people attended the first festival.
Inclement weather resulted in the 2023 festival being canceled, but Turner says he looks forward to bringing it back this year on August 25.
Coming in the fall is Naturefest one of the biggest events hosted at Jeffers’ Bend. Naturefest provides canoeing, archery, forestry, birding and survival skill experiences. Attendees also have an opportunity to learn about regional wildlife and much more.
This year’s Naturefest is set to take over Jeffers’ Bend on September 21. Turner says they are trying have more animals at this upcoming Naturefest.
More information about events on the Jeffers’ Bend agenda can be found at jeffersbend.org.