Things to Do in Shelbyville

Fireworks, carousels, and chocolate-dipped bananas can mean only one thing: the Williamson County Fair is in town. This year it rolls in to celebrate the summer with rides, exhibits, and live entertainment from top acts from around the country. Thrill-seekers may want to start at the midway, which corrals all of the adrenaline-pumping, eye-popping attractions into one convenient location. The Enterprise dares riders to experience its 85-degree angled high-speed twirl, and the Pirate swings them back and forth in a full-size ship that re-creates the excitement of the high seas, from mounting colossal waves to mouth-feeding a seagull. Plenty of family-friendly rides, such as the classic carousel, ensure fun memories for visitors of all ages.

A trip to the fair wouldn’t be complete without exploring live events, exhibits, and competitions. Musical guests including The WannaBeatles, a Beatles cover band, and Pearl Heart, a song-writing sister trio, take to the main stage to serenade attendees. Further exploration of the grounds leads visitors to daily exhibits, from an agricultural equipment display and a BMX trick team to a petting zoo and nightly fireworks. Judges critique entries in various competitions, such as bread and pie baking, the Fairest of the Fair Pageant, and the contest to see whose dad can sneeze the loudest.

The Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce's Family Food Festival spotlights tasty local cuisine amid a spirited, family-friendly outdoor bash that helps support local food pantry The Well. Between bites of samples from area eateries such as Samboli's Pizzeria and Whisker's Catfish Restaurant, attendees can exercise thumbs at an arcade station and traverse an inflatable obstacle course, racing for glory against fellow guests or balloons twisted into cheetah shapes. To ensure safety, all children's activities are held under professional supervision.

The always-active atmosphere at Cabana in Hillsboro Village/West End creates the perfect backdrop for a swanky sampling. For $12, today's side deal gets you two hours of private wine tasting and hors d’œuvres, a $25 value. Between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on January 12, you'll have the opportunity to fulfill your new year's resolution of trying new things.

Crafting your way into someone's cupboard is the craftiest way into his or her heart. For $15, today's deal gets you $30 worth of studio time and pottery to paint at Brushfire Pottery Studio in Green Hills. Brushfire is a roomy, comfortable studio where friends and family can paint, stencil, and sponge pottery that's wildly innovative, beautiful, or beautifully tells the tale of a cat and its adventures with its best friend, an old car.