Bourbon & Beyond: How the Spirit and Accessibility have Changed

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Kevin Bacon performing at 2024 Bourben & Beyond
Kevin Bacon performs with the Bacon Brothers at Bourbon & Beyond. Photo credit: Marcia

By Marcia Frost

I was at Bourbon & Beyond on a Press Pass. I received complimentary drinks at the event.


My days of covering wine, spirits, and music go back many years. The Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville is a favorite of mine. I recently returned after skipping a few years and found a lot changed, from wheelchair accessibility to the variety of bourbon and the way it is consumed. What didn’t change are the big-name musical acts—and what a fun time I had.

Why You Should Go to Bourbon & Beyond

Lenny Kravitz at 2018 Bourbon & Beyond
Lenny Kravitz at 2018 Bourbon & Beyond. Photo credit: Brittany Lambright


The 2024 Bourbon & Beyond was named Festival of the Year by IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) after a record-breaking 210,000 attended. Here are my top reasons to go to the next one:

  • Bourbon
    Learn about and taste more than you will ever see in one place.
  • Music
    A half dozen legends and 100 other acts to discover over four days.
  • Mingle
    Whether you go alone or in a group, Bourbon & Beyond is about sharing food opinions at communal tables, dancing in the grass, and singing classic songs along with the bands.

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The Festival’s Evolution

Melissa Etheridge at 2024 Bourbon & Beyond
Melissa Etheridge at the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond. Photo credit: Marcia Frost


Bourbon & Beyond began in 2017 as the first festival to combine music, bourbon, and food. I saw many performers I never watched before, such as Stevie Nicks and Eddie Vedder. I tried a variety of local barbecue and generally enjoyed myself.


The second Bourbon & Beyond started as good as the year before. I enjoyed the food, drinks, and music with Lenny Kravitz and John Mayer headlining. On Saturday night, as Sheryl Crowe performed, the rain came down and everything turned to mud. It was especially difficult to get around for those of us using mobility devices. The final day was cancelled.


I decided to go back when I saw the 2024 lineup would include Sting, Dave Matthews Band, Zach Bryan, The Bacon Brothers (with Kevin Bacon), Melissa Etheridge, and others.

Why The Festival Now Works for the Disabled

Watch Larkin Poe perform at the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond.
Marcia Frost watching Larkin Poe at the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond. Photo credit: Unknown



I am now in a power wheelchair and am more concerned than ever about going to places that are accessible. I decided to find out more about the venue they switched Bourbon & Beyond to after the stormy year. I found out a lot of thought went into making the festival more accessible for everyone.

  • Cement sidewalks throughout the entrances and grounds
  • Handicap accessible bathrooms available in multiple areas
  • A large parking lot dedicated to handicap parking
  • Raised platforms for disabled guests (and companions) at every stage


SheBuysTravel Tip: You’ll see everything from t-shirts and shorts to dressy attire at the festival. Keep in mind the temperature is hot in September, and it will probably rain at least once. As a wheelchair user, I found casual long sundresses to be the most comfortable. I also had a large rain poncho.

How Bourbon Has Changed

Chicken Cock Bourbon


Kentucky is Bourbon Country with 100 distilleries making the spirit. I visited quite a few when I wrote more about wine and spirits. The only problem is I never really enjoyed whiskey.


Bourbon is whiskey which is produced in the U.S., made from a mixture of at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, distilled to a maximum of 80% alcohol, and does not contain any added color or flavor. It’s this last part that I get stuck on. I really like added flavor in my drinks.


I noticed the attitude changed since the first festival. It was no longer necessary to shoot back your bourbon neat, and that’s made it a lot more interesting to those like me who find straight whiskey a little too harsh. Most of that group are women. Many more showed interest in trying cocktails such as ”Wildflower in Paris,” with Chicken Cock Bourbon, peach liqueur iced team mint syrup, and candied ginger, or “19th Century Cocktail” with Oxmoor Private Stock Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Crème de Cacao, and lemon.

SheBuysTravel Tip: All of the Bourbon companies post cocktail information at their booths. Most are flexible about eliminating ingredients if there’s something you don’t like.

Oxmoor Bourbon bottle and cocktail menu.
Oxmoor is part of Eastern Light Distilling, locally owned in East Kentucky. Photo credit: Marcia Frost


Not Everyone is Drinking

1 Million Strong sold non-alcoholic beverages
1 Million Strong provided an alcohol-free zone. Photo credit: Marcia Frost


Music festivals have notoriously become synonymous with lots of alcoholic drinks. It’s even in the name of this one, but Bourbon & Beyond made room to acknowledge the very real instance of alcoholism among musicians,  not to mention the general public.


One Million Strong provides “sober spaces” for those dealing with additiction. No ticket or explanation is needed to sit down on the couches and enjoy the mocktails, coffee, and water. Some of the musical talent sat among those making use of the alcohol-free zone.


I found more food choices at the latest Bourbon & Beyond. It isn’t just about barbecue. Our favorites included Gus’s Fried Chicken and Island Noodle. The baked potato bar and tacos trucks offered delicious choices too, and pizza became a surprisingly popular choice in this southern town.

The Details
Bourbon & Beyond is held every September in Louisville, Kentucky. To find out who will be performing at the next event or buy passes, visit their website.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Hotels in Louisville book up quickly. Get your room reserved as far in advance as possible, especially if you need a wheelchair accessible one.

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Marcia Frost is a freelance writer who is learning her limitations while dealing with multiple chronic illnesses. She’s excited to bring this knowledge of accessible wheelchair travel to SheBuysTravel. Marcia spent her life in New York and moved to the Midwest in 2008, where she lives with her service dog, Teddy. She has written for <a href="https://linktr.ee/marciafrost"<many outlets and does a monthly travel TV segment for CI Living, an afternoon lifestyle show on the CBS affiliate WCIA.
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