Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show Returns to Boyd County
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
Someone once said that behind every good guitarist is a woman saying, “Do you really need another guitar?” The answer is an unequivocal YES! One can never have too many guitars in one’s possession and that’s why guitar enthusiasts from all around are eagerly awaiting the return of what many consider to be the best guitar show. The Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show was founded seven years ago and has been growing steadily ever since. In the beginning, this annual event was held at what was then known as Kyova Mall and started out with around 25 to 30 vendors. Over the years, the EKGS has grown in popularity and size.
From humble beginnings, this event has become a favorite among the area’s avid guitarists and musicians alike. Jeff Ware, one of the founders of the EKGS shared the reason behind how it all got started some seven years ago, “You always heard about the guitar shows being held in places like Cincinnati (Ohio), Cleveland (Ohio), and other big cities. So, my friends and I started thinking and decided that we wanted to bring a guitar show to this area. You know a little closer to home. We also wanted to make sure that our guitar show was accessible to all, so we wanted to keep our admission prices lower than most.”
The first Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show was a huge success and has only continued to grow from year to year. Ware shared that this year’s show was already sold out as far as vendor space was concerned. “We have a total of 54 vendors that have rented out space for this upcoming show,” shared Ware. This year, the Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show will be held at the Boyd County Community Center, located at 15605 KY- 180, Catlettsburg KY, on May 7, 2023. The time of the show is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is five dollars. You are welcome to bring in your own instruments for a little wheeling and dealing. All general admission guitars and instruments will be tagged.
Included with the general five-dollar admission, you will also have your ticket included for a drawing for a unique door prize. This year’s door prize is a Dean Z Select Bass from The Bassment, owned by Tom Olsen. The beautiful mahogany neck and body, ebony fingerboard, active/passive fishman fluence Humbucker pickups, Grover turners, and black satin finish is sure to strike a chord in any guitar collector’s heart. The value of this door prize is $1219.99, and it could be yours for the very low price of a five-dollar admission ticket should your ticket number be called. There will be something for everyone’s musical taste at this year’s Eastern Kentucky Guitar Show. This is one event you don’t want to miss because you never know what you might find.
