Kentucky Meat Shower Festival marks 150th anniversary of Bath County’s most unusual event

OWINGSVILLE, Ky. (WKYT) - The Kentucky Meat Shower Festival drew visitors from across the country to Bath County on Saturday, marking 150 years since an unidentified meat fell from the sky over Olympia Springs.

The 1876 event, first documented by Bath County resident Rebecca Crouch, has been shared globally and continues to draw the interest of researchers who have yet to determine what type of meat fell or why.

Festival takes shape after a test run

Ian Corbin organized the festival to bring people to the community where the event occurred.

“We started with a month and a half last year, we’ll try it and see what happens, because this year is the 150th, we’ll do a little test run,” Corbin said.

That test run grew into a full event featuring a cookoff, meat-themed games and an in-person display of a preserved piece of the original meat.

Corbin said he spoke with attendees who had traveled from across the country to see the meat in person.

“Eastern Kentucky towns, you hear the bad, you don’t get to hear the good because not a whole lot goes on, so it’s amazing to be able to see the streets full and see all the people and meet them and talk to them and introduce them to our hometown,” Corbin said.

Crouch family descendants attend

Relatives of Rebecca Crouch were also among those at the festival.

Maci Craig, identified as Crouch’s seventh great-granddaughter, said the event carried personal meaning.

“It’s very cool because my Mamaw Helen that recently passed away this year, she was a descendant from the Crouch family that actually tried the meat,” Craig said.

Sasha Reinhardt, who’s Crouch’s great-great-great niece, said she was glad to see the event benefiting the town.

“I mean it’s really cool to see that this really weird thing that happened to my family is doing such a good thing for the town,” Reinhardt said.

Meat’s origin remains unknown

Researchers have not determined what kind of meat fell from the sky in 1876. The preserved piece of the meat is housed at Transylvania University.

You can read more on the history behind the meat shower here.