Hillbilly Days 2025 kicks off in downtown Pikeville

PIKEVILLE, KY (WOWK) – Hillbilly Days is back! The annual festivities kicked off Thursday in downtown Pikeville for another year of good times for a good cause.

For some seasoned festivalgoers, this event is an annual tradition they look forward to all year, and for others, Hillbilly Days is a brand-new experience.

“It’s really like the fair at home, but times 1,000. It takes over the whole town, which is really surprising,” said Claudia Maness, a University of Pikeville student. “Lots of food to eat and so many stores.”

“There’s good food and fun rides,” said UPIKE student Mykenzie Hellard.

Hillbilly Days is one of the largest festivals in Kentucky, beginning in 1977. But this internationally known festival does more than celebrate the Appalachian culture. It serves as a fundraiser for Shriners’ Children’s Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.

“The original foundation of Hillbilly Days was to raise money for Shriners’ Children’s Hospital, which as most people know, children can go to completely for free. If they need a ride there, or if they need put up in a hotel, Shriners can take care of that,” said Zach Lucas, a Shriner and a Mason.

Between live entertainment, rides, local artisans, food vendors, and more, there’s something at Hillbilly days for anyone and all ages to enjoy.

“Some people like to make fun of it, but the way that I’ve always looked at it is if they want to poke fun at it and spend some money to direct that toward the Children’s Hospital, I’ll let them poke fun and laugh all day long,” said Lucas.

The festival runs through Saturday, April 26, and for this year’s big Saturday night headliner at the Appalachian Wireless Arena, country music star Dwight Yoakam will be performing with the Mavericks. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.

Also on Saturday is the annual Hillbilly Days parade, which will step off at 2 p.m. in downtown Pikeville.

And, if you’re worried about the rain this weekend, there’s still plenty to do. Some of the vendors have even set up shop inside a parking garage so festival-goers can stay dry and still have a great time.

For more on all of the festival events, visit the Hillbilly Days website.