Paintsville
Around Paintsville
Illustration made for Popchat
Countryside and towns · Kentucky · 43k people
Paintsville
Locals say the mountains
Home of coal camps and country music
Appalachian forest greenAutumn amber
Welcome to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky! Here the hollers are friendly and the music is old-time. Come for the scenery, stay for the soup beans and cornbread.
Clubs for Paintsville
No clubs for Paintsville yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Paintsville. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Paintsville. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Paintsville Lake State Park A 1,100-acre lake with hiking trails, fishing, and camping.
- The Mountain Homeplace Recreated 1800s Appalachian farmstead with heirloom gardens and log buildings.
- Van Lear Historic District Preserved coal camp with rows of company houses and a mining museum.
- Outdoors Hiking at Paintsville Lake
- Outdoors Fishing in the Big Sandy River
- With kids Visit the Mountain Homeplace
- With kids Swim and picnic at Paintsville Lake
- Evenings Old-time music jams
- Evenings Community square dances
- Locals love Holler communities
- Locals love Diner-style restaurants
Through the year
- Kentucky Apple Festival September Paintsville's big September celebration with apple pies, crafts, and a parade.
- Mountain Apple Festival September Inez's harvest festival featuring apple butter, live music, and local vendors.
- Johnson County Fair July County fair with livestock shows, rides, and fair food.
- Magoffin County Fair August Summer fair with tractor pulls, 4-H exhibits, and carnival rides.
- Martin County Fair July Small-town fair with local crafts, music, and a beauty pageant.
Eastern Kentucky has four distinct seasons with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The hills are green in spring, fiery in fall, and often blanketed in snow in winter. Best: April–June and September–October are mild and dry, perfect for hiking and fairs.
Talk like a local
- “the mountains”
- The region itself, as locals call it.
- “holler”
- A small valley or hollow between hills.
- “crick”
- A creek or stream.
- “fixin' to”
- About to do something.
Getaways
- Pikeville Bigger town with shopping, dining, and the Appalachian Artisan Center.
- Williamson Historic coal town across the state line with the Hatfield-McCoy trail access.
- Huntington Larger city with the Huntington Museum of Art and Pullman Square.
- Morehead Home to Morehead State University and nearby Cave Run Lake.
Local flavour
Rooting for University of Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA DI), Marshall Thundering Herd (NCAA DI)
Eat and drink
- Soup beans Pinto beans simmered with ham hock, a staple of Appalachian home cooking.
- Cornbread Usually baked in a cast-iron skillet, served alongside beans.
- Biscuits and gravy A hearty breakfast found in local diners.
- Country ham Salt-cured and often served with red-eye gravy.
- Stack cake Appalachian apple stack cake, a layered dessert with dried apple filling.
- Sorghum Molasses-like syrup used on biscuits and in baking.
- Ale-8-One A Kentucky-born ginger ale, widely available.
Where people go
- Coal mining heritage sites Historic mine entrances, tipples, and company towns.
- Country music halls Venues celebrating the region's role in country music history.
- Appalachian craft fairs Quilts, woodwork, and traditional crafts.
- Mountain trails Hiking paths through the hills, often along old rail grades.
- Holler communities Tight-knit neighborhoods tucked into narrow valleys.
- Old-time music festivals Bluegrass and old-time jams, often in park pavilions.
- Diner-style restaurants Small, family-run eateries serving breakfast all day.
- Historic coal camps Remnants of company housing and mining towns.
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaPikevilleKentuckyWhere the mountains hold the musicWilliamsonWest VirginiaWhere the Tug Fork runs through coal country.HuntingtonWest VirginiaWhere the hills meet the OhioLoganWest VirginiaWhere the mountains hold you close.MoreheadKentuckyWhere the hills hold you close.HazardKentuckyHeart of the Appalachian hillsPortsmouthOhioWhere the river paints the townMount SterlingKentuckyThe friendliest stop on the way to the mountains
Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties, KY. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.