Kentucky Proves There’s a World Record for Everything

When I was a child, one of my favorite gifts was the Guinness Book of World Records. I would tear through it as soon as I got one, and then I would go back over it and study, more thoroughly, the ones in which I was most deeply interested.

What I learned was that just about ANYTHING has a Guinness Book of World Records category. Up until I got my first one, I always ⁷ it would be mainly sports, but no.

And when you look at the categories in which Kentucky shines, you REALLY get it. Why, we only need to start right here in Owensboro to prove that point. Last October, 500 musicians at the Third Annual John Lanham Day set the record for world's largest bluegrass band.

Of course, there's no point in delaying the obvious one from Kentucky...the world's longest cave system.

And since it's right down the street here in Owensboro, a hat tip to the world's largest sassafras tree.

Might as well take this opportunity to point out that Kentucky breaks ANOTHER world's largest tree category. Head to Clay County and feast your eyes on the world's largest red hickory tree.

But then we do a deep dive into some pretty specific categories, and, let's be honest, this is when it gets really fun. Are you ready for this one? It's the world record for the world's largest retail selection of premium cotton fabrics. Whew, now that's a mouthful. Anyway, for this one, we head to Hancock's of Paducah.

But we ARE talking about the home of the National Quilt Museum, so this record shouldn't come as a big surprise.

How about the world's largest ceiling clock? Is there any one particular place you'd expect to find that? If you said, "Lexington," move to the head of the class. Actually, we'll be in the Lexington Public Library, so shhhh.

If you've ever visited the Kentucky Museum of American PocketKnives, then you've seen that great big one that sits out front. Well, that's the biggest one in the world.

I'll close with this one:

Let's face it, the world's largest burgoo kettle HAS to be in Owensboro. Yes, I know they make what they THINK is authentic burgoo elsewhere, but if there's no mutton in it, it's not authentic to me.

Look at me. Here I started out talking about world records from Kentucky and ended up hungry for burgoo. That is SOOO Kentucky, isn't it?