WELCOME
Welcome to Renfro Valley Entertainment Center in beautiful Mount Vernon, KY proudly known as “Kentucky’s Music Capital!” We are an entertainment complex located in south-central Kentucky and conveniently a stone’s throw away from Interstate 75 at exit 62.
Inside the walls of this Valley you will find a tradition that started back in 1939 by founder, John Lair. Great music of all genres ring from the rafters of our two unique show theaters throughout the year.
Conveniently located next to our theatres is Valley Liquor store. Always well stocked with your favorite hard-to-find bourbons, a wide variety of beer, wine, and spirits. Music Valley RV Park is also located on the property – stay and walk to a show for the full Renfro Valley experience!
As you can tell Renfro Valley is music, and so much more!
A Little History…
On November 4, 1939, a young man’s dream came true as John Lair welcomed guests to the very first Renfro Valley Barn Dance.
The theatre barns swung open, the microphones went hot, and the WLW announcer was heard to say by those in attendance as well as well as those listening live on their radios from Canada to Cuba and all places in between…,
“And now friends, by way of the magic carpet of radio, we take you to the big Old Barn in Renfro Valley, Kentucky with John Lair and the Renfro Valley Barn Dance”.
What would come to be one of the most iconic, storied and historically significant live music venues in the United States, Renfro Valley, was born that day. Renfro Valley was one of the first places to introduce the world to country music and is considered one of the three holy places in country music history; Nashville (Music City), Bristol (home of the famed Bristol recording sessions), and Renfro Valley, whose importance to the origins of country music is just as significant as the Grand Ole Opry.
That first Saturday night performance made country music history and served as a foundation for season’s to come. John Lair’s dream launched Renfro Valley and his vision for its future; “Give folks the very best entertainment available and preserve the values and way of life he held so dear. The friendly, neighborly spirit of the plain folks who made America what it is.” John Lair held tightly to the values he had come to know in the remote settlement in the Kentucky hills. Since before the American Revolution, when the first pioneers cleared land in the thick virgin forest, the inhabitants of Renfro Valley were self-reliant, spirited and neighborly, with a deep sense of commitment to a way of life that enriched all who came in contact with Renfro Valley folks.
After the first year on WLW, WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky took over the broadcasts and went from Saturday night only to as many as twenty radio programs a week out of the Valley. Broadcasts from “hay rides,” “possum hunts” and “lasses making” were some of the adventures Renfro Valley took its listening audience on. In 1943, the sponsor asked for a Sunday program that was not “religious” in nature but would fit into the Sunday format, and the Renfro Valley Gatherin’ was born. The Country Store program on the CBS network was broadcast live from what is now the Country Music Store.
In 1966, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Hank Cochran, and music publisher Hal Smith leased the Valley with the option of buying. Hal Smith alone did buy it all in 1968. It was during this time, bluegrass artist Mac Wiseman came into the Valley and started the famous Renfro Valley Bluegrass Festival in 1970. John Lair continued living in his home in the heart of the Valley and spent every waking hour planning on getting it all back. That came about in 1976 and in the early 1980’s the Lair’s started what is now called the Harvest Festival. In 1984, the Renfro Valley show was featured at the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. Some of the talent traveled to the state capitol in the mid 1980’s to perform before the House of Representatives in order to make the Valley the location of Kentucky’s Country Music Capital. The successful event would later bring about the Valley becoming the location for the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
After the death of John Lair in 1985 the Lair family decided they could no longer manage the Valley. They sold it in its 50th year to a group headed by Warren Rosenthal, founder of Jerry’s and Long John Silver’s restaurants, of Lexington, Kentucky. Under his command, the New Barn was built along with the Renfro Valley Shopping Village and campground. Two of his partners at the time were Ralph Gabbard, CEO of channel 27 out of Lexington, and Glen Pennington, longtime entertainer at the Valley. In 1993, a decision was made to add a show during the Christmas season called “Christmas in the Valley.”
Around the year 2000, the entire Valley was given to the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum. During this time, Renfro Valley was struggling. Two fans of Renfro Valley began making their appearances in front row seats about every weekend. They purchased tickets to more than 1200 shows before striking up a deal to buy the Valley in 2005. This wonderful couple was Don and Vera Evans, farmers and developers from Harrison, Ohio. Without a shadow of a doubt, they saved Renfro Valley from shuttering its doors forever. The music almost died, but thank goodness it didn’t! They brought life back into the Valley and under their direction, special shows were added to the line-up and a 35-site full hook-up RV campground was built. Don and Vera had a passion and love for Renfro Valley that is, and always will be unmatched. They ran the Renfro Valley up until their passing in 2009 and 2010, 12 days apart. At this time, their daughter and her husband, John and Julie Enneking took over Renfro Valley.
TODAY
John and Julie Enneking run Renfro Valley with a very hands-on approach. They established a great working relationship with employees who they also consider friends. John and Julie are very involved in the day-to-day operations of Renfro Valley and together, their goal is to make Renfro Valley the best it can be. John and Julie are dedicated in continuing great entertainment, tradition, and that southern hospitality that makes Renfro Valley such a great place to visit. They are proud to be apart of Renfro Valley’s longstanding history and steadfastly dedicated to all things music. Through tireless hard work, lots of stress and love, they have seen Renfro Valley through a pandemic that shut the entire music industry down and changed the travel and concert industry completely. Because of them, Renfro Valley is without a single shadow of a doubt stronger and more viable today than it has been ever before.
Between that November night in 1939 and today, music has rang from the rafters of the Renfro Valley barns and across this Valley nearly every weekend of every year in between. Making Renfro Valley one of the longest continuously operating music venues in America.
Countless thousands of singers and pickers have played Renfro Valley’s stages. And countless millions of fans have been moved by the music they have heard come from Renfro Valley’s speakers and over the radio waves. Patrons and music lovers are truly the most important part of Renfro Valley’s success.
Music icons including names like Hank Williams, Red Foley, Old Joe Clark, Coon Creek Girls, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Conway Twitty, Ralph Stanley, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Flatt and Scruggs, Marty Robbin, Patty Loveless, Ted Nugent, Keith Whitley, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Travis Tritt, Trace Adkins all of the Montgomerys all of the Gentrys, Exile and many more.
We think Dolly Parton said it best during an interview for a PBS documentary –
“If you’re a country music singer like me – well you just ain’t nothing until you get asked to play at Renfro Valley, honey.”
