To help raise funds for additional exhibits at the Salato Center, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Inc., will offer bourbon sampling from eight major Kentucky distilleries, along with great food from several Lexington and Frankfort area restaurants. The public is invited to attend, but you must be at least 21 years old to participate.

"This has been one of our most popular fundraising events," said Laurie Davison, manager of the Salato Wildlife Center.

"It’s an event where local businesses join together to help raise money for a cause that provides enjoyment and education for the entire community," Davison said.

The Salato Center and Game Farm, owned and operated by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), was recently voted the best facility for family outings in Frankfort.

"We want to continue improving the center and grounds, be able to showcase even more of what the KDFWR has accomplished for the people of Kentucky. The Game Farm has been a significant part of why Frankfort is attractive for its residents and visitors alike for 50 years, and we want to remain that way," Davison said.

"This event helps us achieve that goal," she continued," and there’s so much more we have planned like the river otter exhibit so many people have asked us about."

The 2005 annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival Sampler will begin on June 18 at 6:30 p.m. and run until 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $35 per person in advance at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, 107 East Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, KY, by phone at (800) 638-4877, or (502) 348-3623, or from the Salato Wildlife Education Center. Cash, check or credit card accepted in advance. Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of the event by cash or check only.

Twenty dollars of every ticket will go to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the remaining $15 to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Inc., a non-profit organization. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation is the fundraising organization for the Salato Center and the KDFWR.

This event is also sponsored by the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce. The Salato Center outdoor exhibits and will be lit to for allow nighttime viewing and center volunteers will be on-hand to answer questions about the center and Kentucky’s native wildlife.