It’s a big show in a little town
Green Turtle Bay becomes a favorite for annual KPA retreat

Grand Rivers could be just a blip on the radar, one of those places you have to be going to to get to. Located off US 62, within eyesight of Kentucky Dam, Grand Rivers could be just another sleepy small town. After all, there’s only about 400 people in town.

But ask anyone in that part of the state where to eat and chances are the response will be Patti’s. Nothing more need be said. Patti’s isn’t the only thing around. Just ask KPA/KPS Board members.

It’s become their favorite place to have a retreat. Five of the last six years, Green Turtle Bay has been the location of that two-day, very focused retreat. It’s surrounded by Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, kinda off the beaten path and the setting you need to really keep from being distracted in Board discussions. Some who have served on the Board in past years have made Green Turtle Bay a family getaway spot. Need to know where the fish are biting? Just ask Chris Poore at the Kentucky Kernel who makes the pilgrimage at least once a year after having been there a couple of times for board retreats.

Sara and Bill Minihan are among the featured performers in several productions featured at Grand Rivers' Badgett Playhouse. The Minihans had the idea of bringing a Branson-type show to the lakes area in Western Kentucky. And the Grand Rivers community had an interest in adding another tourist feature.

Now Grand Rivers has another attraction. You wouldn’t think of Grand Rivers having a Branson, Mo, type show.

But it does.

And it’s successful.

And good.

During this year’s retreat, October 26-27 at Green Turtle Bay, Board member and Lake News publisher Loyd Ford arranged for a special showing of “Variety: Music, Memories and More.”

Once the decision was made to return to Green Turtle Bay for this year’s retreat, Loyd was relentless in promoting the show. At each Board meeting he offered comments about this being a Branson-type production, that is very good. I’m sure some took Loyd’s enthusiasm as what a typical community newspaper publisher should be doing -- promoting their community and the activities it offers.

The show is located in a new theatre in the heart of town, across from Patti’s. It opened in December, 2005, and the show is getting rave reviews. As Board members sat listening to the music from the ‘50s through today, several commented they never expected to find such a quality show in Grand Rivers. That’s not a slap at Grand Rivers by any means.

Bill and Sara Minihan were the force behind the show. They initially looked at Paducah but a preview video tells the story of some frustration.

At the time, Grand Rivers tourism supporters were looking for a permanent-type show for a proposed theatre. The tourism commission, the local chamber and the Minihans got together and from those discussions the show was born and the 285-seat theatre was built, later named Badgett Playhouse.

The show features the Minihans along with some Nashville talent and Nathan Herron who finished in the top 45 in last year’s American Idol competition.

Grand Rivers was once a small river port between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Now it’s the only community that fronts both Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and is the north entrance to the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes.

Patti’s helped put it on the map but how many communities have a Harley Davidson apparel shop?

And not many can offer a true Branson-type experience.

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