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Signature Projects
Projects originating and managed by Celebrate Lexington!
Community Champion
In 2017, AIB Lexington created the Isabel Yates Community Champion Award to honor this former Vice Mayor for her unceasing work in beautification and historic preservation in the Bluegrass. Rather than present her a plaque, a daffodil drift was planted in her honor at Wellington Park. The award continues to be presented annually with three adjoining drifts/awards per park.
GET INVOLVED to suggest a Community Champion to our Board!
 2025 Winner Dr. Harry Clarke |  2024 Winner Victoria Meyer ArtWorks at Carver |
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 2023 Winner Ann Garrity ArtWorks at Carver |  2022 Winner Thomas Tolliver Charles Young Park |
 2021 Winner Jake Gibbs Charles Young Park |  2020 Winner Yvonne Giles Charles Young Park |
 2019 Winner Elizabeth Pattengill Wellington Park |  2018 Winner Marcia Farris Wellington Park |
 2017 Winner Isabel Yates Wellington Park |
Celebrate Lexington Brunch
From the first Community Breakfast that launched what became Celebrate Lexington! we have loved bringing together the wide variety of organizations, government, nonprofits, and businesses working hard to make Lexington a wonderful place to live and work.
In collaboration with our amazing community sponsors, Celebrate Lexington hosted its signature breakfast on September 9th honoring our new Community Champion, Dr. Harry Clarke.
Thank you to all of our Community Champions! Your selfless service makes a meaningful impact on so many lives.
Plan on attending next years Breakfast in the fall of 2026 to honor a new Community Champion.
Daffodil Drifts
Since 2017 we’ve been planting about 1,000 daffodils per year to commemorate our Community Champion as a permanent Thank You for their efforts. Each spring, these spring flowers grace highly visible sites around Lexington. Two locations have been identified thus far.
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Wellington Park was the first to be filled with 3,000 daffodils. Because of it’s high visibility from both the Wellington Walking Trail and from New Circle Road, we decided to continue the plantings with Lexington’s Official Flower, the Purple Coneflower, and a riot of zinnias. The Kentucky state flower, the goldenrod, has been added to the drift. These last through the summer season into fall.
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Charles Young Park was completed in 2022 with three plantings of 1,000 each. Visible from Midland Avenue and Third Street, it is an integral part of the new Community Center, Splash park, and other new attractions.
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In November of 2024 Celebrate Lexington planted the second batch of 1,000 bulbs along Oliver Lewis Way. Look for them in March of 2025!
GET INVOLVED by suggesting sites for daffodil plantings, or to join our email list so you will know about upcoming events.
Purple Coneflower
In 2017, after many suggestions from American in Bloom Evaluators, we decided to nominate a city flower. After a city-wide survey, the clear winner was Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The city council agreed and it was final!
Purple Coneflower makes a remarkable appearance in the Wellington Park daffodil drift and Charles Young Pollinator Garden.
GET INVOLVED to promote this beautiful native flower with seed packets, signs, and fliers.
Growing instructions
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Sow the seeds in an area that receives full sun. The best time to plan is in late fall, just before or after the first hard frost. Coneflower tolerates all soil types.
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Loosen the soil and distribute the seeds, covering with a 1/4 inch of soil and pat the soil down.
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Water thoroughly after planting only. A thin layer of mulch will help to hold in moisture over the winter.
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Seeds will germinate in the spring and begin to grow. Once the seedlings have grown two or more sets of leaves, they may be transplanted if they are too close together.
Book Trail 2023-2025
To celebrate and encourage literacy and nature in Fayette County, Celebrate Lexington has developed a series of Book Trails on fencing in collaboration with Lexington Parks & Recreation. Stop by and read a children's picture book written by Central Kentucky authors at Wellington Park (Dog Park)
GET INVOLVED by sending us a photo of you walking the trail to be featured on our social media.
