page_title: Beattyville, Kentucky
section_title: Woolly Worm Festival
hierarchical_section_title: Beattyville, Kentucky / Woolly Worm Festival
caption_attribution_description: Lepidoptera - Arctiidae - Pyrrharctia isabella caterpillar (woolly bear caterpillar)
context_page_description: Beattyville is a home rule-class city in Lee County, Kentucky, United States. The city was formally established by the state assembly as "Beatty" in 1851 and incorporated in 1872. It was named for Samuel Beatty, a pioneer settler.
  The population was 1,307 at the 2010 census and an estimated 1,206 in 2018. It is the county seat of Lee County.
context_section_description: Since 1987, during the third weekend after the first Monday of October, the Main Street of Beattyville is closed to traffic for the annual Woolly Worm Festival. It operates for three days: Friday-"Opening Day", Saturday-"Parade Day", and Sunday-"Closing Day" (which also features a large car show).
  The name "woolly worm" refers to the woolly bear caterpillar. The official mascot, "Woolly the Woolly Worm", is used as an image on some local merchandise and flyers. A round hay bale caricature of him stands beside the welcome sign to Beattyville. The festival is the outgrowth of a series of stories by Beattyville native Rosemary Kilduff (wife of Malcolm Kilduff) that tracked the predictions of winter weather based on local folklore. The severity of upcoming winter weather was said to be foretold by the relative proportions of black to brown coloration of the caterpillars. Kilduff penned columns in the local newspaper in the 1980s that collected woolly worm sightings by local residents.
  During the festival, numerous musicians perform almost constantly on one of two stages, and dozens of booths offer a wide variety of merchandise, and delicious foods. Helicopter tours of Beattyville and Lee County are available. The "Woolly Worm Races" are won by coaxing one of these "Hairy Caterpillars" to the top of a string. The first one to reach the top wins, with the only rule being "No Touching"; there is usually a cash prize for the winner.
  The Woolly Worm Festival continues as a popular event attracting numerous tourists. Beattyville is a few minutes from Natural Bridge State Resort Park, another tourist destination. Visitors enjoy the "small-town atmosphere".
caption: Pyrrharctia isabella is the scientific name of the "woolly worm" celebrated in the festival.
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