UK softball turns Saturday’s game against Marshall into Big Blue Boo, with face painting, BINGO and food trucks before the 2:02 first pitch, all free. Walk the Arboretum’s Scarecrow Parade before it comes down Monday, then save Thursday for Marksbury’s costume-friendly Boo Bash.
This week: 21 outings at 8 places, each one linked to the page we checked it on. How we check
One short email with the Lexington picks, already found and checked. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Here’s how we’d do Saturday, Oct 17. One thing from this week’s list, plus two of our regulars from Around town. Tap a stop for the details.
MORNINGOpen STEAM Play (Central Library)10:30am–12:30pm · Central Library · FreeTimes come from each event’s page or the place’s own site. Plans change, so check before you head out. Print this plan
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
Pizza, breadsticks and pasta on West Maxwell Street. The children’s menu (under 12) has spaghetti, grilled cheese and tenders, each with a drink.
A Lexington diner with breakfast served all day and dinner plates like country-fried pork chops with three veggie sides.
Small-batch ice cream in two spots, open until 11 on Saturday nights at the Distillery District shop.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
Lexington’s hands-on children’s museum (formerly Explorium), with play spaces for kids and their grown-ups.
$8 for 65+, teachers and military; $3 per person with SNAP or WIC
The downtown library, with a STEAM lab and free children’s programs on the calendar.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A garden made for kids 2 to 6, with water play and trains. The rest of the Arboretum is free and open dawn to dusk. Closed on UK home-game Saturdays (Oct. 24 next).
The Arboretum grounds are free
A 734-acre sanctuary with 10 miles of trails through meadows, woods and streams. It fills up on weekends, so go early.
A big lakeside park with pedal boats and kayaks, a fishing dock, a dog park and a sprayground.
A 26-acre natural area around the sinking springs where Lexington got its name in 1775.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Meet retired champions at the Hall of Champions, ride the horse-drawn trolley and see breeds from around the world. Admission includes the next day free.
Main season Mar 18–Nov 8, 2026
A night away without a long drive. New bed, same bedtime.
A downtown hotel that doubles as a contemporary art museum, free to wander.
A restored Shaker village with a farm, trails and river, plus The Inn for an overnight stay.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
This week we found 21 outings that work for kids ages 0–6. Our top three: Big Blue Boo at UK Softball, Scarecrow Parade at The Arboretum, Boo Bash (Marksbury Family). See the full list.
Yes, 21 of this week’s 21 picks are free, including library storytimes and Big Blue Boo at UK Softball. Tap “Free” in Find your thing.
19 picks this week are indoors, mostly library programs and shows. Tap “Rainy-day OK” in Find your thing.
This week we list 19 library storytimes and baby or toddler programs. Each one links to the library or venue page with the time and place. See them in the list.
We look at venue and library calendars and local family pages every week. Each listing links to the page we checked it on, and where the organizer or venue has its own page, we confirm the details there. We lean toward things that fit around naps and don’t need a long walk.
Sign up for the Friday email at the bottom of the page. It’s one short email, and you can unsubscribe any time.
If it’s good for the under-6 crowd, we’d like to hear about it. Free events go on the list for free, always. If you want a guaranteed spot at the top or in the Friday email, there’s a sponsored option too, and it’s clearly labeled. We’re just getting started, so the first 10 local partners in each city get 50% off your first booking.
We do the digging, you get one short email every Friday morning: the five things worth leaving the house for in Lexington, plus what to skip.
