Downtown doings: Henderson Riverfront was hopping Thursday

HENDERSON, Ky. - There's a lot of words you can use to describe this city's downtown and riverfront. Boring is not one of them, and Thursday morning was a prime example.

Thursday saw the arrival of the Queen of the Mississippi paddle-wheeler early in the morning. Passengers here for a half day had enough time to disembark and explore much of what Henderson to offer, including downtown shops and restaurants.

Meanwhile, just down the Riverwalk, in Audubon Mill Park, local Children's Librarian Danielle Anguish and others were leading "Reading in the Park" -- a twice-weekly summer program held on Tuesdays and Thursdays that includes reading, character visits, crafts and more.

Summer Reading in the Park is a cooperative effort of the Henderson County Public LIbrary, the Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center and the Henderson County School District. Everyone is free to join in. Sessions start at 10:30 each Tuesday at Freedom Park at the Henderson County Fairgrounds and at the same time each Thursday at Audubon Mill Park on the riverfront.

More, please

If you missed the riverboat visit Thursday morning, fear not. More opportunities are coming up next week and beyond.

The Queen of the Mississippi is set to return here on Wednesday, July 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Queen of the Mississippi is also supposed to make a half-day stop here on Wednesday, July 31.

And The American Queen -- the largest riverboat ever built -- has planned an all-day stop here next week, on Friday, July 19.

"This is a re-route from its originally scheduled Mississippi River cruise," according to Henderson Tourist Commission Executive Director Abby Dixon. "River levels have caused a shift in the schedule to our benefit."

"Visitors will enjoy exploring Henderson by way of hop-on/hop-off bus tours from 8:30 a.m. to 'all aboard' at 4:30 p.m," Dixon said.