Though slight in population -- 410 as of the 2010 consensus -- the small town of Hazel, on the Kentucky side of the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is big on southern hospitality and charm. The town's Main Street is lined with antique shops offering a peek into times long ago, while a few small restaurants, like Magnolia's where the owner is also the cook, keep residents and visitors fed and full.
Antique Shopping
- Unlike in many small, rural towns, about a dozen antique stores and gift shops line Hazel's busy Main Street. Visitors and locals pop into Horse's Mouth Antiques, The Cabin and The Willow Tree, among others, for vintage homewares from many eras. Blue Moon Antiques specializes in rare and unusual items that include offbeat art and petroleum memorabilia. Angelique's Antiques and Interior Design goes a step further, offering design consultations in addition to selling 19th-century vintage and 1950s retro items.
Down-Home Dining
- Hazel is home to a handful of restaurants including Ann's Country Kitchen, and Magnolia's Tea Room and Garden Gate Cafe. Ann's Country Kitchen, on Main Street, opens early in the morning each day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner --except on Sundays, when it closes early. Ann's has a menu of traditional American fare, anchored by meat-and-potato dishes. Magnolia's Tea Room and Garden Gate Cafe on Gilbert Street offers a more adventurous menu, with daily specials like chicken pesto sandwiches and Mediterranean-inspired casseroles.
Local Celebrations
- Throughout the year, Hazel is the site of local events, including competitions and small festivals. The largest event occurs every year on a Saturday in late September or early October, when locals and tourists enjoy a parade, a petting zoo and a concert in honor of Hazel Celebration Day. As part of this festival, Hazel's Woman's Club sponsors the popular Annual Hazel Celebration Open Car Show. Later in the year the same club sponsors an outdoor Christmas decorating contest with prizes awarded for first, second and third places.
Beyond Hazel
- Approximately 30 miles northeast of Hazel, the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area presents visitors with the opportunity to bicycle along old, paved logging roads, picnic at one of four open-air pavilions and ride horses along one of the designated trails at Wranglers Campground. The park, named for its position between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, also has swimming access, fishing opportunities and a number of boat rental options, including canoes and kayaks for an hourly fee.
