Celeste Lewis

Oct 2, 2024 | smileypete.com | Celeste Lewis |Saraya Brewer

In 2020, when the Kentucky Theater was two years shy of its 100th birthday, the historic downtown theater’s longtime management group announced that it was retiring. The announcement came during the height of the pandemic, when many things were uncertain — including, all of a sudden, the future of Lexington’s beloved historic movie theater. Enter Friends of the Kentucky Theatre, a non-profit organization that had been formulated in 2012 to help support the theater.

Aug 1, 2024 | smileypete.com | Celeste Lewis

Earlier this summer, the Lexington Philharmonic announced a new executive director following the retirement of longtime leader Allison Kaiser. Formerly an active LexPhil board member, Brooke Raby had been serving as the interim executive director for 10 months before her appointment. In advance of the 2024-’25 LexPhil season, which kicks off in October, Raby recently responded to a handful of questions from Smiley Pete reporter Celeste Lewis about her new role.

Nov 20, 2023 | smileypete.com | Saraya Brewer |Celeste Lewis

Operating as The Mischief Maker, Lexington-based cake designer and lifestyle blogger Alex Narramore merges her love for baking, gardening and art in the highly detail-oriented, award-winning sugar flowers that adorn her custom-designed cakes. Meticulously modeled after actual flowers grown in her garden, each petal, stem, stamen and vine in Narramore’s designs is crafted by hand out of fondant to accurately reflect the shape, color and scale of actual flowers.

Nov 2, 2023 | smileypete.com | Celeste Lewis

Kentucky artist Rodney Hatfield has spent decades building a rapport with his audience, starting with a music career that blossomed in the ’60s and has since seen him performing with some of Lexington’s most memorable bands: The Hatfield Clan, the Shysters, the Metropolitan Blues All-Stars and, most recently, Tin Can Buddha. After being introduced to the harmonica at a young age, Hatfield took to the instrument with passion, laying the groundwork for his life in music.

Oct 2, 2023 | smileypete.com | Saraya Brewer |Celeste Lewis

Quick Six is a new editorial series that aims to connect our readers with movers and shakers from the Lexington community, through six questions answered over email. As a social psychologist committed to positive change, Dr. Kinga Mnich believes that science-based approaches can unlock the power that resides inside each of us.