Editing Hopkinsville, Kentucky (section)

==Attractions and points of interest==
Hopkinsville was a stop along the [[Trail of Tears]], and the National Park System's "Trail of Tears Commemorative Park,"<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/trte/planyourvisit/kentucky.htm| title=Places to Go: Kentucky – Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)}}</ref> along 9th Street on the Little River, commemorates this history. Every September, the Trail of Tears Indian Pow-Wow comes to town to Trail of Tears Park. There is a museum and a burial ground, including two important Cherokee leaders who died during the removal – Fly Smith and Whitepath, along with several large [[osage orange]] trees in it and dream catchers hanging from the wrought iron fence. There is also a sunken amphitheater. A group of plaques commemorate the great uprooting and journey, and its devastating effect upon the [[Cherokee]] people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trailoftears.org/|title=Trail of Tears|author=Timothy Griffey|work=trailoftears.org}}</ref> It is [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Christian County, Kentucky|listed]] in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

The [[Pennyroyal Plateau|Pennyroyal]] Area Museum, located in the old post office building downtown, has exhibits on the history of Hopkinsville and the Pennyrile region. The Pennyroyal Area Museum is owned and funded by the city of Hopkinsville and was established to perpetuate the heritage of southwestern Kentucky's rich history. In 1974, the city of Hopkinsville acquired the old Post Office building from the U.S. government for use as an educational museum. The Pennyroyal Area Museum was established in October 1975, and opened on July 8, 1976. Its board and staff maintain a wide range of activities in its endeavor to preserve and interpret the past. Area citizens have contributed important roles in the Kentucky tradition from the post revolution era to the present. Historical in scope, the museum attempts to portray the development of the nine county Pennyrile region. Exhibits include the night riders of the [[Black Patch Tobacco Wars]]; [[Edgar Cayce]], famed local clairvoyant; [[Jefferson Davis]]; period room settings; a pioneer bedroom; a miniature circus; antique quilts; [[African American|black]] history; historic modes of transportation; as well as historical license plates from Kentucky.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Every May, Hopkinsville hosts Little River Days, a two-day family fun festival featuring [[road running]], [[canoe racing]], a bicycle tour, [[handicraft|arts and crafts]], food vendors and live entertainment. All activities take place at Merchant Park in downtown Hopkinsville.

During the [[Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017]], Hopkinsville was the closest metropolitan area to the point of greatest eclipse,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bell|first=Terena|title=Perspective {{!}} How the coming solar eclipse has brought hope to my struggling Kentucky home town|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2017/07/26/how-the-coming-solar-eclipse-has-brought-hope-to-my-struggling-kentucky-hometown/|access-date=2020-12-31|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> which occurred about {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} northwest of the city center in nearby [[Cerulean, Kentucky]].

The opening text of the horror-comedy film ''[[Attack of the Killer Tomatoes]]'' notes that Hopkinsville was invaded by millions of black birds in 1975. While damage was caused around Hopkinsville, the birds actually roosted in nearby [[Fort Campbell]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Environment: The War on the Blackbirds |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,917149,00.html |magazine=Time |date=24 February 1975 |access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref>

The city is also known for the [[Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Eerie Story Behind the Small Town Everyone Is Flocking to for the Eclipse This Summer |url=https://www.countryliving.com/life/a44064/eclipseville-hopkinsville-ky-history/ |website=Country Living |date=21 July 2017 |access-date=30 January 2019}}</ref> "a series of connected incidents of alleged [[close encounters]] with supposed [[List of alleged extraterrestrial beings|extraterrestrial beings]]."{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}}