Terry Chambers - StoryTeller

Shady Glen -- Anchors a River Community After 70 Years
PROSPECT, Ky. — The Shady Glen River Club held its annual holiday party at Hunting Creek Country Club in Prospect on Friday night, December 5. The evening was filled with energetic camaraderie — an apt start to the season for this close-knit river community that has been gathering for the holidays for more than seven decades. The unofficial motto at Shady Glen has always been delivered with a grin: “It’s just a river club, dammit,” but anyone who has visited their hangout overlooking the Ohio River in Oldham County knows it’s much more than that.
What began in the late 1940s as a simple fishing camp created by a small group of returning veterans soon grew into a legacy affectionately known as “The Glen.” Today, that one-room cinderblock clubhouse may appear unadorned and stark from the outside, but inside it remains—just as its founders intended—a warm and welcoming place where families and friends gather for potlucks, weekend games, and quiet evenings watching the sun slip beyond the Indiana shoreline. And even though the river has tested them more than once with flooding, members simply band together, lifting appliances, furniture and memories to higher ground until the water recedes. Then, as always, they return to clean, repair, and reopen the little clubhouse that means so much to so many..
Shady Glen is also known for its year-round events – some of which are open to the public and help raise funds for their charitable causes. Their annual Chili Fest brings out competitive cooks, while the summertime “Cheeseburger in Paradise” transforms the patio into a Buffett-style beach. Derby season is celebrated with a riverfront horse racing party, and February honors the “Shady Ladies” with a Valentine gathering that the men host. Their Low Country Boil each summer remains one of the club’s most anticipated meals.
But beneath the fun runs a deeper commitment to community. Shady Glen’s holiday mission includes its decades-long Angel Tree tradition, ensuring local children receive gifts and support during the season. Members say that their mission of generosity, paired with laughter, has always defined the club.
Today, whether arriving by boat or parking under the old cottonwoods, families and friends find the same spirit the founders intended: music drifting out of the doorway, good food shared freely, and a community anchored by the river and by each other. Shady Glen may call itself “just a river club,” but its legacy goes far deeper. It is a place where sunsets, stories and fellowship never go out of season.

20 Years of the Nature of Christmas at Creasey Mahan
GOSHEN, Ky. — The 20th Annual Nature of Christmas at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve (CMNP) felt less like an event and more like a magical welcome into the holiday season. Families poured onto the Goshen campus on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 6, setting a record turnout filled with simple delights, shared laughter, and the unmistakable warmth that comes from gathering as a community.
Hosted in partnership with the Prospect-Goshen Rotary Foundation, the City of Goshen, local businesses, and a small army of volunteers, this free celebration wrapped the Preserve in holiday cheer. Guests were treated to steaming bowls of chili, cozy cups of hot chocolate, s’mores roasted over open flames, and tables of desserts that vanished almost as quickly as they appeared.
Children drifted between craft stations, face painting, and vendor booths offering everything from honey to handmade pottery. The silent auction bustled with friendly bidding, knowing every dollar helps keep the Preserve’s educational programs thriving year-round.
But the moment that truly lit up the day arrived with Santa and Mrs. Claus (aka Ken and Nancy Dahlgren), whose entrance sent excitement rippling through the crowd as they made their way into the Nature Center. Families lined up out the door for photos and hugs, creating memories that were sure to outlast the day.
Outside, the North Oldham High School Choir filled the crisp air with carols, while volunteers helped spark that familiar sense of wonder, the kind that turns a December afternoon into something unforgettable. Executive Director Tavia Cathcart Brown, who has watched the event grow year after year, said it best: “This gathering blends a festive mix of family activities and indoor fun in a way only Creasey can provide.”
For many, the CMNP’s Nature of Christmas was not just another winter day. It was a reminder of what the season is meant to feel like: joyful, generous, and shared among neighbors.