Boone, Kenton and Campbell County residents can dispose of household hazardous materials for free on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Thomas More Stadium, 7950 Freedom Way, Florence. Accepted items include batteries, electronics, light bulbs, pesticides, antifreeze and latex paint. Medications, tires and oil based paint are not accepted. The event is for residents only, and a registration form must be completed before arriving. Nearly 3,000 cars took part last year.
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The Florence Police Department is partnering with the DEA for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop off sites are the north parking lot of the Florence Government Center at 8100 Ewing Boulevard and Kroger Marketplace at 7685 Mall Road. The service is free and anonymous. Tablets, capsules and patches are accepted. Syringes, sharps and illicit drugs are not.
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I am looking for businesses to spotlight in the Florence Pulse. Enquire about having your business in the spotlight. Email me at [email protected].

☀️ Monday — 66° / 41° · Patchy Frost then Sunny
☀️ Tuesday — 67° / 44° · Sunny
☀️ Wednesday — 68° / 44° · Sunny
📍 Source: weather.gov — Florence, KY 41042

Where is the best neighborhood to trick-or-treat?

Respond to this email with your answer.

Wednesday, October 21
4885 Houston Rd, Florence, 6 to 8 p.m.
Free. Children in costume collect candy from decorated trunks in the parking lot.
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Wednesday, October 21
Boone County High School commons, 7056 Burlington Pike, Florence, 6 to 8 p.m.
For children ages 4 to 12. The cost is $40 per child and includes a shirt, a bow, instruction and a spot in the performance at the Friday, October 23 football game. Proceeds help send the Boone County Cheerleaders to a national competition.
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Thursday, October 22
7210 Turfway Rd, Florence, 11 a.m. to noon
Free. The session covers new appraisal information that takes effect Nov. 1.
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Friday, October 23
Boone County Fairgrounds, 6 to 8 p.m.
Register at boonecountyky.org/parks.
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Saturday, October 24
St. Henry Athletic Complex, 35 Cavalier Blvd., Florence, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is $5. More than 100 local craftsmen display handmade items, with free face painting, a fall display for photos and raffle tickets for themed gift baskets.
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Saturday, October 24
Florence Government Center north parking lot, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, and Kroger Marketplace, 7685 Mall Road, Florence, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free and anonymous. The Florence Police Department partners with the DEA. Tablets, capsules and patches are accepted. Syringes, sharps and illicit drugs are not.
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Saturday, October 24
Dave & Buster's, 781 Heights Blvd, Florence, 3 to 5 p.m.
Free. Guests in costume can explore the midway for treats and surprises and receive an Unlimited Sim Play Card.
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Saturday, October 24
Boone County Fairgrounds, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Free for all ages. Visitors walk a trail lit by jack-o-lanterns, take a hayride and end the night with a sweet treat.
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Saturday, October 24
Turfway Park, 7500 Turfway Road, Florence, 8:30 p.m.
Live concert.
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Monday, October 26
The 859 Taproom and Grill, 8720 Bankers St, Florence, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Florence Kentucky Pride hosts its second Pride Trunk or Treat, with costume and trunk decorating contests.
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Tuesday, October 27
7210 Turfway Rd, Florence, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Free. Lender affiliates share practical insights on how they keep preparing their clients. Rob Trump moderates a panel.
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Wednesday, October 28
Scheben Branch, Boone County Public Library, 8899 US 42, Florence, 6 to 7 p.m.
A Halloween themed family dance party with music and craft activities. Costumes are welcome.
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Saturday, October 31
Unincorporated Boone County, Florence, Union and Walton, 6 to 8 p.m.
Trick or treat is not a county sponsored event. Residents giving out candy can turn on porch lights. Drivers are asked to slow down in neighborhoods and turn on headlights before sunset.
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Monday, October 19: Air-Dry Clay Ghosts
Tuesday, October 20: Fall Color Walk
Tuesday, October 20: Wildlife Critters October 2026
Tuesday, October 20: Building Healthy Soils
Wednesday, October 21: Hike the Trails
Wednesday, October 21: Pokeberry Ink & Quill Pen Workshop
Wednesday, October 21: Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Thursday, October 22: Woody Plants & Landscape Symposium
Thursday, October 22: Pokeberry Ink & Quill Pen Workshop
Thursday, October 22: Adulting Academy
Friday, October 23: Coffee, Tea, Caffeine, and Thee
Friday, October 23: Air-Dry Clay Ghosts
Tuesday, October 27: Healing Power of Connection
Tuesday, October 27: Fall Tree and Wildflower Hike
Tuesday, October 27: Intermediate Paper Mache
Wednesday, October 28: Hike the Trails
Wednesday, October 28: Intermediate Paper Mache
Wednesday, October 28: Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Thursday, October 29: Intermediate Paper Mache
Thursday, October 29: Adulting Academy
Monday, November 2: Intro to Backyard Poultry

Date: Every Saturday through Oct 31.
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: 1961 Burlington Pike, Burlington, KY 41005
Description: About 50 member farm families sell Northern Kentucky-grown produce, flowers and other items. Vendors may also set up on other days, and the market's Facebook page posts pop-ups.
More Info: Boone County Farmers Market

Get your event listed here. Contact me at robert@florencepulse.com to get your event featured in the Florence Pulse.

BCHS Varsity Sports Schedule: Oct. 19 to 24

Tuesday, Oct. 20: Varsity Girls Volleyball at Larry A Ryle High School, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23: Varsity Boys Football vs. Cooper High School, 7 p.m.

Dixie Heights Beats Boone County 49 to 3 in Week 9

Dixie Heights defeated Boone County 49 to 3 in Week 9 of Northern Kentucky high school football. Dixie Heights led 34 to 3 at halftime and now stands at 4 wins and 5 losses. The win secured a home playoff game for Dixie Heights, which has a week off before hosting Ryle to close the regular season.
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Florence Bowl is hosting the Judy's Crew doubles bowling tournament this October. Teams can still enter on two dates: Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026, with 10:00 AM and 12:15 PM start times available each day. Entry fee is $60 per team.

Location: Florence Bowl, 7500 Sussex Dr., Florence, KY 41042

Sign up: https://www.florencebowl.com/judyscrew

Let us know about your sport results. Send to [email protected]

When the first settlers reached Boone County, the best road in the region was not a road at all. It was the Ohio River. For the first decades of settlement it served as the county's main highway, and it stayed the most important route for travel and trade into the middle of the 1800s. The earliest families built close to the water, along the northern and western edges of the county, for exactly that reason.

Riverboats made regular stops at Taylorsport, Petersburg, Belleview, Hamilton, and Rabbit Hash. A farmer who grew more than his family could eat now had a way to sell the rest. Warehouses stood at the landings, and by the 1860s Belleview alone had two tobacco warehouses, a hotel, and several stores. Boats were built here too. Boone County had a growing steamboat industry in the 1820s, with steamboats built at Big Bone and Belleview, and the landing at Hamilton shipped salt from nearby Big Bone Lick.

Petersburg turned the river into industry. A steam mill there became a distillery in the 1830s, and by the late 1800s the Petersburg Distillery was the largest in Kentucky. Even so, the river towns never grew into the trading centers that Cincinnati, a short trip upstream, already was. Most became ferry crossings with a post office and a general store, serving the farms around them. Tomorrow, we look at the ferries that tied those landings to the far shore.