Northern Kentucky Restoration Weekend returns on March 21 in Newport.

The ninth annual event offers opportunities for homeowners and rehabbers to learn from experts on restoring historic properties.

The celebration of historic preservation is billed as "a day of practical advice, demonstrations, workshops, and services for the historic homeowner, property owner, or building professional."

The event takes place 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on March 21 at Newport Intermediate School (95 W. Ninth St., Newport).

While registration is not mandatory, the event often fills up quickly with 200 to 300 people in attendance. Registration will open soon at www.nkyrestoration.com

"This is a great event, whether you want to better understand the historic home you bought, learn how to recognize and sometimes fix problems inherent to old buildings, connect with artisans and tradespeople with specialized skills, or just meet other historic home owners," said City of Covington historic preservation officer Christopher Myers said.

The day will feature simultaneous sessions on five or six different topics during each time slot, as well as keynote speaker Scott Sidler, a nationally known preservation specialist who operates The Craftsman Blog website and owns the window and door restoration firm Austin Historical.

The day is organized by historic preservation staffs in the cities of Covington, Newport, and Bellevue, and funded by state and federal grants.

NKY Restoration Weekend also includes formal continuing education classes on Friday, March 27, for architects and planners who need AIA or AICP credit.

"We're part of something bigger than ourselves," he said. "We need to be good stewards of these buildings so they last well into the future and continue to exemplify the qualities that make them special. We want to add to their stories."

-Staff report