6AM City In-house

We hope you’re not afraid of the dark 👻

Meet these legendary Louisville monsters
A person dressed as the Pope Lick Monster, wearing a furry costume and goat horns, pretends to choke City Editor Katie. The photo has a playful and staged air about it.
City Editor Katie came face to face with the Pope Lick Monster this month. | Photo by LOUtoday
Something is lurking in the forests of Louisville. Kentucky is ripe for all sorts of cryptids + creepy tales, from sightings of the 15-ft pig-headed Herrington Lake Monster to the extraterrestrial Hopkinsville Goblins that tried to invade a family home in 1955.

But we like to be haunted a little closer to home, so allow us to dim the lights as we introduce you to these three local legends.

👻 Demon Leaper

Said to frequent the Gothic spires of the Walnut Street Baptist Church, this “living gargoyle” has frightened the city for more than a century. It’s described as a large bat-like creature with leathery skin, wings, and talons. Thanks to its wings, the Demon Leaper has been seen on rooftops throughout Old Louisville and even made headlines as “An Aerial Mystery” in the Sept. 12, 1880 edition of “The New York Times.”

Read: “Haunts of Old Louisville” by David Dominé for more Demon Leaper lore.

👻 Bullitt County Beast

Not to be confused with a Sasquatch, this dark-furred, 7-ft-tall Kentucky cryptid is described as having the head of a German shepherd and the torso of a muscular man — check out this eyewitness sketch for a visualizer. You’ll know the beast is near when you begin finding large footprints, hearing unidentified growling, smelling a foul stench + experiencing the skin-crawling feeling of being watched.

Listen: to this account of a Bullitt County woman’s encounter with the “Dogman.”

👻 The Goatman

What’s horned, greasy, and a strange mix of human and goat? The Pope Lick Monster, of course. This popular local legend needs no introduction — but allow us to do so anyway. The Pope Lick Monster, or Goatman, is named after the creek in which he resides. There are various tales about how the monster inflicts fear, ranging from attacking with an axe to luring people onto the old trestle bridge crossing Pope Lick Creek (which is still part of an active train line).

Attend: the next Goatman Festival in honor of the legend.
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Today
  • Terrarium Workshop | Tues., Oct. 25 | 6:30 p.m. | Mahonia, 822 E. Market St. | $45 | Choose between two different vessels to create a plant masterpiece + refreshments are provided, but don’t forget to BYOB.
Wednesday
  • Haunted Houses of Louisville with Steve Wiser | Wed., Oct. 26 | 5 p.m. | Peterson Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Ave. | Free with registration | Walk with this local historian as he tells ghostly Louisville tales from beyond — including the legend of “The Lady in White.”
Friday
  • Louisville Book Festival | Fri., Oct. 28-Sat., Oct. 29 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Kentucky International Convention Center | Free with registration | Celebrate literacy love at this festival with readings, workshops + more.
  • Kentucky Waterfall Competition | Fri., Oct. 28 | 6 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing, 642 Baxter Ave. | Free to attend | Calling all well-groomed mullets, it’s showtime — enter this hairstyle competition for ultimate mullet bragging rights + a $35 prize and a swag bag.
Saturday
  • Hallow Queen | Sat., Oct. 29 | 8 p.m. | Headliners Music Hall | $15 | Get ready to scream Queen as Derby City’s yacht rock cover band Tony and the Tan Lines transforms into a 1970s rock legend.
Sunday

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
6AM City In-house

Weather
  • 75º | Scattered showers | 80% chance of rain
Opening
  • Pretty Decent, a new daytime bar and plant store, is headed to 2235 Frankfort Ave. The 1,700-sqft space will have a 20-seat bar + will be designed by Honeycomb Construction, the same firm responsible for the Holy Grale‘s reno. It looks to open in the third quarter of 2023. (Louisville Business First)
Closing
  • Several Walgreens locations are set to close next month in the Beechmont, Pleasure Ridge Park, and Taylor Berry neighborhoods + downtown. Customers will be notified if their pharmacy is closing and prescriptions will be sent to the next nearest Walgreens. (WDRB)
Civic
  • The Urban Service District is launching a new Large Item Pickup program beginning Sat., Oct. 29. Moving forward, you’ll be able to dispose of four large items once per week by making an appointment through the Metro311 app or website. What’s a large item? Anything you can’t fit inside your garbage bin. 🗑️
Edu
  • Yesterday, the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative cut the ribbon on its newest, and largest, Head Start facility in Jefferson County at 7304 Dixie Hwy. The 5,000-sqft building has the capacity for 63 children + comes with a price tag of $1.8 million. 🏫
Louisvillian
  • My Morning Jacket is set to take the Yum! Center stage (in costume) on Sat., Oct. 29 for its first hometown show in years. The band has been a Derby City hit since 1998. Read this Q+A with frontman Jim James to learn how the group has handled showbiz for the last 25 years. (LEO Weekly)
Outdoors
  • A new Metro park was announced last week for District 25 in southwest Louisville. Windsor Park will be located at 8709 3rd Street Rd. and will break ground in spring 2023. 🏞️
Number
  • 27. That’s how old Louisville’s legendary Big Bat turned last Friday. The iconic, 120-ft tall baseball bat leaning against the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory was installed in 1995. See photos.
Eat
  • This week, Square Cut in Shelby Park is celebrating its one-year anniversary and it comes with a glass of bubbly. Any guest who visits the open kitchen restaurant, which specializes in Roman-style pizza, will get a complimentary glass of Prosecco. Don’t skip starting dinner with the soft baked egg appetizer. 🥂
Seasonal
  • Are you afraid of the dark? The Frazier History Museum’s Spooky Saturday Halloween event is happening on Oct. 29 — in broad daylight. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., family-friendly activities will take place throughout the museum including scavenger hunts, storytimes + the Princesses of Louisville. Admission is $10 or free with your membership. 🎃
Tech
  • Did you know Louisville is home to almost 2,000 tech companies? The LouTechWorks program brings together K-12 institutions, higher ed institutions, employers + nonprofit organizations to create a deep pipeline of tech talent.*
DYK
  • Did you know you can support LOUtoday through our retail store? We’re celebrating Louisville’s unique landmarks and history with our online shop. Show off your Louisville pride with stickers, hoodies, mugs, and more. No need to wait. Start shopping.
Shop
  • Here’s a friendly reminder that we’re less than a week out from Halloween. Have you bought your costume yet? What about the candy? And if you wanna be the coolest parent or grandparent on the block — while increasing your trick-or-treater’s nighttime visibility — grab this affordable 100-pack of glow sticks.*
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It’s not a phase, it’s a waterfront lifestyle

Phase IV of Waterfront Park expansion breaks ground in Louisville, KY
Two images of downtown Louisville alternate showing before, an interstate with nothing below, to an after rendering of a green space with pink trees and overlook.
An observation deck, experiential learning area, exercise area + more are planned in Phase IV. | Images provided by Waterfront Park
Yesterday, Waterfront Park broke ground on Phase IV of its segmented expansion project — which started in 1999. The long-awaited phase will finally link West Louisville to Downtown via a 22-acre expansion between 10th and 15th Streets.

A digitally rendered map shows where Phase IV will occur along River Road and the Ohio River.

The 22-acre expansion will take place between 10th and 15th Streets.

Image provided by Waterfront Park


Let’s take a walk in the Phase IV park + what to expect when it’s complete in 2024.
  • Observation Pier, a centerpiece with views of the river and downtown skyline, will host special events — think weddings and concerts.
  • An experiential outdoor learning area called PlayWorks
  • The Midway Connector will extend the Louisville Loop under I-64 — paint and creative lighting will enhance the experience.
  • The Exerscape area will combine playground elements + climbing areas for users of all ages to exercise.
  • Confluence Plaza + Fort-On-Shore Plaza will be the gateway into Phase IV from River Road — sculptures, interactive water features, and historical markers are planned.
Last November, we reported on the proposed $10 million budget allocation for Phase IV. During the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly in August, the budget was approved.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by Senior City Editor Katie.

Editor’s pick: Halloween is in six days, which means the decorations in Derby City are aplenty. One of my favorite local businesses that decorates for spooky season (and all holidays for that matter) is Plumbers Supply Co. on Main Street — across from Hi-Five Doughnuts.

While it may not be the first place that comes to mind for getting into the holiday spirit, I can assure you its skeletons-meets- bathroom-porcelain-display is a must see.

Tell us about your favorite local businesses decorated for Halloween.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Check out this new restaurant coming to NuLu.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Sarah Shadburne, Katie Molck, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.


Sales: Mandey Lee | Advertise with us.


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