6AM City In-house

Meet the makers

Squallis Puppeteers celebrates 25 years in Louisville, KY
A mix of handmade puppets surround a fireplace with a white paper mache buffalo head against a pink wall.
The Portland Museum’s Squallis Puppeteers exhibit features memorabilia from the last 25 years. | Photo courtesy of Squallis Puppeteers.
Remember when Colonel Sanders dressed as David Bowie for Halloween?

Well, the puppet masterminds behind that creation and so many more, Squallis Puppeteers, is turning 25 this month. They’re celebrating with a commemorative exhibit at the Portland Museum — which will host its grand opening on Sat., Nov. 19 during the Cocktail Party Celebration from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The retrospective exhibition will showcase props, photos, posters, and, of course, puppets chronicling the work of the nonprofit puppeteering group over the last quarter of a century.

Four, nine-foot-tall puppets of a monster, owl, Abraham Lincoln, and Marie Antoinette

Squallis puppets typically stand over nine feet tall.

Photo courtesy of Squallis Puppeteers.

Unlike puppets that usually come to mind, you know the ones with strings, Squallis puppets are often oversized replicas of notable figures created to help tell important community stories — think Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Pablo Picasso + Jane Goodall.

Squallis puppets are also kind of hard to miss, as they typically tower over nine feet tall and are worn by their puppet masters. You might recognize them from Forecastle and most recently, at the My Morning Jacket Halloween show at the KFC Yum! Center.

Each work of puppetry is created at Squallis’ home base in the Highlands Community Ministries building on the corner of Barrett and Breckinridge + are made from repurposed discarded materials using a variety of methods — from sewing to paper mache.

Four nine-foot-tall puppets

Local brewery Against the Grain commissioned Squallis Puppeteers to create versions of its beer characters in 2019.

Photo by Against the Grain

Since being founded by Nora Christensen in 1997, Squallis has visited hundreds of schools serving 25,000+ children across Kentucky with touring shows like “The Other America,” which tells the story of Louisville activist Anne Barden. The group has even traveled to rural China to work with children impacted by the 2008 earthquake.

While the organization is currently reimagining how to better meet the needs of our community, it still stands by its mission, “To use the art of puppetry to free imaginations, to create fantastic characters, and to tell the stories important to the Louisville community.”

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6AM City In-house
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Tuesday, Nov. 8
  • Solidarity Medicine Making | Tuesday, Nov. 8 | 6-9 p.m. | Louisville Grows, 1541 Portland Ave. | Free | Learn how to make herbal home medicines like elderberry syrup in this hands-on class.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
  • 26th annual Festival of Faiths at the Kentucky Center | Wednesday, Nov. 9-Saturday, Nov. 12 | Multiple times | Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St. | Multiple prices | This year’s theme, Contemplation and Connection, will celebrate the power of narratives to inspire purpose.
Thursday, Nov. 10
  • Debunking Recycling Myths | Thursday, Nov. 10 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Ave. | $15 | Learn what happens to the items you recycle + get tips on how to reduce waste.
Saturday, Nov. 12
  • 5 Year Anniversary Party | Saturday, Nov. 12 | 2-11 p.m. | Nouvelle Bar & Bottle, 214 S. Clay St. | Free | Drink champagne from a giant Methuselah — aka a six-liter bottle — at 6 p.m. and all bottles are 10% off to drink in-house + cookies from Sweets by Millie.
  • Kentuckiana Midcentury Modern Show | Saturday, Nov. 12 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Greenhaus Gables, 986 Swan St. | $5 | Shop mid-century goods from 75+ vendors.
  • Throo the Zoo 5K | Saturday, Nov. 12 | 8 a.m. | Louisville Zoo | $40 | Run or walk through the zoo + area roads during this 5K race where animal costumes are encouraged.
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

Calling all ugly sweaters
ugly sweater graphic
How ugly can you get? | Graphic by 6AM City
It’s sweater weather, and we want to make it count.

Send us your ugly Christmas sweatshirt designs for a chance to be featured on our all-over print sweatshirts + added to our online Six & Main store.

We don’t want to see the good, just the ugly.
SEND YOUR DESIGNS HERE

Weather
  • 67º | Mostly sunny | 0% chance of rain
Development
  • A 20-acre piece of land in West Louisville — which was going to be Passport Health Plan Inc.'s Louisville headquarters — has changed hands once again. Molina Healthcare Inc. bought the plot at 18th Street and Broadway for $8 million + a health care facility could be in the works. (Louisville Business First)
Sports
  • The boys in purple pulled their fourth USL Championship Final in eight years with a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday. The championship game is set for 8:30 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 13 + Louisville City FC will compete against San Antonio FC at Toyota Field in Texas. ⚽
Award
  • Last week, Louisville Tourism held its annual ROSE awards ceremony recognizing the hospitality industry professionals that help make Louisville a destination city + enhance visitor experiences. There were 11 winners out of 55 finalists — Hyatt Regency, Repeal Oak-Fired Steakhouse + the Kentucky Derby Museum were a few of the winners. 🌹
Today is
Community
  • The ninth annual Mayor’s Week of Valor is currently underway. The honorary week recognizes Louisville veterans + active-duty service members ahead of Veterans Day on Fri., Nov. 11. Educational and community events — including a discussion led by Kentucky Shakespeare — will occur through Sat., Nov. 12. See the schedule.
  • Six familiar faces will be the latest to grace Derby City buildings via the Hometown Heroes banner program next year. In the mix are notable figures like Humana co-founder David Jones Sr., rapper Jack Harlow + NBA player Wes Unseld. (WLKY)
Outdoors
  • Today, Nov. 8, Earth will experience its last total lunar eclipse for almost three years. Known as the “blood moon,” the eclipse began showing its red hue over Derby City at 5:16 a.m., but step outside, Louisvillians, it will still be visible until around 7:30 a.m. 🌕
History
Seasonal
  • You scream, we all scream for the last of this season’s ice cream. On Thurs., Nov. 10, Dairy Del will scoop its last cone of 2022. The Schnitzelburg ice cream shop typically opens in the spring, so grab your last Elvis-themed sundae + chili dog while you still can. 🍨
Announced
  • Things are about to get ugly because we want to see your best ugly holiday sweater design. If it’s selected, it will be featured on a sweatshirt in our LOUtoday Six & Main shop for purchase. How ugly can you get? Email your design to us. 👀
DYK
  • Did you know there’s still time to share your Black Friday deals with our LOUtoday readers? Promote your business with us by submitting a deal to be included in our Fri., Nov. 25 newsletter. Pricing varies by market + must be submitted by Wed., Nov. 16.
Eat
  • The latest star of a viral board trend: cream cheese. That’s right, cream cheese boards are the latest internet sensation. (Think: fig + honey or everything-but-the-bagel boards. Yes, please.) Pick your base to create your own.*
Real Estate
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Class be gins now 🍸

Liquor Lab opens Louisville, KY location
LOUtoday_Liquor Lab 1
Each hands-on class provides the tools (and liquor) to create each cocktail. | Photo by LOUtoday
A new cocktail experience is shaking things up in NuLu Market Place.

Liquor Lab, a classroom-style mixology venue, opened on Fri., Oct. 28 in the space next to The Craftery, adjacent from West Sixth NuLu at 817 E. Market St.

It hosts weekly, hands-on cocktail classes, so you can learn how mix like a pro — or just enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Woman in a pink sweater holding cocktail.

Katie enjoying the fruits of her apple cider paloma labor.

Photo by LOUtoday

The concept is currently offering three classes on Friday and Saturday evenings — Bourbon & Beyond, Seasonal Cocktails + Holiday Cocktails — and private classes throughout the week.

Class rules:
  • During the ~90-minute session, you’ll make three craft cocktails while learning how to shake, stir, and pour.
  • Snack on local bites — like Royal’s Hot Chicken.
  • Sip + socialize between making each drink.
Liquor Lab also boasts a boozy retail area to get your home bar in tip-top shape with homemade syrups, bar tools + cocktail kits.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by Senior City Editor Katie.

Editor’s pick: While today will be the last time to see the “blood moon” for three years, here are four other astronomical events happening the rest of 2022.
  • New Moon | Wed., Nov. 23 | You won’t be able to see it, but the new moon marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle + is the opposite of a full moon.
  • Full Moon | Thurs., Dec. 8 | December’s full moon is known as the “cold moon.”
  • Geminids Meteor Shower | Tues., Dec. 13-Wed., Dec. 14 | The Geminids is considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of 2022 — it’s expected to peak at 10:20 p.m. in Louisville.
  • Super New Moon | Fri., Dec. 23 | Catch the second and final Super New Moon of the year when its orbit is closest to Earth. Like regular new moons, you won’t be able to see it, but the dark skies will make it perfect for viewing the Ursid Meteors.
Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Take a trip to Shelby County.
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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