A little makeover never hurt nobody

Inside the 8 million Main Library transformation

The Main Library was built in 1906 thanks to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. | Photo by LOUtoday

Last Friday, Mayor Greg Fischer swung a sledgehammer into a wall of the Main Louisville Free Public Library.

The destruction was welcomed and denoted the beginning of an $8 million transformation of the historic building built in 1906.

The Main Library at 301 York St. downtown is Kentucky’s largest library and serves as the heart of the 17-branch library system in Jefferson County — which will soon be 18 after the construction of the Fern Creek branch.

Loutoday_Main Library lobby — The Carnegie lobby features barrel-vaulted ceilings, marble columns, neo-Renaissance murals, and staircases with bronze and iron railings.

The transformation will include:

Improvements to the 1969 exterior additions and landscaping
Possible addition of a public art installation
Reopening the third floor — which closed in 2018 due to budget cuts — to include interactive learning spaces and labs
The six floors of library shelving with ~230,000 books will be reimagined into a 16,000-sqft public space

The renovations are being funded by Metro government via the American Rescue Plan and are expected to be finished in June 2025.

Over the last 12 years, Metro has invested $55 million in the library system, having constructed three new regional libraries and renovated 10 neighborhood libraries.

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Tuesday, Dec. 20

Sippin’ Santa | Tuesday, Dec. 20-Friday, Dec. 23 | 11:30-12 a.m. | North of Bourbon, 935 Goss Ave., Louisville | Free to attend | Sip tropical, Christmas-themed drinks at this holiday pop-up bar.
Open Mic Night | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | Falls City Beer, 901 E. Liberty St., Louisville | Free | Visit this taproom every Tuesday for plenty of laughs while drinking great local beer.

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Pickin’ and Pottery | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 3-8 p.m. | Hadley Pottery, 1570 Story Ave., Louisville | Free | Listen to Kentucky-style instrumental music from Mike Shroeder and Steve Cooley while you shop — plus enjoy hot cider and treats.

Thursday, Dec. 22

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker | Thursday, Dec. 22-Friday, Dec. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St., Louisville | $39.20-$168 | Travel to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy during this holiday classic with the Louisville Ballet and The Louisville Orchestra.

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

Weather

46º | Partly cloudy | 3% chance of rain

Opening

Ohio-based Condado Tacos is coming to the Oxmoor Center in May 2023. The regional chain restaurant specializes in build-your-own tacos, margaritas, and tequilas. It originally announced its expansion into LOU in February, but was waiting on the TopGolf project to wrap before beginning construction on the new, 4,800-sqft space. 🌮 (WLKY)

Festival

Kentucky poet Ron Whitehead announced that 2023 will be the final year for GonzoFest — which has been on hiatus since 2019. It will be the 10th anniversary of the festival, which honors the famous Louisville-native Hunter S. Thompson. No official date has been set, but it will take place at High Horse Bar.

Civic

Metro has extended the deadline for leaf drop-off through Friday, Dec. 23. The Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Ave., Public Works Yard at 10500 Lower River Rd., and Public Works East District Operations Center at 595 North Hubbards Ln. will accept leaves from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 🍂

Number

45 minutes. That’s how much time it approximately takes the the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport’s snow crew to fully clear a runway thanks to its $10 million investment in snow fighting operations. The investment includes seven MB2 multi-function snow removal vehicles — which have 24-foot plows and 400-mph air blast systems.

Seasonal

Germantown’s Redbud Dining Room is putting the spirits in holiday spirit. Its seasonal drink menu features 10 cocktails and mocktails showcasing flavors from the best time of the year — like the Milk n’ Cookies made with cookie infused almond milk, cold brew, vanilla syrup, vodka, and China China liqueur. 🍪

Home

There is something about planning the design + choosing the elevation of a custom home that sparks the imagination. If you’re considering building in the new year (or just love home design), here are five things to know before building a custom home. 🏡 *

Shop

No time to shop for holiday groceries (or just don’t want to get out of your PJs)? Becoming a Kroger Boost member comes with big perks — like free grocery delivery. Learn more + join. 🛒*

Learn

You know how to order coffee at Please & Thank You. But can you order coffee in Italian? Babbel can help LOUtoday readers learn how to order coffee (and other beverages) in Italian, so they’ll be ready for their next trip to Italy. Want to try it out? For a limited time, snag 55% off your subscription. ☕ *

Travel

You haven’t seen turquoise until you’ve seen this Turks and Caicos oceanfront pool. Top it off with walks on the beach, horseback riding, locally-caught seafood, and a five-star review for the property, and you’ve got yourself a dream Vrbo vacation. 🐬*

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This neighborhood is lit

See the Clay Street Christmas Light Show in Shelby Park

The light show lasts for 15-20 minutes. | Photo courtesy of Lapis Laser

The Clay Street Xmas Light Show is back for its second year at 1249 S. Clay St. in Shelby Park and you can see the show every day this week during its extended hours:

Monday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-12 a.m.
Sunday, 6 p.m.-11 p.m.

The free residential light show is synced to traditional (and not-so traditional) holiday music and features 15-20 minutes of moving images and lights across the entire facade of the house and yard. The show was created by Garrett Crabtree Jr., co-founder of Louisville’s Lapis Laser — which is also responsible for Louisville Mega Cavern’s Lights Under Louisville this time of year.

How to see the show:

Enter Clay Street from Oak Street and park on the opposite side of the street from the show
Tune to 89.9 FM to hear the synced music
Donations via Cash App or Venmo (@claystxmas) are accepted and benefit the Kentucky Humane Society

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Katie.

Editor’s pick: Long before the inception of GonzoFest, Ron Whitehead organized a tribute event to Hunter S. Thompson’s work in December 1996 at Louisville Memorial Auditorium.

He was named a Kentucky Colonel only after insisting fellow Kentuckian and actor Johnny Depp — who played Thompson in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” — be named a Colonel at the event, too.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here are eight local topics to talk about during holiday gatherings.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Katie Molck, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Mandey Lee | Advertise with us.

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