The Great Balloon Glow will light up Louisville for the second year at Waterfront Park. | Photo via Louisville Tourism
The Kentucky Derby is 31 days away, and it wouldn’t be Derby City if we didn’t spend an entire month celebrating the greatest two minutes in sports.
So we’ve rounded up some of the biggest events for families, foodies, party goers, and more leading up to the run for the roses.
🎉 Parties
The Fillies Derby Ball, Louisville Marriott Downtown
On Saturday, April 15, 6 p.m.-12 a.m., this annual black-tie event returns with dinner, music, and dancing + the crowning of the Royal Court. Tickets start at $300.
Rockin’ Derby Eve, Paristown
On Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m., this all-inclusive after-oaks party will be feature a valet reception, red carpet photos, heavy hors d’oeuvres dinner, an open bar, and tickets to see Dustin Lynch at Paristown Hall.
👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly
Pegasus Parade, West on Broadway from Campbell to 9th Street
On Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m., horses, floats, inflatable characters, and marching bands from across the country will head down Broadway. The parade is free to attend.
Great Steamboat Race, Riverfront
On Wednesday, May 3 at 6 p.m., the Belle of will race the Belle of Cincinnati in this two-hour battle of the boats.
🚲 Active
PNC Tour de Lou, Downtown
On Sunday, April 16 at 8 p.m., cyclists will be able to choose between four different distance options that take riders through Churchill Downs, parks, and scenic neighborhoods. Entry fees start at $10.
Neigh-Maste on the Waterfront, Waterfront Park
On Friday, April 28 from noon to 1 p.m., yogis of all levels are welcome to this class led by instructors from 502 Power Yoga. This event is free with a Pegasus Pin.
Which of these annual traditions is the oldest Kentucky Derby Festival event?
A. Thunder Over Louisville
B. Great Steamboat Race
C. Great BalloonFest
D. Chow Wagon
See answer in The Wrap.
Events
Tuesday, April 4
Trail Tuesday | Tuesday, Apr. 4 | 6-8 p.m. | Against the Grain Public House (Highlands), 1576 Bardstown Rd., Louisville | Free | Join the crew from Louisville Ale Trail to drink and talk all things craft beer.
Andrew Bird | Tuesday, Apr. 4 | 8 p.m. | Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, 724 Brent St., Louisville | $37.50-$75 | See this indie rock multi-instrumentalist who’s released 16 albums since 1996.
Thursday, April 6
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero | Thursday, Apr. 6-Sunday, Apr. 9 | Times vary | KFC YUM! Center, 1 Arena Plaza, Louisville | $25-$95 | See Mickey and Minnie Mouse perform on ice alongside their Disney friends.
Full “Frog” Moon Hike | Thursday, Apr. 6 | 8-10 p.m. | Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, 2075 Clermont Rd., Clermont | $10-$15 | Take a walk on the dark side and discover the forest at night beneath the moonlight with a naturalist.
Saturday, April 8
Paristown Garden Show | Saturday, Apr. 8 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Paristown, 720 Brent St., Louisville | Free | Peruse plants, flowers, and garden decor and enjoy a wine garden.
Easter Egg Hunt | Saturday, Apr. 8 | 10 a.m. | Barn8 at Hermitage Farm, 10510 W. Hwy. 42, Goshen | $10 | Let the kiddos hunt for eggs with a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny — plus, enjoy snacks, sandwiches, and cocktails.
Shakespeare in the Parks | Saturday, Apr. 8 | 6 p.m. | Iroquois Park, 1080 Amphitheater Rd., Louisville | Free | Bring a chair or blanket and catch a performance of “Hamlet” by Kentucky Shakespeare.
Southern-chain restaurant Maple Street Biscuit Co. closed its only Louisville location on Bardstown Road next to Holy Grale. The building was previously occupied by Yang Kee Noodle, and before that, belonged to Kentucky Fried Chicken. The breakfast and brunch spot still has two other Kentucky locations in Florence + Lexington.
Award
Colleen Phelps won a Gracie Award for her special audio story, “Her Music/Her Story,” on Louisville Public Media’s WUOL Classical radio station. The nearly two-hour program celebrates the contributions of women to classical music through interviews with people like Grammy Award winner JoAnn Falletta.
Concert
The Whirling Tiger is hosting a tribute concert to legendary country music star Loretta Lynn, who died last fall. A line-up of Derby City musicians, like Tyler Lance Walker Gill + Joan Shelley, will take the stage on Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $20.
Arts
Bourbon with HeART’s latest exhibit “Bowtied Together” is open at The Galt House through Derby season. US military veterans from Cruise Customs helped create the 50 hand-carved bowties using bourbon barrels, which were then transformed into wearable art by regional artists.
Family
The Louisville Zoo’s lantern festival Wild Lights will be open nightly through Sunday, April 9 to give families more opportunities to see the show while on Spring Break. The 1.4-mile walk features larger-than-life silk lanterns lit up after dark + 46 immersive experiences like Chinese folk dances and acrobatics.
Theater
The Louisville Ballet is closing its 2022-2023 “Season of Transcendance’’ with a performance of one of the oldest existing classical ballets “LA SYLPHIDE.” Performed with Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony, only four performances of the show will take place from Thursday, April 13 to Saturday, April 15 at The Brown Theatre.
Active
Registration is now open for the Champions City Adult League(both Men’s + Coed team options available). Train on the same grounds used by Louisville’s top professional soccer players and play at the clubs’ multimillion-dollar facility off River Rd. See you on the pitch, Louisville.*
Drink
The most polished organizational item in your kitchen: the Fellow Atmos Coffee Canister, which not only looks great but keeps coffee fresh by sucking oxygen out of the jar. Pro tip: You can use it to store any snack and it will stay fresh longer.
Biz
🫧 What’s poppin’
Jack Harlow becomes the face of Phocus water
The rebrand zeros in on the company’s goal of fueling creativity. | Photo via Amazon.com
On Friday, March 31, local caffeinated sparkling water brand Phocus disappeared from the internet. We’re talking their website, social media accounts, Amazon listings — everything.
Luckily, they only left us uncaffeinated for a day. The beverage company, which landed co-founder John Mittel on Forbes’ Next 1000 list, reappeared on Saturday, looking much different than before.
Rapper Jack Harlow posted on his Instagram and Twitter pages a simple photo of a sleek, aluminum can with his signature on it and a caption reading “The Remedy For Writer’s Block. Available now,” tagging Phocus in each post.
Not much else has bubbled up since the overnight transformation — but we’ll keep you updated.
Highlighted
The Louisville Bats are kicking of their 2023 season tonight. | Photo by Louisville Bats
Batter up. Today is the Louisville Bats home opener game at Slugger Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. against the Indianpolis Indians.
The promotions for tonight’s game include $2 hot dogs, popcorn, chips, soda, and select draft beer, as well as pre-game live music + a magnet of the 2023 season schedule.
Speaking of Kentucky Derby events, keep your eyes peeled for an invite to LOUtoday’s very own meet-and-greet party after the Oak’s at The Local Seltzery in NuLu.
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