Kids running with kids — the day’s events include baby goat races. | Photo courtesy NuLu Bock & Wurst Fest
Come Saturday, NuLu will be filled with Bock-style beer, Kentucky wurst sausages, live music, and goats racing down East Market Street.
The NuLu Bock & Wurst Fest, a Louisville tradition once called Bock Day, dates back to 1858 but was cut short due to Prohibition in 1919. Now in its seventh year of modern celebration, the free, family-friendly festival will kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.
What’s up, Bock?
Bock beer is a German lager that’s typically a dark amber color with a light hoppiness + strong malt flavor. It dates back to 15th-century Einbeck, a northern German town that still exists today. The town’s name sounded like “Einbock” in the Bavarian accent of the region at the time — which in turn sounds like the German word for billy goat.
Drink up — 12 breweries will be tapping kegs on Saturday, including Atrium, Against the Grain, Monnik, and Shippingport Brewery.
Against the Grain will be one of a dozen breweries bringing their Bock beers to the fest.
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Photo courtesy NuLu Bock & Wurst Fest
The best of the wurst
What goes best with German beer? German sausage, of course. One restaurant will be crowned Best of the Wurst Fest for their sausage-making skills.
Restaurants like Galaxie, Red Top, and Pig Beach BBQ are in the running for best wurst, but there will be only one weiner.
Goats? No kidding around
Louisville doesn’t have Nanny Goat Strut + Billy Goat Strut alleys just for the cute names. According to local legend, people used to watch goats hoof it down these back streets.
The modern Bock Fest includes eight goat races that will start with a blessing of the goats and Bock beer at 12 p.m. The featured race is the Forecast Dash at 3:30 p.m. Baby goats representing Louisville’s television meteorologists will see who can storm to the front for a $500 prize made to the winner’s charity of choice.
Events
Tuesday, March 19
University of Louisville Baseball vs. Bellarmine | Tuesday, March 19 | 6-9 p.m. | Jim Patterson Stadium, 3015 S. 3rd St., Louisville | Free | See two cross-town rivals come together on the baseball diamond.
Ed Bassmaster Live in Louisville | Tuesday, March 19-Wednesday, March 20 | 8 p.m.-12 a.m. | Art Sanctuary, 1433 S. Shelby St., Louisville | $25-$150 | Laugh along to this Youtube sketch comic, who will be joined by other social media stars.
Kurt Vile and The Violaters | Tuesday, March 19 | 8 p.m. | Headliners Music Hall, 1386 Lexington Rd., Louisville | $30 | See this indie rocker + former guitarist for The War on Drugs play songs from his new album, “Back to Moon Beach.”
Thursday, March 21
Black Violin: The Experience Tour | Thursday, March 21 | 7:30 p.m. | The Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway, Louisville | $31.88-$71.66 | Hear the two-time GRAMMY nominated duo who fuse classical sounds with hip-hop beats.
Friday, March 22
Kentucky Shakespeare Cocktail Hour | Friday, March 22, Friday, March 29 | 5-6 p.m. | Logan Street Market, 1001 Logan St., Louisville | Free | Watch pop-up preview performances from Kentucky Shakespeare’s upcoming spring tour + enjoy Renaissance-themed beverages.
Saturday, March 23
Bob Dylan | Saturday, March 23-Sunday, March 24 | 8 p.m. | Louisville Palace, 625 S. 4th St., Louisville | $59.50-$139.50 | See the legendary singer + songwriter behind hits such as “Like A Rolling Stone” perform.
Play around with flavors, fruits, and presentation to make your at-home Mimosa Bar even more fun (and swoon-worthy). | Photo via Unsplash
Whether hosting a spring party, weekend brunch, or a “mom-osa” celebration for Mother’s Day, we’ve got tips for creating a memorable (and easy) at-home Mimosa Bar:
🍾 Pair well
Since the sweetness of the juice mixes with the sparkling wine or Champagne, you don’t need a high-end boozy base. Go for mid-range, affordable sparkling wine and pair well. Our recs:
Stirring can flatten sparkling wine. Instead, let the wine and juice mix naturally (or stir minimally) — and always right before serving.
🫐 Get creative
Make your spread beautiful with a variety of juices and garnishes, like orange, pineapple, pomegranate, and grapefruit juices + berry, peach, citrus, basil, and rosemary garnishes.
Pro tip: For the nondrinkers, have seltzer available for a sparkling alternative.
Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron will perform at the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theatre — tough name for a comedy venue — on Saturday, August 10. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $58. Did you know? Maron’s “WTF” podcast garners 100 million listeners every year.
Watch
Remember when filmmaker Ethan Hawke was in Derby City last summer? Well, the trailer for the movie he was filming here is now rolling. See if you can spot St. James Court. “Wildcat” stars Hawke’s daughter, Maya, as writer Flannery O’Connor. It hits theaters on Friday, May 3 — that’s Oaks day.
Outdoors
The Waterfront Botanical Gardens are now open for spring + summer hours. Take a stroll through nature from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
Seasonal
There are always big celebrities at the Kentucky Derby, and if Mayor Craig Greenberg has his way, the 150th Run for the Roses will be no exception. Greenberg has invited Barack + Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, and WNBA officials to this year’s race. (Courier Journal)
Sports
One candidate for the Louisville men’s basketball coaching vacancy is controversial with fans. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the the Cards with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Job
We’re hiring a Sales Director to lead our advertising relationships. This executive would oversee a team of sales team members, pitching the most relevant + modern media offering in town while earning a competitive salary with unlimited PTO. If you’d like to be considered or know someone we should, learn more + apply here.
Drink
Culture
Vote in LOUtoday’s coffee shop bracket
Who will be crowned champion? | Image by 6AM City
Welcome back to our LOUtoday coffee shop bracket, where we’re asking you to determine the best coffee shop in Louisville.
Championship Round
After our second round of votes, we’re down to two “teams” left:
Heine Brothers and Quills | Two local chains with passionate followings come together to find out who’s bean is at the top of the heap. Both sides took just over 53% of the vote in their respective semifinal matchups — Heine Brothers took the esspresso lane past Safai Safai while Quills percolated past Sunergos.
Ready to decide who wins in our bracket? Cast your vote below.
A new scent from Corridor Candle Co. Collection to treat yourself. It’s the first day of spring and what better way to celebrate the season than a new candle?
It’s been so fun to see how much engagement our coffee bracket has created. In the semifinal round we had nearly 400 votes. Turns out, you’re really into brew, LOU.
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