April 22, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

67º | 10% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:56 a.m. | Sunset 8:26 p.m.
Full Weather Report | Traffic Report

Don’t worry, there’s not going to be a moat

A group of six people stand dressed in business casual attire, while also wearing construction-style hard hats. They stand holding shovels, in front of a stone structure.

The Yew Dell castle was built in the 1950s with much of the construction work done by Theodore Klein, the man whose property became the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. | Photo courtesy Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Did you know: There’s a castle near Louisville? No, we’re not talking about the Kentucky Castle in Versailles — that’s all you, LEXtoday.

It’s located in the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, and it’s now set to undergo a significant renovation.

In case you missed it, officials broke ground on the project last week. The development will be the first new gardens at Yew Dell since it opened to the public in 2002, transforming the area surrounding the castle to include several new features, such as:

New gardens
Water features
Educational areas

An artistic rendering of a new garden project. — The castle, on the left of this image, will be the centerpiece of the $5 million project.
|
Image by Jim Collins, courtesy Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and Land Morphology

The $5 million project is nearly two years in the making, with Yew Dell working to raise funds during that time. It’s being led by Seattle-based Land Morphology, a landscape architecture firm behind major projects from across the country, including the Brooklyn Botanic and Herb Garden and the Seattle Waterfront.

Yew Dell officials say the project will kick off the next several decades of growth at the site, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

The castle was built by the Klein family in the early 1950s, and it originally served as a pool house on what was then the family farm.

Construction for the project is expected to be completed next year.

Events

Monday, April 22

Bad Bunny - “Most Wanted Tour” | Monday, April 22 | 8 p.m. | KFC YUM! Center, 1 Arena Plaza, Louisville | $63.95-$748.95 | Catch the “King of Latin Trap” live in concert.

Tuesday, April 23

University of Louisville Baseball vs. Western Kentucky | Tuesday, April 23 | 6-9 p.m. | Jim Patterson Stadium, 3015 S. 3rd St., Louisville | Free | The Cards are in search of revenge in an in-state battle with the Hilltoppers, who defeated Louisville earlier this month in Bowling Green.

Wednesday, April 24

WFPK Waterfront Wednesday | Wednesday, April 24 | 5-10:30 p.m. | Big Four Lawn, 129 W. River Rd., Louisville | Free | See Phosphorescent, Dehd, and Tyrone Cotton in the first of this year’s edition of the annual concert series.

Thursday, April 25

Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront & Great Balloon Glow | Thursday, April 25-Friday, April 26 | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | Waterfront Park, 1101 E. River Rd., Louisville | $7-$10 | Come eat fair food, then see hot air balloons, lit up under the night sky, before they take the air this weekend in a race.

Friday, April 26

Spring Plant Sale | Friday, April 26-Saturday, April 27 | Times vary | Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old Lagrange Rd., Crestwood | $5-$9 | Load up on perennials, shrubs, trees, tropicals, and more for your garden.
Wizard Fest | Friday, April 26 | 8 p.m. | Mercury Ballroom, 611 S. 4th St., Louisville | $15-$55 | Yer a wizard, LOU. Grab your wand + cloak for this all-ages party.

Saturday, April 27

Opening Night | Saturday, April 27 | 6 p.m. | Churchill Downs, 700 Central Ave., Louisville | $24 | Grab your fascinator and head to the track for the first night of the spring meet.

Events calendar here

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🌹 The blooms behind an iconic Derby tradition

Video clips showcasing the Garland of Roses at the Kentucky Derby.

You can watch Kroger’s master florists delicately create the spectacular winner’s tribute on Friday, May 3. | Video courtesy of Kroger/GIF created by LOUtoday

Ever wondered where the Kentucky Derby’s Garland of Roses comes from? Since 1987, Kroger’s master floral designers have crafted the iconic blanket of blooms — aka the prize awarded to the winning horse and jockey — in-store.

Kroger works with Rainforest Alliance Certified flower farms to source roses that are grown and harvested using environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible practices (just like the flowers they sell every day).

With the help of volunteers, 400+ roses are hand-selected and individually sewn into backing. The final product is 122 inches long, 22 inches wide, and 40 pounds. After the seven hour process, the garland is transported with a police escort to Churchill Downs.

🏆 Garland festivities

Watch the Garland of Roses take shape at Kroger’s Middletown store on Friday, May 3 from 4:30-8 p.m. — and enjoy all-day festivities like samples, vendors, and visits from local artists + celebrity chefs.

Feeling inspired? Pick up fresh-cut roses from Kroger’s floral department to bring a piece of history home for your Derby Watch Party.

See the "Journey of the Roses"

News Notes

Civic

Do you smell something? The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) is going to hold a series of public meetings on sewer odors in Louisville. The first will be held Tuesday, April 23 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at MSD’s Central Maintenance Facility on Commerce Center Place. If you smell an odor, report it. (WDRB)

Featured

Waterfront Park is the third-best riverwalk in the US, according to readers of USA Today. It finished above waterfront areas in Boston, Columbus, and San Antonio, among others, and just behind areas in New Orleans and Cincinnati.

Fun Fact

The Saint Matthews area used to be known as Gilman’s Point. Derby City has several neighborhoods named after saints — think: Saint Matthews, Saint Joseph, and St. Denis — but have you ever wondered why? The Courier Journal looked into the question, and the results are a fun peek at LOU’s history.

Read

I got a golden ticket...Two local bookstores are participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket initiative for Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 27. If you find the ticket at either Carmichael’s or Butcher Cabin Books you could win 12 audio books for free.

Sports

A big man from BYU is coming to Louisville next season. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Cards with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Wellness

Did you miss out on 4/20 fun? Relax — you can still shop high-quality CBD and hemp-derived products to soothe, de-stress + chill out. Use code “420fun” to save 25% when you snag the good stuff (offer ends today).*†

†Please note: Legalities in your state may vary. 502 Hemp Wellness Center advises consumers to read the company’s terms and conditions, consult a physician before trying products, start only with small amounts, and to not consume products before driving or before a drug test. The information about providers and services contained in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by LOUtoday.

Derby

Move over, Diane

The new banner will remain in place for around a year, before being replaced by another “Hometown Hero.” | Photo courtesy Greater Louisville Pride Foundation

If you’ve driven down 2nd Street in downtown Louisville lately, you’ve probably had your eyes on the prize.

That’s because Derby City’s newest hometown hero banner was recently installed on the Starks Building — facing 2nd Street — featuring the trophy for the upcoming 150th Kentucky Derby.

The Diane Sawyer banner was retired to make room — and it was probably time. The 75-ft tall banner of Louisville’s favorite news anchor had occupied the Starks Building exterior for the last 20 years.

The new banner will stay up for around a year, and will then be replaced by another hometown hero.

Don’t worry, Diane isn’t going away. The Greater Louisville Pride Foundation announced the “Avenue of Heroes,” a future, second-phase of the program where every Hometown Hero will be honored permanently with a smaller, light-pole banner. Details on the project are TBD.

Asked

Which new “Hometown Hero” should eventually hang from the Starks Building?

A. Static Major
B. The Hill Sisters
C. Rajon Rondo
D. Howard Schnellenberger
E. Dr. Allan Lansing
F. John Y. Brown + Ellie Brown
G. Someone else

Be a hero

The Buy

Colorful old fashioned glasses that are perfect for spring and summer. They have the look and feel of glass, but are made from unbreakable and BPA-free Tritan material, meaning they’re pool and party-proof.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Jeff

From the editor

I hope everyone enjoyed Thunder Over Louisville — and made it home in a reasonable time.

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