Last year, Bourbon and Beyond drew over 100,000 fans to the Highland Festival Grounds. | Photo courtesy Danny Wimmer Presents
If you heard “Message in a Bottle” floating on the wind last night, that would be Sting’s performance at Bourbon and Beyond.
Forecastle may be no more, but since 2017, Louisville has been home to a new flagship music festival with an appropriately Kentucky twist.
The “world’s largest music, food, and bourbon festival” started with headliners Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, and the Steve Miller Band in 2017. In the years since, acts like John Mayer, David Byrne, Alanis Morissette, Jack White, and Hozier have all been featured.
This year’s Bourbon and Beyond is now underway. Here’s a look at the festival by the numbers:
$12.5 million. The estimated economic impact of this year’s festival
270,000+. Expected attendance for Bourbon and Beyond 2024
100+. The number of musicians in the lineup
5. Number of stages at this year’s festival, two more than last year
Dave Matthews Band takes the stage tonight, with Zach Bryan, Young the Giant, Tyler Childers, and My Morning Jacket rounding out the weekend.
Do you have a favorite act or memory from Bourbon and Beyond or any other Louisville festival? Let us know. We might feature your stories in a future newsletter.
DIY Claw Clips | Friday, Sept. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | Mellwood Art Center | $25 | Decorate your own stylish hair accessory and unleash your creativity.
Saturday, Sept. 21
BugFest | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, Clermont | Free | Bernheim will be abuzz during this free event celebrating our insect friends — don’t miss fun activities, including a bug safari, insect zoo, and nature discovery stations.*
Dance Designs Dance Complex Fall Festival | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 2-6 p.m. | Dance Designs Dance Complex, Shepherdsville | Free | Enjoy games, ice cream, a haunted house, a chili cookoff.
Free Concerts | Saturday, Sept. 21-Saturday, Oct. 26 | 4-8 p.m. | Best Vineyards Winery & Distillery, Elizabeth, IN | Free | Hear Full House and the Ferty Creek Road Band play country music while you enjoy food and wine.
Sunday, Sept. 22
Tyler Park Jazz Festival | Sunday, Sept. 22, Sunday, Sept. 29 | 5-7 p.m. | Tyler Park | Free | Hear tunes from the Hot Sauce Brass Band in this scenic Highlands park.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Dorian Electra - FANFARE World Tour: The Encore | Tuesday, Sept. 24 | Headliners Music Hall | $26+ | Hear this experimental pop artist on tour with their 2023 album + get a personal photo opp or meet and greet.
Back Deck BBQ is coming to Butchertown. The South Louisville barbecue joint will open a second location on Story Avenue in the former Gold Bar space this fall. The new restaurant will serve lunch daily and stay open past 12 a.m. (Louisville Business First)
Civic
Mayor Craig Greenberg announced $1.1 million in homeless initiative grant funding from the Metro Government this week. Eight local nonprofits, including Hope Village and Volunteers of America Mid-States, will receive a portion of the funding to provide case management and emergency shelter services, particularly during inclement weather.
Ranked
But first, coffee. According to WalletHub’s list of Best Coffee Cities in America, Louisville is comin’ in hot at No. 41. The study factored in key metrics like coffee houses and cafes per capita + the average price per pack of coffee. Explore our guide to great local coffee shops.
Concert
It might not feel like it, but summer is almost over. The final Waterfront Wednesday is next week, Sept. 25. Head down to the Big Four Lawn at 6 p.m. to see Dark Side of the Wall — our local Pink Floyd cover band — Zaniah, and +Flow.
Seasonal
Somebody call Charlie Bucket. Caufield’s Novelty has hidden a golden ticket somewhere in the shop. If you find it, you’ll win four free tickets to the Danger Run puzzle hunt. More tickets will be hidden each weekend through October.
Biz
The CEO of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy Layla George will leave the position next spring after over six years on the job. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy works with Louisville Parks and Recreation to oversee 17 Olmsted Parks and six parkways. The organization’s board will conduct a search for George’s replacement.
Feel Good
The baby giraffe at the Louisville Zoo has a new name. The calf is now named Nyasi, which translates to “grass” in Swahili. Fun fact: Nyasi was 6 ft 2 inches tall when he was born, the same height as Cardinals Guard Koren Johnson.
Announced
Introducing Jobs, our new virtual bulletin board featuring local job openings in all industries. It’s simple: Post your listing (it’s free for a limited time), and watch those applications roll in.
Sports
The Cards will put their undefeated record on the line this weekend against Georgia Tech. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Cardinals with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Travel
Didn’t win our recent Fly Away Friday Giveaway? You’re in luck. Louisvillians will have another chance to win two roundtrip tickets out of SDF next month. Stay tuned for the next giveaway launching soon. In the meantime, explore flights + plan your next vacation. *
Finance
Rates just dropped. Now could be the perfect time for you to tap into your home equity — calculate your payment.*
In the second installment of our series on the Louisville Free Public Library system, we’re heading downtown to the Main Library Branch. Did you miss our first piece? Never skip your summer reading, LOU.
The first page
The early precursors to Louisville’s modern library started in the 1800s and included the Polytechnic Society of Louisville and the Public Library of Kentucky. By the early 1900s, the two organizations folded into the newly-formed Louisville Free Public Library, the institution we still know and love today.
Construction on LFPL’s first permanent home began in 1905, thanks to a grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and it opened in 1908.
In 1950, Louisville mayor Charles Farnsley and LFPL director Clarence “Skip” Graham jumped from the page to the airwaves by launching Louisville’s first public radio station, predating the first NPR broadcast by 20 years.
If you’re anything like me, you love a good book sale. The Main Branch Library is hosting one next month to clean out its book vault. Stop by the everything-must-go sale on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 for $1 books and media.
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