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Irene Dunne was a comedy icon throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
You might already know that Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Lawrence is from Derby City, but she’s not the only Louisvillian to grace the silver screen.
The 97th Academy Awards are this Sunday, 7-10 p.m., streaming on ABC + Hulu, so here are a few more Hollywood stars who got their start here in LOU.
Irene Dunne
Lawrence might be Louisville’s only Oscar-winning actor, but Irene Dunne came close. Dunne was born in Louisville in 1898, though she moved to Indiana at the age of 14. She was nominated for no fewer than five Best Actress in a Leading Role awards between 1931 and 1949, but she never took home the statue.
Ned Beatty
You might not know this Louisvillian’s name, but you probably know his voice. Beatty sang in St. Matthews gospel and barber shop groups, and even performed with Louisville’s Shakespeare in Central Park. He had a long career of bit parts in Hollywood, but you probably best know him as the voice of the villainous Lots-o'-Huggin-Bear in “Toy Story 3.”
2025 Art Materials Expo | Friday, Feb. 28-Saturday, March 1 | 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Preston Arts Center | Free | See the latest and greatest art supplies, meet local artists, and win door prizes.
Fat Tuesday | Friday, Feb. 28-Tuesday, March 4 | 12 p.m. | North of Bourbon | Price of purchase | Sample cocktail specials + an à la carte menu from James Beard-nominated chef Lawrence Weeks.
Speed Dating 30 and Up | 7-9 p.m. | Mr G’s bar and grill | $10+ | Enjoy a night of quick conversations in search of a new friend or your soulmate.
Saturday, March 1
Home Buying Seminar & Dinner | 5:30-7 p.m. | Coals Artisan Pizza | Price of purchase | Learn about the basics of first-time home buying while you enjoy some ‘za.
Krimson Kause | 8 p.m.-12 a.m. | Red Barn | $15+ | Dance the night away to live music while you help raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Sunday, March 2
Artist Talk with Tiffany Calvert | 2-4 p.m. | KMAC Museum | Free | Meet the artist behind “The Tulips Are Too Excitable” and hear how her work engages with artificial intelligence.
First Sunday Brushes & Brunch | 2-6 p.m. | Sugar Ray’s | $25 | Break out the paintbrushes and paint with other artists over a Sunday brunch.
MANIA: The ABBA Tribute | 7:30 p.m. | The Brown Theatre | $32+ | Take a chance on this internationally touring tribute band and become a dancing queen.
Cherokee Park’s Chauffeur’s Rest is getting a $300,000 upgrade. The area, located off Barret Hill Road, will feature a stone overlook, a plaza, and a short walking path. Construction bids are open now, and a timeline is TBD.
Traffic
The Kennedy Bridge — that’s I-65 — is undergoing renovation to its expansion joints. The left three lanes of the bridge are now closed, so expect intermittent closures throughout the project, which is projected to last through April, 2026. (WHAS11)
Ranked
NuLu was named one of the top 10 art districts in the country in a recent USA Today reader poll. The neighborhood was placed alongside places like Chicago’s Bronzeville Art District + St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District. (Courier Journal)
Derby
The 2025 Kentucky Derby Pegasus Pin goes on sale tomorrow, March 1. You’ll be able to secure yours for $7 at local grocery stores, gas stations, banks, and other stores. The pin provides admission to 30+ Derby Festival events, plus access to weekly giveaways. (WHAS11)
Community
The Parkland Library is open again after nearly 40 years. Mayor Craig Greenberg, Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, and others gathered at the branch to cut the ribbon yesterday. Head to the library this weekend for a family fun day of activities.
Holiday
The start of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new moon. Observe and learn more from The Louisville Lip, a Substack by Hazma Foy with news for Louisville Muslims.
Sports
Racing Louisville has unveiled its secondary jersey for the 2025 season. The Roots kit features a dark green color scheme and will debut at the team’s home opener on Saturday, March 15.
Sports
The Louisville Cardinals are making waves in college basketball, clinching a top-3 finish in the ACC. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Cards with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Category
Civic
The 411 on Louisville Metro 311
Metro 311 has been in service since 1986. | Photo by Marty Pearl, courtesy Louisville Tourism
Metro 311 is Metro Louisville’s customer service center — think 911 for non-emergencies. It’s technically a division of Metro Emergency Services, but 311 dispatchers are responsible for connecting Louisville residents with the services + resources the city has to offer.
Today, we’re rounding up the most common 311 services Louisvillians request, plus some lesser-known resources the department offers.
Find a department or agency
The Louisville government is made up of over 50 departments, from Arts + Creative Industries to Urban Forestry to Public Works. There are also plenty of related agencies, like the Louisville Zoo, the Belle of Louisville, and LG&E. Check out the full list.
Large item pickup appointment
Louisville residents in the Urban Services District can schedule up to four large items for trash pickup each week. That’s anything that won’t fit in your curbside trash can. Large item pickup only covers single items — no boxes of small items, yard waste, or construction materials.
An at-home golf simulator. Get back in the game before golf season starts with $100 off a Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator, which comes with a sensor that can fit into your own clubs and 38,000+ GPS-mapped golf courses to play. Fun fact: It was successfully funded on Kickstarter.
If you’re like me and leave your Christmas tree up way too long every year until you’re so tired of looking at it you wish you could just throw it in a pond — hey now there’s an idea.
The Kentucy Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is using old Christmas trees to create fish habitat in Chickasaw Park, which was stocked with over 1,000 fish last fall.
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