November 22, 2021 - Lights Under Louisville + mixed-use NuLu development

Hello Thursday.

December 02 2021

Looking under Louisville’s lights legacy

Not enough lights in your holiday diet? Maybe hitting the limestone mines for Louisville Mega Cavern’s Lights Under Louisville is your place to be.

This year, the one-mile, 25-minute drive through the cavern features over 10 mapping projectors, 900 lit characters, 40+ themed light displays, and 4+ million points of LED light.

Since opening, nearly 3,600,000 lights have been added to the route. | Photo by @theloutoday

Here are some quick facts to get you in the festive spirit from your car this Christmas.

The first Lights Under Louisville started in 2008
200,000+ lights lit the cave during its first run
400,000+ attendees drive-thru annually

DYK: The Louisville Mega Cavern is one of the largest man-made caves in the US with more than 4 million-sqft of space.

Get your holiday hopes high with some history of the Mega Cavern.

Almost 70% of the Louisville Zoo is above the cavern
The limestone from the cave was used to build the Cincinnati Arch
All four entrances + exits are at the front of the cave

A portion of the Louisville Zoo sits on top of the cavern. | Photo by @theloutoday

Here’s one for the books.The cavern had an eight inch snowfall despite no snow anywhere else in the city. Moist air from the cave hit below-freezing temperatures outside, creating perfect conditions for snowfall in the cave.

Here are just a few of the awards the event has won since its start just over a decade ago.

Top 10 in the 2020 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.
Southern Living “Kentucky’s One-of-a-Kind Holiday Experience.”
CNN Travel “Top Nine Christmas Light Attractions in the World.”

Lights Under Louisville is now open until Jan. 2 including Thanksgiving + Christmas days.

Use the buttons below to light up three of your friend’s inboxes.

QUIZ

How many lights have been added to Lights Under Louisville since opening in 2008?

It’s more than the Griswold house.

3.6 million
400 thousand
60 million
5.5 million

PLUG IN YOUR ANSWER

EVENTS

Today

The Traditions of Hanukkah at Home | Mon., Nov. 22 | 6:30 -7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Hear stories, watch a cooking demonstration + decorate your own dreidel all while learning about Hanukkah. 🕎

Tuesday

MSD Cares 5k Virtual Run/Walk | Tues., Nov. 23-Tues., Nov. 30 | All day | Virtual | $27.45 | Run outside, at the mall, or on the treadmill alongside MSD Cares. 🏃

Wednesday

Houndmouth | Wed., Nov. 24 | 8 p.m. | Old Forester’s Paristown Hall | $25+ | Catch this New Albany, IN hometown favorite perform their alternative blues music.🎙️
Thunderstruck: America’s AC/DC Tribute | Wed., Nov. 24 | 8 p.m. | Headliners Music Hall | $20 | Prepare to be thunderstruck at this almost genuine AC/DC show. 🎸

Thursday

Thanksgiving at the Track | Thurs., Nov. 25 | 10 a.m. | Churchill Downs | $5+ | Celebrate turkey day at the track with a buffet + horseracing. 🐎

Friday

Light Up Louisville | Fri., Nov. 26 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Free | 527 W. Jefferson Street | Join Santa Claus + Mayor Greg Fischer in adorning the Christmas Tree at Metro Hall + a day full of fun for Louisville residents.🎄

Saturday

Turkey Trek | Sat., Nov. 27 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Louisville Nature Center | $10 | Make the 1.5-mile hike while learning about turkey wildlife + maybe even catch a glimpse of one of the birds along the trail. 🦃

Sunday

Cirque Dreams Holidaze | Sun., Nov. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | The Louisville Palace | $49 | Watch the charm + sparkle of 30 different performers display their talents in 20 acts.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE NOVEMBER EVENTS HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

42º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

Development

A $115 million mixed-use development — which includes a hotel, affordable housing units, parking garage, 70,000-sqft of commercial space + two parks — has been proposed to the city. The project, from Weyland Ventures and City Development Group, will be built on a vacant lot in NuLu near Rabbit Hole Distillery. 🏗️ (The Courier-Journal)

Open

Emil David, a former executive sous chef to Bobby Flay, has opened his Roman-style pizza restaurant, Square Cut Pizza, in Shelby Park. The menu also offers upscale apps — like prime beef tartar — and charcuterie spreads. Pro Tip: Need dessert? Head next door to Sugar Room, which Emil also operates. 🍕 (Louisville Business First)
Taylor Lee Comfort, known for its specialty comfort boxes for women, has opened its first storefront at the North Village Market in Norton Commons. The store sells gifts for the body and mind like soy candles + bamboo sleepwear. Aside from daily hours Fri.-Sat., private shopping appointments are available. 🎁

Closing

Hammerheads is closing its Highlands location at 2222 Dundee Road. A Facebook post announcing the closure stated the owners wanted to step back and focus on the original location at 921 Swan Street. The Germantown restaurant is open Mon.-Sat. from 5-9 p.m. 🍔(WLKY)

Edu

Since Ford Motor Co. announced its $5.8 billion car battery manufacturing plant in Hardin County, the company is now turning to K-12 schools and colleges to implement training programs for the expected 5,000 created jobs. Ford will work with educational leaders to develop curriculum and STEM programs. (WHAS11)

Cause

The LEE Initiative’s McAtee Community and Training Kitchen will hand out Thanksgiving meals at Western High School on Nov. 23 from 6-7 p.m. The dinners — packed for families of six — will be prepared by the high school culinary students + are available to any Louisville family, but sign-ups are required. 🍽️

Outdoors

Iroquois Park’s Uppill Road will open on Nov. 27-28 + Dec. 4-5. The road that leads to the scenic overlook has been closed for months to prevent erosion and improve safety, but during these two weekends you can check out the improvements and the views.

Drink

Louisville’s first sake company and one of two producers in the state, River City Sake, has released its first bottled product. Kouchi Nigori — which translates to Highlands — is an unfiltered sake named after the neighborhood it was made in at Against the Grain Public House. 🍶

Seasonal

Santa Claus is coming to Wendy’s. Bardstown Road Aglow returns on Dec. 4 with the annual tree lighting in front of the square hamburger fast-food chain at 6 p.m. + free trolley rides and discounts from shops and restaurants along the road. 🎄
Paristown’s Fête de Noel is back for its third year with its outdoor ice skating rink + Santa’s Workshop. This year the Brent Street Holiday Market and Scrooge Escape Room will open on Nov. 26. We hope you don’t get stuck with the Ghost of Christmas Past. ⛸️ (LEO Weekly)

Listen

Louisville was once considered a model city for police reform. What happened? Find out on Dig, a podcast from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (KyCIR) and Newsy. Listen to the entire season now here. Ⓟ

#LOUTODAY

Deck the door

📸 @hiwirebrewing_lou

Gain wreath-making noëledge at Hi-Wire Brewing on Tues., Nov. 30 with wreath maker Mallory Miracle. The class is $65 and includes all the festive materials + a beer to get your creative juices flowing.

DYK: Before wreaths became holiday decor, they were a symbol of victory + power in ancient Greece and Rome, inspiring art like the marble statute of “Apollo Crowning Himself.”

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