Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Saturday January 24, 2026
Local Connection
Every Thursday through Sunday until Friday, December 23rd, downtown Louisville will be hosting Holiday in the City. Patrons of the event will be able to shop, ice skate, and enjoy local entertainment at 4th Street Live!.
The ice skating week is open daily. During the week, it open 4 PM until 10 PM, until JCPS goes on break, then it will be open 11 AM. Friday and Saturday hours are 11 AM until 11 PM. Sunday hours are 12 PM until 6 PM. Tickets are $10 per person and includes the skate rental. Season passes can be purchased for $45.
The Holiday Market is located on 4th Street Live!. Vendors include Home for the Holidays, Anatolian Fashion, Lucky Clover Farm, Myroslava Creations, Gyename of Louisville, Food Craft, German Sweets, Gluhwein, Don’t Forget the Flowers, and more. Some local businesses already in the area will be featured on the Gumdrop Trail. Participating businesses will be offering promotions and discounts during Holiday in the City.
The weekend has more entertainment, including free photos with Santa, live music, performances by CirqueLouis and a showing of the movie “Elf” on the giant screen at 4th Street Live!.
A full schedule of events and maps can be located on the website.
“The expansion and success of Kentucky’s Rocket Docket as outlined in the newly released PAC report shows how important the program is in helping us find workable solutions to our drug epidemic. Many non-violent offenders need treatment not incarceration, and Rocket Docket expedites the process so they can get the help they so desperately need. I was proud my office could secure $2 million in drug settlement funds for the Rocket Docket program. This investment into Kentuckians struggling with addiction will not only save lives but create ongoing efficiencies for state and local county jails and prosecutors. The Rocket Docket initiative has saved approximately $18.7 million in local jail costs from July 16, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2016, and has referred nearly 2,380 defendants into drug treatment. As leaders, we must continue to find ways to secure more funding for greater access to treatment and proven prevention programming for children and families.”
Mayor Greg Fischer is excited to announce that Louisville native Dave Moisan, a recent contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” will headline this year’s Holiday in the City entertainment, with a performance during Light Up Louisville on Friday, Nov. 25.
“Dave represented our city so well during his appearances on “The Voice,” and I know his hometown neighbors will be thrilled to hear him perform during our beloved Light up Louisville,” the Mayor said.
Moisan has also been named honorary grand marshal for the Lots of Lights Parade, which will begin at 7 p.m. on Light Up night. (The grand marshal is Steve Buttleman, official bugler of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.)
After the parade, Moisan will perform on Holiday in the City’s main entertainment stage, on Jefferson Street across from Holiday Square, until Santa’s arrival at 8 p.m.
Holiday in the City is a month-long celebration that promotes holiday happenings and events throughout Downtown Louisville, and markets the city as a holiday destination for residents and visitors.
This free, family friendly event would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of: LG&E, MainSource Bank, Fourth Street Live!, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ford/UAW, Beam Suntory, MetroPCS, Hyatt Hotel Louisville, 400 West Market, USA Image, WLKY, Outfront Media, 106.9 Play, Louisville Magazine and The Courier-Journal.
“Holiday in the City is a perfect way for a wide cross section of our community to come together Downtown to celebrate this special season,” said Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, which is working with the Mayor’s office on this event.
The Holiday Square’s real, 40-by-100 foot ice skating rink, located on the plaza at Fourth and Jefferson streets, will open on Nov. 18 and will remain open seven days a week through Jan. 15. A 60-minute session, which includes skate rental, is $10.
This year, Fourth Street Live! will host the Holiday Market, with vendor chalets and live, programmed entertainment every Thursday through Sunday, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 23.
Thursday programming will focus on local charitable giving and performances by various local choir groups, street entertainers and roaming carolers. Sunday entertainment will include various church choirs, while also showcasing two classic Christmas movies; “Elf,” and “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Groups interested in performing on Thursdays or Sundays may contact Dell Courtney at: dellcourtn@aol.com.
Entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays is being programmed by 1200 LLC and will feature live music from local organizations, community groups and local bands. The set list is full of eclectic and diverse entertainment at the stage located at Fourth Street Live!
In addition, from 3 to 7 p.m. each Saturday, children are invited to participate in Seven Nine Eighty Art Stations, for ornament making, stocking decorating, snowflake decorating, holiday coloring, Elf Yourself video wall, and holiday cookie decorating.
Mayor Greg Fischer announced today that the Confederate Monument on Third Street will be moved to become part of an historic Civil War site in neighboring Brandenburg, Ky., and that a time capsule believed to be embedded in the structure will be retrieved and loaned to the Filson Historical Society for a future historic exhibit.
Mayor Fischer made the decision on moving the city-owned monument after reviewing a list of recommended sites from Louisville’s Commission on Public Art (COPA). The mayor said factors included Brandenburg’s desire to use the statue in a historical context, as part of its biennial Civil War reenactment, as well as the city’s location along the Ohio River, just 44 miles from Louisville.
“This new location provides an opportunity to remember and respect our history in a more proper context,” the Mayor said. “And it’s close enough that Louisvillians can visit.”
The Brandenburg City Council and the Meade County Fiscal Court are expected to vote tomorrow (Wednesday) to accept the monument, currently located on the University of Louisville campus near the expanded Speed Art Museum. “We are pleased that Louisville Metro and the City of Brandenburg are working to ensure a proper and fitting location for the statue,” said Acting UL President Neville Pinto. “While we do not wish to erase history, the University of Louisville is looking to a future that embraces and promotes diversity and inclusion for all our faculty, students and staff.”
The monument will be disassembled starting Saturday, Nov. 19. It will take several days to carefully bring down the structure and move it via truck to Meade County. While the work is occurring, portions of Third Street near the monument will be closed. Messer Construction is overseeing the project.
Newspaper stories from when the monument was erected reference a time capsule that was placed in the monument. “We are unsure of the exact contents, but are eager to see if the capsule and its contents have survived,” said Sarah Lindgren, the city’s public art director who will oversee the removal and relocation to the Filson.
Brandenburg Mayor Ronnie Joyner and Meade County Judge Executive Gerry Lynn were among those who made a pitch for the monument during a COPA meeting in July, saying then that its riverfront would be a very visible, “very good home” for the monument.
Joyner and Lynn said today that they are delighted with Mayor Fischer’s decision and that the monument will augment tourism there associated with its commemoration of Gen. John Hunt Morgan’s raid through Brandenburg, Ky.
The monument was gifted to the city by the Kentucky Women’s Confederate Monument Association in 1895 to commemorate the Kentuckians who fought and died for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Timetable
- 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18 – Fencing begins to go up around the monument and site
- 7 p.m. Nov. 18 — Second and Third streets will close completely around the monument. One lane in each direction will reopen on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
- Morning of Nov. 19 — Crane and equipment arrives, and disassembly of monument begins. Depending on weather, the work is expected to continue until Friday, Nov. 25.
- Week of Nov. 28th – Monument moves to Brandenburg to be re-erected.
NOTE: Should the disassembly not be completed by Nov. 26, Second and Third streets will be temporarily reopened to make way for traffic to and from the University of Louisville v. University of Kentucky football game that day.
Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War. Photo: Department of Defense.
Though it is often confused with Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a day to celebrate and show thanks for all veterans – living and deceased. Unlike many holidays, it is always celebrated on a specific date: November 11. If you ask someone on the street why we celebrate Christmas on December 25, they likely know the answer. Ask that same person why we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, they will likely not know the answer. Why is Veterans Day celebrated on November 11?
11:00 AM, November 11, 1918 is the day that the Allied Powers signed a ceasefire with Germany to end World War I. This marked the end of the fighting, but the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919 marks the official end of the Great War. The United States joined the war effort well after the war had started. 53,402 American soldiers died in combat or were declared missing in action. A total of close of 117,000 American soldiers died during the war effort from all causes and another 204,000 were wounded. The large majority of the deaths were actually due to disease, including many from the infamous 1918 flu pandemic. In total, the world saw a loss of close to 11 million military personnel and 6 million civilians (this number does not include those who died as a result of the influenza pandemic). This accounted for approximately 1.5% of the world’s population at the time (the 1918 influenza pandemic killed an additional 20 – 40 million people worldwide over the course of two years).
The following year, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that declared November 11, Armistice Day. Wilson is quoted as saying, “To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”. The original celebration started with two minutes of silence (or suspension of business) at 11:00 AM and was followed with parades and other public displays.
The holiday gained more attention in 1921, when on Armistice Day, President Harding presided over the funeral of a World War I serviceman who had died overseas, but remained unidentified. The casket was shipped from France to Arlington Cemetery. This is now commonly known as the Tomb of the Unknowns. To show the importance of this ceremony, it was also attended by two other living Presidents: Taft and Wilson. This was the first public ceremony in the nation’s history that was attended by three Presidents. Finally, in 1938, Congress approved an Act that made November 11 an official holiday and was dedicated to remembering those who served in the war and to promote world peace.
In 1954, following World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the 1938 Act and declared November 11 to be Veterans Day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the very first Veterans Day Proclamation: “On that day, let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.” World War II saw 405,399 American soldiers die and close to 671,000 injured. This is a small portion of the estimated 21-26 million soldiers world-wide who died. As with any war, there were also massive civilian causalities during World War II: an estimated 60 – 65 million people died world-wide as a result of this conflict (approximately 3% of the world’s population). World War II is still the deadliest conflict in the world’s history. The Korean War started only five years after the end of World War II and American’s saw another 55,000 soldiers die and another 103,000 injured.
In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill passed and Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October, essentially to ensure that federal employees would have a three day weekend for the federal holiday. The new date was first observed in 1971. Since holidays are technically left to the states to recognize, many states continued to observe Veterans Day on November 11. This was a short-lived change, and President Ford signed a law in 1975 to change the date back to November 11, starting in 1978. In 2001, Congress passed a resolution making the week of Veterans Day, a week long celebration. It has been celebrated as a week-long event since then, with a focused effort to help school children understand the importance of veterans. This is not a holiday that is unique to the US either. Many countries have a day to celebrate and honor their veterans, such as: England, Canada, France, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia, Serbia, Netherlands, Norway, Italy and Denmark. England, France, Belgium and Canada celebrate on November 11 as well, in honor of Armistice Day.
As with Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a day to remember the deceased who died fighting for our country and our freedoms, but it is meant more to honor the living who served this country. Those that chose to fight for the freedoms we enjoy here and in many cases, to fight for people in other countries who need help. Not including the current Global War on Terror, close to 42 million American men and women have served in the armed forces. Of these, more than 40 million are living (the oldest of which, served in World War II). If we add in the veterans from the Global War on Terror, there are a total of approximately 44 million living veterans. This means that veterans account for about 14% of the entire US population. To put this number into perspective: the population of California, the most populous state in our union, is around 39 million. While you’re thinking about what selfie that you want to post or what tweet to send out, remember why you are able to post those selfies and tweets for everyone to see. Take a moment to ask yourself, would you be: willing to fight for your right to free speech, willing to fight for your right to worship in the way you choose, willing to fight for your right to vote on election day, willing to fight for others to be able to do the same? Whatever your answer to those questions may be, know that the men and women in uniform fight for your rights and freedoms daily. When you see a veteran, not just on Veterans Day, take a moment to thank him or her for their service.
State and federal agencies, working in cooperation with volunteers, commercial anglers and fish processors, are launching a “Carp Blitz” on Nov. 8-10 to help gauge the population of invasive Asian carp in Kentucky and Barkley lakes.
At least a dozen sampling crews will be netting, electrofishing and working with licensed commercial anglers to collect as many Asian carp as possible during this three-day period.
“This very large effort is primarily a sampling or data collection exercise which, if deemed successful, will be repeated annually in order to provide relative abundance and population demographics of Asian carp in Kentucky and Barkley Lakes,” said Ron Brooks, fisheries director for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Other participating agencies will include the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In 2013, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife sponsored Carp Madness, a first of its kind tournament for commercial anglers whose primarily goal was the thin the Asian carp population in the two western Kentucky lakes. It proved successful, as a handful of participants collected more than 83,000 pounds of Asian carp during the two-day tournament.
Brooks believes if weather conditions are good, the Carp Blitz effort will easily eclipse the Carp Madness tournament. State and federal fisheries crew will use electrofishing equipment to drive the wary Asian carp into the waiting nets of the commercial anglers.
“All Asian carp harvested will be donated to the commercial anglers assisting with this effort,” Brooks said. “Kentucky’s fish processing businesses will purchase all fish harvested.”
As part of the effort, researchers with Murray State University are working with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to tag fish with telemetry markers. This will allow researchers to discover the movement patterns and habitat use of Asian carp in Kentucky and Barkley lakes.
The official start of the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) is not until Nov. 5, but there is plenty of equine action in Broadbent Arena Nov. 1-9 when the North American Quarter Horse Show returns to Louisville. The triple-judged, triple-point Quarter Horse Show features more than 200 classes of events over its nine-day run. The show is sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA).
Consistently ranked as a top five show by AQHA, the North American Quarter Horse Show attracts upwards of 1,000 entries, with $75,000 of prize money at stake. Team penning, the newest class of competition, requires teams of three horses and riders using athleticism and horsemanship to separate and herd cows into a penning area in under 60 seconds. Other competition classes include cutting, reining, halter, Western pleasure, tie-down roping, pole bending and barrel racing.
The Quarter Horse Show is free and open to the public. NAILE admission is required Nov. 5–9: $3 for children (ages 2-13), $3 for seniors (55 and older), and $6 for adults. Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center is $8 daily.
For more information, including a schedule of events, visit www.livestockexpo.org.
