Louisville Parks and Recreation is hosting a World Cup-themed men’s soccer tournament from June 14 through July 15, 2018 to commemorate the version staged in Russia.
The tournament is open to adults 18 and over, in a 7 v 7 format, with 35-minute halves. The team fee is $150 for the three-game guarantee in the group stage, mimicking the Cup schedule, with games being played in the evening of the actual game days. There are only 32 spots available with teams representing the 32 countries who qualified for the tournament. Countries can be selected by participating teams.
Tournament sponsorships are available at $200 only through a 3’ x 8’ banner that is produced by the business or organization and will be placed on site at Thurman Hutchins Park for the months of June and July. Thurman Hutchins will also be the site of a festival on the tournament’s final day, including food trucks, music, and other entertainment options for the whole family.
Please contact Parks and Recreation Director Seve Ghose directly at seve.ghose@louisvilleky.gov or 502-415-8590 to secure a spot.
“Louisville has seen a spike in soccer interest over the last few years and to further engage the community we are seeking teams to sign up and participate in a soccer tournament,” Ghose said. “The goal is also to continue the tournament in the non-World Cup years with several more teams participating. Playing the ‘beautiful game’ on quality fields, under the lights will be a novelty and we encourage teams to sign up now and reserve your spot – we only have thirty two.”
There’s a full line-up of events open to the public at the Kentucky Exposition Center the first weekend in March. From remodeling your dream home to watching a demolition derby, there’s something for everyone March 2-4.
Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center is $8 per vehicle and $20 per bus. For more information about the Kentucky Exposition, visit www.kyexpo.org.
More than 600 students from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and area private schools will gather Wednesday for the JCPS IdeaFestival, to be held from 9 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St.
With a theme of the ‘flip side,’ the student-centered conference will feature 10 presentations, highlighting discussions of current and forward-looking ideas and issues from a diverse group of speakers. Student-planned and executed, the event provides young people with an outlet to express opinions and delve into timely issues, and encourages students to see the connection between these issue and their lives. You can follow the day’s action on Twitter using #staycurious, #WeAreJCPS or following @ifjcps.
Presentations include:
In 2014, the JCPS IdeaFestival evolved from the IF Manual event, a festival held at DuPont Manual High School and inspired by the official IdeaFestival. The JCPS IdeaFestival has expanded to deliver thought-provoking presentations and festivals to the entire JCPS district and private schools.

Photo: KFC Yum! Center
They dropped a few hints this past weekend and now it is official… Metallica’s WorldWired Tour returns to North America this Fall! Following last summer’s 25 date sold-out stadium run, this year Metallica is bringing the in-the-round production currently being seen in European arenas to the U.S. and Canada kicking off on September 2, 2018, in Madison, WI. Along the way they will be visiting 34 cities that they did not go to last year, and a few that they haven’t been to in decades, including Grand Forks, ND (nearly 30 years), Sioux Falls, SD, El Paso, TX, Birmingham, AL (nearly 26 years) and State College, PA (20 years). About time, wouldn’t you say?!
The Fall/Winter tour will mark a few firsts for the band. Each show will get rolling with the Light It Up pre-show party hosted by their very good friend Jim Breuer. Jim, along with a DJ to get the night rocking with some great tunes, hits the stage before the band with comedy, fan interaction, giveaways and much more. And if you love to travel and one show just isn’t enough, then perhaps the Wherever I May Roam Black Ticket is for you! For the first time in ‘Tallica history, you may purchase one ticket that will allow you floor access to any Metallica show on the 2018/2019 North American tour. Feel like trucking to Tulsa? Booking to Boise? Motoring to Minneapolis? No problem… you pick the show, call us no less than 48 hours before the gig and you’re in! A limited number of 250 of these Black Tickets* will be available for $598 (yes… celebrating the re-issue of the Garage Days Re-Revisited EP!). All sale dates and times below.
Of course, some things don’t change! As they have been doing for most of the WorldWired shows, every ticket purchased includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend or family member. You’ll receive info via e-mail after your ticket purchase on how to obtain your copy.** The enhanced experience options designed to take your Metalli-night to the next level are also returning as Metallica continue to partner with the team that makes it all happen at CID Entertainment. You’ll have three options of special enhanced experiences, including premium tickets and amenities ranging from early access to the venue and the “Memory Remains” exhibit of memorabilia to meeting some of the band(!) For full package details, visit https://www.cidentertainment.com/events/metallica-worldwired-tour
Finally, Metallica continue to raise funds for their All Within My Hands Foundation, which supports a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities, music education programs and local food banks. Continuing their collaboration with Crowdrise, Metallica encourage you to make a donation when purchasing tickets to the upcoming shows and each time you donate, you’ll be entered to win tickets, pre-show party passes, meet and greet passes, and one lucky winner will be flown to the last show on the tour. For more information, visit https://www.crowdrise.com/Metallica2018
“Enough!” you say. “How do I get tickets?” Presales for Fan Club members begin tomorrow, February 27th. Visit https://metallica.com/metclub for all the details. Citi card members may purchase tickets beginning at 11:00 AM local time tomorrow, February 27th and Spotify will have pre-sale tickets starting on Wednesday February 28th. For a complete list of other presales, visit https://metallica.com Public on-sale begins Friday, March 2nd at 10:00 AM local time.
*“Wherever I May Roam” Black Tickets are non-transferable and if re-sold will be revoked. Each ticket is good for entry to Metallica specific shows and may not be used for festivals, promotional shows, benefit concerts or any other dates not included in the 34 city North American tour announced on February 26, 2018. Use of a Black Ticket will require a reservation for each show you plan to attend no less than 48 hours in advance. More details about how to use your Black Ticket will be sent to purchasers via e-mail.
**Every ticket purchased through official outlets includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Fans should expect to receive information from Warner Music Artist Services on how to redeem their albums WITHIN 21 business days after their purchase. Full details of how you can gift the album, should you have already purchased, will be given on the redemption page.

Photo: KFC Yum! Center
Four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban will bring his “GRAFFITI U WORLD TOUR 2018” to Louisville on Saturday, October 20. Tickets will go on sale on March 2 at Ticketmaster.com. The tour will feature special guest Kelsea Ballerini as Urban’s supporting act on most of the North American leg.
The 58-city tour will kick off in June and run through November. Urban’s shows have become concert events that electrify. They’re unexpected, if not unpredictable, and have been hailed by media around the world as a “concert experience not to be missed.” The tour will feature many of Urban’s 23 #1 songs, as well as brand new songs that have never been performed live and an all-new concert production that promises to be as spectacular as never before.
“I’ve been full-on writing, recording, collaborating and creating with some incredibly talented people for GRAFFITI U, a lot of whom I’ve never worked with before,” said Urban. “I can hear how some of the songs will translate live already, which really makes putting on a new show so exhilarating and I loved having our fans included in the announcement of the tour because it’s their tour too.”
“I remember hearing Keith Urban songs that stopped me in my tracks and made me want to drop everything and chase that kind of lyric and heart-filled artistry,” says Ballerini. “He’s the best in the business and I can’t wait to fangirl and learn from him this year. Truly an honor to tour with him.”
For all official Keith Urban tour news including show dates and where to purchase tickets, go to www.keithurban.net.

Photo: KFC Yum! Center
Willie Nelson & Family and Alison Krauss will perform live on Wednesday, May 23 at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville.
Tickets for the newly added Louisville show will go on sale to the general public starting this Saturday, February 24 at 10am ET at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster outlets, the venue box office and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.
WILLIE NELSON – 2018
With a six-decade career and 200 plus albums, this iconic Texan is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of Crazy, Red Headed Stranger, and Stardust. Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force. In recent years, he has delivered more than 10 new album releases, released a Top 10 New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid, an event he co-founded in 1985, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the last three years of the on-going Luck Reunion food and music festival at his ranch in Luck, TX during SXSW, announced the launch of his cannabis company Willie’s Reserve, and graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. In 2015, Nelson added “It’s A Long Story: My Life,” the unvarnished and complete story of Willie, hit bookshelves and landed him on the New York Times’ bestsellers list; and a new studio album with Merle Haggard titled Django And Jimmie, which debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s Country album chart and #7 on Billboard‘s Top 200 album chart. In November 2015, the Library of Congress honored him with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song for his contributions to popular music. He is the first country artist to receive the distinguished award. And 2016 began with the release of Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, a collection of 11 newly recorded Gershwin classics. The album debuted at #1 on both the Top Current Jazz chart and the Top Traditional Jazz chart, as well as earned him a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In September, came For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price, an album of newly recorded interpretations of 12 Ray Price songs. While a month later, Nelson released Pretty Paper, his new novel inspired his classic holiday song of the same title about a legless man who sold wrapping paper in front of a Ft. Worth, TX department store. In April 2017, Nelson released God’s Problem Child, his latest studio album with 13 new songs It debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country album chart and #10 on the Billboard 200. Nelson continues to record more new songs for upcoming projects as well as touring throughout North America year long.
ALISON KRAUSS – 2018
Alison Krauss’ new album Windy City is her first effort away from her band Union Station since Raising Sand and her debut for Capitol Records. The album features Alison performing 10 classic songs that she carefully selected.
Following Raising Sand, her platinum 2007 album with Robert Plant that won six GRAMMY Awards including album of the Year, and 2011’s Paper Airplane with her longtime collaborators Union Station, which won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album and topped Billboard’s Folk, Country and Bluegrass charts, Alison began to feel the tug of inspiration. The results are the amazing new project, Windy City. Alison inhabits, and liberates, the very essence that makes each of the songs eternal. While they span different era and musical genres, there is a unifying sensibility.

Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
After spending most of his life as the tiny ambassador of the Kentucky Derby Museum, Winston is announcing his final weeks at the Museum. On Monday, March 5, 2018, Winston will head to Old Friends’ Thoroughbred Retirement Farm, where he’ll join several former Kentucky Derby champions and fellow miniature horse, Little Silver Charm.
Winston came to the Kentucky Derby Museum at two years old, in the fall of 1995. He’s been the companion horse to more than 30 resident Thoroughbreds, including three horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby, Perfect Drift, Phantom on Tour and Twinspired, as well as Kentucky Derby 135 winner, Mine that Bird.
He’s also thrown out the first pitch at the Louisville Bats game, helped Churchill Downs pick the Derby winner ahead of the race, supported many charitable organizations around town and performed more than ten marriage proposals with his “Will You Marry Me?” blanket!
“Winston spent most of his life at the Kentucky Derby Museum. He’s been our super star. Whether it’s an appearance in the stable at the end of the historic walking tour or through a picture on social media, Winston has created lasting memories for our visitors,” Kentucky Derby Museum President Patrick Armstrong said. “Now as we gear up to begin work on the Museum’s expansion, including construction of a new stable area, the time was perfect for Winston to make the move to Old Friends. We know he’ll continue to shine in his new home, charming visitors as he has done here for 23 years.”
“Everyone at Old Friends is very excited to have a horse of Winston’s tremendous stature retired at the farm,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen.”Everyone, especially Alison Knight, at the Kentucky Derby Museum has taken great care of this wonderful celebrity, and we’ll keep up the standards. His fans will know he’s just down the road.”
On February 21st and February 28th, the Museum is inviting everyone to help give Winston an amazing send-off into retirement with Winston Wednesdays! Guests can visit with him at the Museum, sign a jumbo card, get a free special edition signed print by Katie Upton of Phantom on Tour and Winston, and enjoy Winston-themed cookies, while supplies last, and more!
Visitors can also watch Rickelle Nelson, equestrian artist of Deck the Stalls, (and front desk manager at the Museum!) create a live portrait of Winston.
Winston’s final day at the Museum will be Monday, March 5th. He will enjoy a special send off to Old Friends following the Museum’s groundbreaking ceremony for its new multi-million dollar expansion project.