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SubscribeThe 2018 USCCA Concealed Carry Expo opens today at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The Expo is open to the public and free for USCCA members and children under the age of 18 to attend (admission for non-members can be purchased at the door). Memberships can be purchased on-site. The event is scheduled for the entire weekend and will feature everything needed for one to safely and comfortably conceal carry a weapon in any situation.
Attendees will be able to walk the exhibit floor that will feature everything from ammunition to concealed carry shape wear for women, as well as the opportunity to test fire the latest handguns at the live-fire range. In addition to the exhibits, there will be a variety of demonstrations and seminars that will discuss everything from revolver techniques to tourniquet application and many legal aspects of concealed carry. New this year is a separate area that will focus on the products and seminar discussions that have been designed specifically for women shooters.
The show opened with seminars only this morning and the exhibit hall opens later this afternoon at 3:00 PM. The show continues all weekend with doors opening at 9:00 AM on Saturday and 10:00 AM on Sunday. Parking at the Expositions Center is $8 for cars and is not included in the price of admission. If you are currently licensed or looking for more information about concealed carry, this is the show to find everything that is needed.
In 2016, Mayor Greg Fischer created the Building Our Blocks (BOB) initiative as a cross-functional approach to make our neighborhoods clean, green and safe. BOB will begin its second full year on April 13. Last year, the BOB team, which includes many city agencies and community partners, visited seven different neighborhoods. This year, the team will concentrate four events specifically in one neighborhood—Russell.
“Building Our Blocks is the city’s way to deliver on-the-spot services and make a direct impact on residents’ quality of life,” Fischer said. “After reviewing our impact from last year’s events, we determined that we can see even more results if we give continuous focus on one neighborhood throughout the year. With significant investment and momentum in Russell right now, it is a great neighborhood for the BOB team to give longer term commitment to in 2018.”
Events will take place on April 13, June 8, August 10 and October 12. If needed, rain dates are planned for April 27, June 21, August 16 and October 26. Each event will be held from 1-4 p.m. and cover about six blocks of the neighborhood. On April 13, the BOB team will meet at the Oak & Acorn Intergenerational Center (631 S. 28th Street).
During BOB events, residents can expect a group of city employees, including LMPD officers, and community partners, walking the blocks and knocking on doors asking what services they can offer residents, listening and responding to neighborhood issues, and addressing property maintenance.
BOB has many city agencies and community partners participating in this year’s initiative—Brightside, Codes & Regulations, LMPD, Louisville Fire, Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville Water Company, MSD, Public Works, Resilience & Community Services, Vacant & Public Property Administration, New Directions Housing Corporation and Saving Sunny Inc., Park DuValle Community Health Center and OPI².
For more information on Building Our Blocks, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/building-our-blocks. If you are a community organization that can provide on-the-spot services and wants to join the BOB team, please e-mail Robin.Hawkins@louisvilleky.gov
This year’s Republic Bank Pegasus Parade will be a blast from the past for Festival fans. Festival officials announced the Grand Marshals and set the line-up for the parade at a special event tonight at Mark’s Feed Store. In honor of this year’s parade theme “ThrowbackThursday,” former coaching rivals and basketball fan favorites Joe B. Hall and Denny Crum will serve as the parade’s Co-Grand Marshals. It’s a familiar role for the coaches who also participated in the 1975 parade.
“The parade is the event that started the Festival 63 years ago and this year’s march will be a trip down memory lane,” said Mike Berry, KDF President and CEO. “Who better to evoke great memories than two coaches responsible for nine of the Final Four trips and three of the NCAA championships for UofL and UK.”
In addition to announcing the Grand Marshals, floats and inflatable units participating in this year’s parade drew for positions for annual march down Broadway. This year’s theme of “ThrowbackThursday,” will be used by sponsoring companies to help direct the building of floats and costuming of the inflatable handlers and crew. Participants were invited to pick their favorite parade themes from years past to decorate their units. The floats and inflatables compete for various awards based on originality, eye appeal, theme representation, animation, attention to detail and enthusiasm. Marching bands use the theme to help with musical selection and it is the basis of costume and concept design for the other marching units.
The 2018 Parade will feature 10 floats, many of them built by the employees of the companies sponsoring them. The following companies drew for their float position in the parade at tonight’s event, as well as the sponsors of the five participating inflatable character balloons.
Floats:
City of St. Matthews
Grand Lodge of Kentucky
Hwang’s Martial Arts
Kentucky Proud
Kosair Shriners/Kosair Charities
Louisville Parks & Recreation
Norton Healthcare
Second Chance @ Life
Shirley’s Way – Ride to Ride Out Cancer
The Fillies, Inc.
Inflatable Balloon Characters:
CareSource “Cookie Monster”
Horseshoe Southern Indiana “Horseshoe”
LG&E “Louie the Lightning Bug”
Republic Bank “Peggy Bank”
Waystar “Star”
Before the parade, fans can see the floats, inflatables, equestrian units and much more on display at the Pegasus Parade Preview Party Presented by Louisville Mega Cavern on Tuesday, May 1, at the Kentucky Exposition Center, in South Wing C. Admission is a 2018 Pegasus Pin.
Tickets for the Parade are on sale now online at KDF.org. Ticket prices are $10 for bleacher seats, $12 chair seating and $30 VIP seats. Republic Bank is the Title Sponsor of the parade with Contributing Sponsor, KentuckyOne Health. Official Hotel: The Galt House.
President David James (D-6) announces the Louisville Metro Council will hold its next regular meeting at the Academy@Shawnee this coming Thursday, April 12th.
The meeting is the first of what the President hopes will give the public a chance to see the Council in action and talk with members about issues.
“It is my hope that taking the Metro Council on the road will give us as policy makers another opportunity to meet with the public and hear what they have to say about issues,” says the President. “For many people, it can be difficult to attend a Council meeting and it is my hope they will take advantage of this road trip to come and talk with us.”
The Metro Council’s first meeting of the month of April will be held in the Auditorium of the Academy @ Shawnee beginning at 6:00pm. The Council will conduct its regular scheduled meeting at that time and then meet with the public afterwards.
“I am pleased to welcome the first Metro Council meeting offsite in many years to District 5 and the Shawnee Neighborhood. Council members will get a chance to see a great high school and I urge residents to come and join us to get a better understanding of your government in action,” says Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5), who chairs the Democratic Caucus.
“Citizen involvement in local government is vital to our success as a community. It’s important that every citizen knows their government and those who represent them are accessible. What better way to achieve this by bringing government into the very neighborhoods we serve,” says Councilwoman Angela Leet who chairs the Republican Caucus.
The Metro Council has held regular meetings outside of its regular chambers located at 601 West Jefferson Street. The Organizational meetings of 2003 when the Metro Council was seated were held at the Kentucky International Conventions Center pending the conversion of the Chambers following merger. Then in 2014, the Council held its organizational session for the year at Memorial Auditorium due to further ceiling renovations in the chamber.
This meeting will not be broadcast live and streamed over Metro TV due to technical challenges at the location. It will be recorded and rebroadcast on Metro TV at a time to be announced at a later date.
The Louisville Tattoo Arts Convention draws world-class tattoo artists, enthusiasts and television personalities to the Kentucky Exposition Center for body art, seminars, contests and entertainment. More than 200 tattoo artists will attend the show to display their body art. Artists accept walk-up clients or schedule ahead by contacting the artists directly.
Show is located in the Kentucky Exposition Center’s East Hall. Show hours are:
- April 13 – 2:00 PM until 12:00 AM
- April 14 – 11:00 AM until 12:00 AM
- April 15 – 11:00 AM until 8:00 PM
Parking for the Exposition Center is $8 per vehicle or $20 for a bus. Show tickets can be purchased on site only:
- $20 for a single day pass
- $40 for all three days
- Children 12 and under are free
Visit villainarts.com/tattoo-conventions-villain-arts/louisville-tattoo-arts-convention for more information.
Louisville Parks and Recreation is hosting a three-day family-friendly street festival and viewing party during the semifinals and finals of the World Cup soccer tournament on July 10-11 and July 15 in front of Metro Hall.
Clariant is a globally leading specialty chemicals company, based in Muttenz near Basel, Switzerland. Its North American headquarters are in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clariant employs several hundred people in Louisville, and last fall announced a partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools to provide funding for a STEM camp at the California Community Center.
“We are very appreciative of Clariant’s contributions to our city. They have been active, engaged corporate partners that show concern for Louisville and want to make the city a better place,” said Seve Ghose, Director of Parks and Recreation.
Louisville Parks and Recreation has secured a 17’ x 10’ HD screen to show the games in July in partnership with the local Fox affiliate, WDRB. Other sponsors include Al Dia newspaper, Aztec Flooring and WFPL Public Radio.
While the games are on, attendees will be able to enjoy fare from food trucks and vendors within the Fan Zone; a small-sided soccer field set up for youth games; a radar gun to gauge ball speeds, a juggling competition. As the event is meant to be family-friendly, no alcohol will be available at the event.
Credit: KY State Parks
Learn about wildflowers and enjoy the spring season at Red River Gorge with the Kentucky Native Plant Society’s Wildflower Weekend April 13-14 at Natural Bridge State Resort Park.
The annual event includes hikes at the state park and in Red River Gorge on Friday and Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for ages 13-17. Ages 12 and under are free. More information is available at www.knps.org.
Natural Bridge State Resort Park at Slade has a lodge, cottages and restaurant.
There are several other wildflower opportunities at Kentucky State Parks during April and May. They include:
- Second Saturday Hike on wildflowers at Lake Barkley State Resort Park near Cadiz on April 14 starting at 10 a.m.
- Spring Wildflowers and Wild Edibles Hike at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park at Calvert City on April 14 at 10:30 a.m.
- Wildflower Extravaganza at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson on April 14. Hikes start at 9 a.m.
- Wildflower Pilgrimage at Carter Caves State Resort Park at Olive Hill on April 21.
- Wildflower Hikes at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park near Dawson Springs on April 7 and May 3 at 10 a.m.
- Wild Wonderful Wildflower Hikes at Pine Mountain State Resort Park at Pineville on April 21 starting at 9 a.m.
For more information about these wildflower events, visit http://parks.ky.gov/wildflowers.aspx. For more information about Kentucky State Parks, including lodging and camping reservations, visit www.parks.ky.gov.
