Saturday January 24, 2026
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
SubscribeThe Kentucky Exposition Center goes to the dogs March 15-18 when thousands of canines compete in the Kentuckiana Cluster of Dog Shows and the Greater Louisville Training Club Agility Trials.
Kentuckiana Cluster of Dog Shows During the Kentuckiana Cluster of Dog Shows, top dogs from around the world will be judged based on conformation, obedience and agility. Winners of early rounds and AKC Champions will then move on to compete for Best of Breed. Depending on their performance, they can advance to group competition and Best of Show.
Special highlights during the show include:
- NEW: Puppy competition
- Dock-diving: dogs compete by jumping into a swimming pool and chasing a Frisbee
- Animal rescue organizations
The dog shows run Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18 and are open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in the West Wing, Pavilion and West Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors (age 60 and over) and children (age 4-13). Thursday admission is free.
For more information, visit www.thekentuckianaclusterofdogshows.org.
Greater Louisville Training Club Agility Trials The dog agility trials run Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18 and are open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily in Broadbent Arena at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Admission for this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.greaterlouisvilletrainingclub.com.
Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center is $8 per vehicle and $20 per bus.
Louisville families with children of all ages are invited to a free resource fair showcasing summer activities for children, youth, and families on Saturday, March 10. Themed “SOAR” which stands for Summer Opportunities and Resource Fair, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DuValle Education Center gym, 3610 Bohne Ave.
SOAR will feature local summer activities for children and teens including a wide variety of summer camps, parks and recreation programs, as well as employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities from a full list of exhibitors. This event is being held in March to allow individuals time to plan ahead and register for opportunities while openings are available.
More than 20 vendors and other agencies providing information and resources plan to participate including:
- Academy of Music Production (AMPED)
- Bellarmine University
- Catholic Enrichment Center
- Community Dental Family Dental Care
- DOODs Inc.
- Early Childhood Education
- ECHO (Exploited Children’s Help Organization)
- Falls of the Ohio
- Family Scholar House
- First Gethsemane Baptist church
- 4-H College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems
- 4 Your Child
- KET
- Louisville Free Public Library
- Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
- Make It Count Consulting
- Norton’s Children’s Hospital Prevention and Wellness
- PACT in Action/Center for Women and Families
- Reimage
- Summerbridge Louisville
- Summer Explorations/ First Virginia Avenue Baptist Church
- SummerWorks/Kentuckiana Works/Youth Build
- University of Louisville Family Dental Care
This event also features a drawing for a summer program scholarship at Junior Achievement.
“Summer is a time to have fun, explore new places and ideas, learn new skills, make new friends and even make a little money”, stated Elisa Freeman-Carr, administrator of Ujima Neighborhood Place. “We’re excited to host the SOAR event to connect children and youth, especially those from lower income households, with the many wonderful summer programs, classes, camps, and other opportunities offered in our community.”
SOAR is also hosted by Jefferson County Public Schools, the Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation, the Villages of Park Duvalle and multiple Neighborhood Place sites including Ujima, Cane Run, Bridges of Hope and South Central.
For questions about the SOAR event, or if you represent an agency which would like to participate, please contact Elisa Freeman-Carr at 313-6145 or Elisa.Freeman-Carr@louisvilleky.gov or Buffie Daubard at 313-4447 or Buffie.Daubard@jefferson.kyschools.us. You can also download this flyer to share with others who may be interested.
Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra announce the third annual Festival of American Music at The Kentucky Center, beginning with Kentucky Classics on Saturday, March 24 (8PM). This concert features music inspired by the bluegrass state and homegrown songwriters. The second program of the Festival of American Music, Play, will be performed on Friday, April 6 (11AM) and Saturday, April 7 (8PM) at The Kentucky Center and explores some of the most potent voices in contemporary American composition; Julia Wolfe, Michael Gordon, and Jim James.
Individual tickets range from $27 – $85 and are available by calling 502.584.7777 or by visiting LouisvilleOrchestra.org.
Kentucky Classics (March 24) will celebrate American roots, emphasizing Kentucky-centered music and local musicians such as singer-songwriter Joan Shelley, a Louisville native whose “crystal-clear voice meditates on the spaces between people, in arrangements that evoke Bacharach and African blues influences as much as acid-folk” (UK Independent). Another Louisville native and singer-songwriter, Tyrone Cotton, will perform in a unique style influenced by his classical guitar studies at Western Kentucky University and a period of jazz immersion in Boston. Neo-folk singer and harpist Lizzie No, “an exceptionally talented artist with a gift for making an age-old music sound fresh and relevant again” (Americana UK), will make her Louisville Orchestra debut. And Michael Cleveland, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s most awarded fiddler, returns with his band Flamekeeper after their LO debut on March 10. The program is bookended with New Piece for Orchestra by Edgar Meyer and Four Dance Episodes from Aaron Copland’s ballet Rodeo.
When putting this program together, Louisville Orchestra’s Music Director, Teddy Abrams said:
“Our 2018 Festival of American Music celebrates music that was quite literally ‘grown’ and nurtured here in our country: a kind of music from the very earth of this nation. The first program features a range of modern soloists who derive inspiration and continue traditions from Kentucky’s folk and Americana genres. Ultimately these different solo sets lead to a special performance of Copland’s Rodeo.”
The second program, Play (April 6+7), further broadens the perspective to include a wider range of contemporary American composers. Pulitzer Prize-winner Julia Wolfe’s riSE and fLY will be performed with percussion soloist Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, who was also featured on Abrams’s Muhammad Ali: The Greatest this past fall. Natural History by Michael Gordon was commissioned for the 2016 National Parks Service Centennial, and premiered at the Britt Festival under Teddy Abrams’s leadership on sacred land in Oregon. Natural History explores the spiritual connection between the land and the traditions of the Klamath tribe. The Louisville performance will feature the Steiger Butte Singers and Drummers, a Native American drumming ensemble who participated in the premiere and both a new recording on the Cantaloupe label and the documentary Symphony for Nature from Owsley Brown Presents, currently airing on PBS stations across the country. Play is rounded out with music by special guest artist Jim James, founding front-man of famed Louisville alt-rock band My Morning Jacket. He joins the orchestra for the world premiere performance of a song cycle written in collaboration with Abrams.
Teddy Abrams elaborated:
“The second week of our Festival showcases some of the great creative forces in American music today. Julia Wolfe’s riSE and fLY is a percussion concerto inspired by New York street beats and the rhythm of the American work song. Michael Gordon’s Natural History is an enormous-scale composition that I commissioned at the Britt Festival to be performed with over 150 musicians on the very edge of Crater Lake National Park, and his work is intimately constructed around a group of musicians from Oregon’s Klamath Tribe – for whom Crater Lake is a sacred place. Finally, Louisville’s world-renowned Jim James and I have been co-writing a song cycle which will be premiered at this show. His music is very special to me – he combines a beautiful insight into the world around us with a great and readily apparent human spirit.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Mary C. Woolridge (D-3) invites residents of the area to a special meeting of the Hallmark Neighborhood Association on Monday, March 12th to discuss a warehouse demolition project.
“I want everyone in the area to understand what is the latest information involving the demolition project of warehouses at 2349 Millers Lane,” says Woolridge. “My office has been made aware that while this project moves forward with demolition, it is important to be aware of what may be constructed on this property.”
The Councilwoman has invited Robert Kirchdorfer, Louisville Metro Codes and Regulations Director to speak at the meeting. He has been asked to discuss what is known about the project including the demolition and future building permits for the property.
The meeting is set for Southern Star Baptist Church, 2304 Algonquin Parkway in the lower level beginning at 7:00pm.
The company that will be occupying the new warehouse is Advanced Distribution Service. The building is a new warehouse that is 251,317 sq. ft. The estimated cost is $6,700,000; they paid $30,254.12 for the permit. The demolition permit would retain the shell of the building only. Once the tenant gets ready to move in another permit will be issued, then more details will be known about future construction.
“I want to make sure everyone in the area has an understanding of what type of business is proposed for this location,” says Woolridge. “This is an opportunity to ask questions and be updated on the timeline involved with demolition and construction.”
For more information about this special meeting of the Hallmark Neighborhood Association, contact Councilwoman Woolridge’s office at 574-1103.
Photo: KFC Yum! Center
The KFC Yum! Center is expanding its Thunder festivities with an event created specifically to enable members of the Louisville business community to connect, expand their professional network and discuss opportunities for collaboration. The event will take place in the arena’s Woodford Reserve Lounge, which overlooks the Ohio River and provides premium viewing opportunities for the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks and air shows on Saturday, April 21, 2018.
The all-day event is presented by KFC Yum! Center in partnership with Greater Louisville Inc., Louisville Business First and Leadership Louisville.
Individual tickets are $160, discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Admission includes:
- Access to KFC Yum! Center Woodford Reserve Lounge
- Networking opportunities
- 2-3 business oriented speaking sessions
- Evening meal + 2 drink tickets
- Access to private restrooms
- DJ and live music
Louisville businessman and philanthropist Dr. Mark Lynn, owner of Visionworks, will speak at the event. Lynn is the current Chairman of the Kentucky State Fair Board, is active on the University of Louisville Foundation and Finance Committee and is a Trustee for Sacred Heart Schools. He and his family believe in giving back through involvement and development of the communities they serve. Additional speakers will be announced at a later date.
For more information and to order tickets, please visit kfcyumcenter.com.
Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum’s multi-million dollar expansion project is officially underway after a groundbreaking ceremony today in the Museum’s garden terrace. The project will add over 11,000 square feet of brand new space to the Museum. It also includes the renovation of 5,000 square feet of existing space. It will be the largest expansion of the Museum’s footprint since the building was constructed in 1985 and one of the largest renovations since a major refurbishing project following damaging flooding in 2009.
The expansion will provide a greater visitor experience for guests with an emphasis on new exhibit space, featuring the collection of legendary trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. It also creates space to display key pieces of the Bill Shoemaker collection, which has been housed in the Museum’s archives for many years. The expanded second floor will also include additional meeting and rental space. The Museum will build an entirely new third floor within the expansion footprint to house administrative offices, a large conference room and storage areas.
On the ground level, a new stable will house the Museum’s resident Thoroughbred and companion horse. The area will include seating for educational programming. It also features more than 7,400 square feet of covered space that can be set for various events, including outdoor weddings, dinners, parties and more. With the addition of the new rental space, the Museum will be able to accommodate much larger groups for special events.
Construction will begin this month and will include the demolition of the stable, the relocation of the Finish Line pole and the removal of more than 3,000 square feet of pavers. Major construction work inside the Museum will get underway following Kentucky Derby 144.
“We’ve seen the number of visitors coming through our doors growing consistently, reaching 230,000 in 2017. Building off that momentum, we wanted to create something that would take the Museum to the next level and offer a truly outstanding experience to our guests as we showcase the extraordinary event that is the Kentucky Derby, “Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO Patrick Armstrong said.
The Museum will remain open to visitors during the entire duration of the project. The expansion will be completed by November, in time for the 2018 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs Racetrack. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Kentucky Derby Museum employees gave Winston, the Museum’s miniature horse for 22 years, a fond farewell as he headed off into retirement at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. With a final victory lap through the Museum, Winston made his way out the Museum’s front doors for the last time as employees and well-wishers cheered him on his way!
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!
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
As a way to help Louisville expand its tree canopy, Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8) has announced the second annual Planting O’ the Green, an initiative that will plant 90 trees in the weeks surrounding the St. Patrick’s Parade.
“In honor of this year’s 45th St. Patrick’s Parade, we’re planting 45 trees in District 8 and 45 trees in District 6,” said Coan. “I believe this pay-it-forward approach is the only way to solve our citywide tree problem, and I hope Planting O’ the Green remains a tradition for many years to come.”
The Councilman and President James (D-6) made the announcement with representatives of TreesLouisville, MSD, Brightside, Olmsted Parks Conservancy and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“I’m thrilled to work with Trees Louisville and Councilman Brandon Coan to bring more trees to our neighborhoods. Paying it Forward with Trees in our community is a great way to help replenish our tree canopy, which makes us all healthier and our city more vibrant,” said President James.
In District 6, 45 trees will be planted on E. St. Catherine between 2nd and Preston. In District 8, the trees will be planted in the green space along Gardiner Lane in the Hawthorne neighborhood abutting I-264.
“TreesLouisville is thrilled to be a primary sponsor of the Planting O’ the Green,” TreesLouisville Executive Director Cindi Sullivan said. “Our vision is a healthier community for current and future generations through a more robust tree canopy, and collaborations like this one are an excellent way to make progress.”
“Brightside is very happy to be a part of another Planting O’ The Green,” Brightside Director Gina O’Brien said. “Trees are a terrific investment in our communities that will positively affect the health of Louisville’s residents, environment and economy. Districts 6 and 8 will reap the benefits of these trees for years to come.”
John O’Dwyer, President of the Father Abram J. Ryan Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, reflected on the meaning of the St. Patrick’s Parade and the impact of Planting O’ The Green.
“The Hibernians strive to open the spring season each year with the St. Patrick’s Parade, often called the People’s Parade, and it is a time for fun and community. Now we are making the Greenest Parade even greener as the next evolution of this charity event to give back to our fine city,” O’Dwyer said.
The 45th Annual St. Patrick’s Parade is Saturday, March 10th. For more information about Planting O’ the Green, contact Councilman Coan’s office at 574-1108.