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On Saturday, July 1st, Southwest Louisville is once again ready to celebrate the Fourth of July Holiday weekend with fireworks and fun as the 6th Annual Riverview Independence Festival, presented by Brown-Forman, Kosair Charities and Metro PCS, gets underway.
“I invite everyone from across Louisville to come to the Riverview Festival to see the fun and festivities we have to offer,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell, D-12. “I am proud of this event as it continues to grow each year and has become a point of pride for our Southwest community.”
It’s a patriotic celebration of music, entertainment, and family fun at the beautiful Riverview Park along the scenic Ohio River. Then, at night, spectacular lights of fireworks will emanate from a barge on the Ohio River for a stunning display with a picturesque backdrop.
“Brown-Forman is a proud supporter of the Riverview Independence Festival – a treasured Southwest tradition that provides an opportunity for our community to gather together in one of Louisville’s most beautiful settings as we celebrate the birth of our nation,” says Carly Launius, Community Relations Manager for Brown-Forman. “We are so please to be a part of this annual event and look forward to seeing its continued growth and success.”
“The Riverview Independence Festival has become a hallmark event in Southwest Louisville,” says Randy Coe, Kosair Charities Board President. “This family-friendly event provides free activities and entertainment for both kids and parents. We are excited to be a part of the fun and community it helps to build.”
“MetroPCS is proud to be a sponsor for the 4th year in a row. Each year we look forward to spending time with our neighbors at the festival,” says Leigh Anne Burke-Schaad, Field Marketing Manager for Metro PCS.
The Riverview Independence Festival will begin at 3:00 pm and will cap off with the Fireworks show at 10:00 pm. It is a free event.
Among the highlights of this year’s Festival:
- Appearances by Abe Lincoln and Col. Sanders from Squallis Puppeteers
- Mad Science experiments to make your own slime and cotton candy
- Mingle with Louisville League of Mascots
- Beat the heat with the Riverview Sprayground
- Bring your refillable water bottles to fill up with “The Bubbler”
- Enjoy fair food from Kentuckiana Catering and Hot Diggety Dogs
- Dawne Gee, Kayla Vanover, Julian Glover from WAVE 3 News will be our emcees for the festival activities
- Musical performances by The Louisville Crashers and Sobourbon Shooters
- Fantastic Fireworks show on the River at 10:00 pm!
Limited parking is available at the event site. Additional parking will be available at LG&E, located at 7301 Distribution Drive. A shuttle service from the school to the park will be provided by TARC for attendees from 4:00 to 10:45 pm.
“Come join us for some patriotic fun at a festival that has quickly become a great tradition and is a great way to celebrate the holiday while enjoying one of the best parks in Southwest Louisville,” said Councilwoman Cindi Fowler (D-14).
“Another fabulous free event for families to enjoy our beautiful riverfront along with music, booths, and food options! Bring a chair or blanket and have fun!” said Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13).
“This Festival is a great way to just kick back with family and friends and enjoy the 4th of July weekend,” says President David Yates (D-25). Community spirit is built when both public and private sectors come together to give the community a free event to celebrate our country’s rich heritage.”
In addition to this year’s Presenting Sponsors, the Riverview Festival is supported by many local businesses whose commitment to our community is essential to the success of the Festival. Lead Sponsors this year include WAVE3 News, LG&E, Atlas Machine & Supply, Café Press and Signarama Dixie. Algood Food Company and Owen Funeral Home have signed on as Proud Patrons.
Joining Blackwell, Fowler, Welch, and Yates as sponsors are Council members Marianne Butler (D-15), Madonna Flood (D-24), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), Dan Johnson (D-21), Jessica Green (D-1), David James (D-6), Angela Leet (R-7), and Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4).
Chairs, blankets, and coolers are allowed. No pets, outside alcohol, tents in the event area, drones or flying objects or glass containers are permitted.
To see a listing of all the activities at the 6th Annual Riverview Independence Festival presented by Brown-Forman and Kosair Charities, and Metro PCS go to: www.RiverviewFestival.com/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverviewfest/
Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum is now offering Race Day Golf Cart and Walking Tours to compliment the list of growing tour options for guests! Hop aboard the Museum’s deluxe 6-person golf cart and experience a whole new way to enjoy live races from various viewing points around Churchill Downs Racetrack.
This exclusive tour takes you through the history, pageantry and legacy of Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Kentucky Derby. Guests will have a unique experience at the home of the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” from the grandstand to the backside and everywhere in between. Led by a knowledgeable Museum guide, the tour provides an unparalleled view of the track and famed Twin Spires.
Suggested itinerary:
11:00 a.m. – Check-in to the Museum
11:10 a.m. – Viewing of “The Greatest Race”
11:30 a.m. – Self-guided exploration through two floors of exhibits
12:30 p.m. – Proceed to box seats
12:45 p.m. – Enjoy first race from box seats
1:00 – 4:30 p.m. – A Museum Tour Guide will pick guests up from assigned box seats and begin the tour from the outside grounds, travel to the Paddock, through the famous infield tunnels to the backside to enjoy an up close and personal view of the horses, jockeys and trainers and see the barns that once were home to Thoroughbred legends like Secretariat, and American Pharoah.
“Watching a race from the backside and exploring the historic grounds through this new tour is a one-of-kind experience, with access to areas many visitors never get to see. We are excited to offer this exclusive tour in partnership with Churchill Downs Racetrack to enjoy the home of the Kentucky Derby in a new light,” Kentucky Derby Museum President Patrick Armstrong said.
The three and a half hour tour, including a box seat to Churchill Downs, runs from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. and is available on select days during the living racing meets through the end of the fall 2017 meet. The cost of the tour is $99 per person. The Race Day Golf Cart and Walking Tour is limited to six guests each day, is available rain or shine, and participating guests must be at least 10 years old.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is open Monday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Councilwoman Madonna Flood (D-24) announced she has decided to forgo the “Doing Our Part from the Heart” campaign until February of 2018 due to unforeseen family medical problems.
“As everyone knows taking care of our servicemen and women in remote areas of the world has been at the center of every Doing Our Part from the Heart campaign,” says Flood. “When February 2017 came around, some of my family and I were dealing with health issues that we had to address. I could not devote my full attention to collecting those items that we send to our military.”
Flood says as a result, she believed it would be best to take a break from the campaign for just one year and then come back in full force to collect the items that traditionally have been sent to far away locations with the help of the community.
“In the ten years that we have been involved, I cannot thank the community enough for their support. From candy to razor blades, our items have touched the lives of service men and women to remind them that we all appreciate them and they are not forgotten,” says Flood. “You have my thanks and my deep appreciation for your caring spirit.”
However, Flood says there is still plenty of opportunity for the community to keep service men and women in mind as they do their duty.
“I would encourage everyone to get in touch with people who have family members who are serving,” says Flood. “Make them a part of your family. We are also always accepting monetary donations at any Republic Bank. This money is used to mail the packages we pack.”
It was in 2006 when the Councilwoman first called upon the community to help in this endeavor. She had received a simple letter from her son while he served in Iraq. For Christmas that year, he asked for basic personal items like deodorant, sunscreen and razors. He also asked if it was possible to send enough of those items for the other members of his unit.
Photo: Churchill Downs Inc.
Churchill Downs Incorporated has announced it is investing approximately $60 million to construct a state-of-the-art historical racing machine (“HRM”) facility in Louisville. The 85,000-square-foot facility will be built at 4520 Poplar Level Road—Churchill Downs’ former Trackside (also known as the former Sports Spectrum) site, and conveniently located less than half a mile from the Poplar Level Road exit off the Henry Watterson Expressway (I-264). CDI’s request to offer exotic wagering on historical racing was conditionally approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission this afternoon.
“With a state-of-the-art facility and new, innovative historical racing machines, we will deliver an exciting and compelling product for our customers in Louisville. This is a great opportunity for us to revitalize another area of our city while strengthening the Commonwealth’s equine industry through larger purses and greater incentives for Kentucky breeders and owners,” Churchill Downs Race Track president Kevin Flannery said. “Stronger horse racing means a stronger Kentucky.”
The company says the facility will create 450 new jobs for the local economy, including 250 construction jobs. An estimated 200 new full- and part-time jobs will be created to operate and manage the facility. Churchill Downs will hire both hourly and salaried employees in areas including operations, marketing, finance, food and beverage, maintenance, information technology, human resources, security and administration. Job fairs will be held at Trackside for the neighborhoods surrounding the facility and the Churchill Downs Race Track.
This announcement comes on the heels of CDI’s decision to relocate its TwinSpires.com business to Louisville from Silicon Valley, California, creating more than 70 high-tech, high-paying jobs for the city.
The planned facility will house two quick-service, walk-up food venues, as well as a bar with seating for 50 and large format televisions for guests to take in all the best sporting action year-round. The gaming area will open with 600 cutting-edge historical racing machines and a player’s club reward center offering special perks and benefits, including an exclusive parking area for loyal guests.
Construction is slated to begin later this year, and CDI hopes to open the facility by summer of 2018.
It’s the day of the Great Adventure Bay Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger, but Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found. PAW Patrol to the rescue! Ryder summons Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest to rescue Mayor Goodway and to run the race in her place.
Using their unique skills and teamwork, the pups show that “no job is too big, no pup is too small,” and share lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as they make several heroic rescues on their race to the finish line.
The Kentucky Center is the official Ticket Service for this production. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m. online, by phone (584-7777), and at the box office (501 W. Main Street, Louisville, 40202).
Ticket prices start at $22.50 reserved seating, fees apply. A VIP Package is available at $123.50 and includes premium seating, souvenir gift, and post-show Meet + Greet with photo opportunity including Ryder and two PAW Patrol characters.
PAW Patrol Live! – Race to the Rescue
Friday, January 5, 2018, 6 p.m.
Saturday, January 6, 10 a.m., 2 p.m.
Sunday, January 7, 1 p.m., 5 p.m.
The Kentucky Center
501 W. Main Street, Louisville 40202
Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary School student Carymnn Blakely is a National Braille Challenge champion. The 8-year-old recently earned first place at the competition in the apprentice category, which included first- and second-graders. Carmynn’s mother, Rebecca Brown, and teacher Deanna Lefan traveled with Carmynn to watch her compete in the contest, which was hosted by the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.
“It was wonderful news to learn that Carmynn had won,” said Breckinridge-Franklin Principal Cathy Bosemer. “We are so proud of her!”
Fifty students from the U.S. and Canada participated in the national competition. The contest included spelling, reading comprehension and proofreading. Congrats, Carmynn!
Pet owners have a chance to find out what goes on when they are not at home with June’s Free Summer Movie. The 2016 American computer-animated comedy film “The Secret Life of Pets” is the feature film at Iroquois Amphitheater on Saturday, June 17th.
“As the Free Summer Movies celebrates its tenth year, we have a fun film for everyone. It’s free to the community at the Iroquois Park Amphitheater, a state of the art outdoor facility,” says Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15).
The movie tells the story of Max and Duke and other pets in a New York apartment building as they vie for the attention of their owner, Katie. What follows is a series of adventures where they encounter other animals after getting separated from their owner.
The Secret Life of Pets features the voices of stars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan in a dual role, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate, and Albert Brooks.
Joining Councilwoman Butler as sponsors of this year are Council Members Rick Blackwell (D-12) Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13), Dan Johnson (D-21) President David Yates (D-25), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), David James (D-6), Cindi Fowler (D- 14), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5), Angela Leet (R-7), Pat Mulvihill (D-10), Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4), Bill Hollander (D-9), Robin Engel (R-22), Barbara Shanklin (D-2), Madonna Flood (D-24), Stuart Benson (R-20) and James Peden (R-23).
The remaining summer lineup for “Movies Under the Stars” is as follows – all movies begin at 8:00pm:
July 15 – Zootopia
August 12 – Sing
Here is the lineup of Free Monday Night Movies for 2017 – all movies begin at 8:00pm:
June 19 – Madea’s Big Happy Family
July 3 – 1776
July 10 – School of Rock
July 17 – The Jungle Book
July 24 – Dial M for Murder
July 31 – The Wild Life
August 14 – The Legend of Tarzan
The Concession Stand is open for these events selling hotdogs, popcorn, ice cream and sodas.
To see all the great summer entertainment this year at the Iroquois Amphitheater, go to www.iroquoisamphithearter.com or call 502-368-5865.
Iroquois Amphitheater is located at 1080 Amphitheater Road in Iroquois Park.
