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Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
The sun sets earlier each day and the kids are back in school. Summer is all but over. This inevitability prompts many to visit lakes, rivers and streams to get in that last weekend of the summer boating season during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“Our busiest weekend of the year,” said Maj. Shane Carrier, assistant director of law enforcement for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Traditionally, Labor Day marks the end of the boating season.”
The crowded conditions common on this holiday weekend make observance of simple boating safety procedures vital to a safe weekend for everyone.
The law requires each passenger in a vessel to have a personal floatation device, commonly called a lifejacket, readily accessible for use. “I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing a lifejacket,” Carrier said. He explained that a lifejacket stored in a compartment or stuffed under a seat is not readily accessible.
“You must be able to get to the lifejacket quickly when you need it,” Carrier said.
Sales of paddlecraft such as kayaks, canoes and stand up paddleboards are booming, but wearing a lifejacket while paddling is of paramount importance for safety.
“Paddlecraft use is growing by leaps and bounds across Kentucky,” Carrier said. “Many paddlecraft users overlook the safety aspect. Paddlecraft are slow and do not have a motor. This lulls people into a false sense of security. I strongly suggest wearing a lifejacket at all times when operating a paddlecraft.”
Carrier said he sees many stand up paddleboard operators with their lifejacket strapped to the front of the paddleboard. “That doesn’t work well if you fall over and hit your head,” he said.
Paddlecraft now line the front of sporting goods, department and hardware stores awaiting a buyer.
“People buy paddlecraft with no training or experience and get in over their head, especially in moving water,” Carrier said. “Leave a float plan with a loved one and get a dry bag to store a charged cell phone on your boat in case you get in trouble.”
Carrier said the law enforcement division spent many hours this year on search and rescue efforts to look for paddlers. “We’ve had quite a few misjudge their take out or how long it takes to paddle there,” he said. “They must know how long it takes to get the float completed. If there is low water and you have to drag a boat over riffles and shoals, it takes time.”
Avoiding alcoholic drinks is one of the smartest safety decisions boaters can make. “Drinking in public is against the law in Kentucky and our waterways are public places,” Carrier said.
The combination of hours in the sun, heat and movement of the boat can induce a mild stupor called boater’s fatigue. “Alcohol intensifies boater’s fatigue,” Carrier said. “This condition can lead to poor decisions on the water.”
Carrier stressed the importance of checking safety equipment to ensure it is in good working order.
A boat with a motor must have a working fire extinguisher on board at all times. “Store the fire extinguisher away from the engine,” Carrier said. “On some boats with inboard-outboard motors, the fire extinguisher is mounted in the engine compartment. If you have a fire, you will burn yourself trying to get to it.”
All vessels over 16 feet in length must have a hand, mouth or power-operated signaling device such as a loud whistle or boat horn. They must also have working red and green navigation lights in the bow of the vessel and a steady white light visible from 360 degrees in the stern.
Boat operators must display these lights from sunset to sunrise in areas where other boats navigate, whether the boat is under power or anchored.
Some boaters mistakenly believe you do not need working navigation lights if you only operate the boat during daylight hours. Mechanical failures, dead batteries or getting lost can prevent a boat from getting back to the dock or ramp before nightfall when you must display these lights. Therefore, lights must be in working condition no matter when you operate the boat.
“You need a light at night so you don’t get run over by another boat,” Carrier said.
Each vessel must have a Type IV throwable personal floatation device such as a float cushion or ring readily accessible for use.
“Although this isn’t boating related, we’ve had multiple people this year drown from swimming,” Carrier said. “People, especially teenagers, try to swim beyond their ability and misjudge the distance. Peer pressure can induce them to try to swim across a large cove and then it is too late.”
Obey these simple safeguards and make the Labor Day weekend memorable for the right reasons.
Meeting planners looking to ‘connect’ with peers and suppliers will be assembling in Louisville August 26-28 for Connect Marketplace, a leading tradeshow in the meetings, events, travel and tourism industry. Approximately 4,000 meeting professionals will be attending Connect Marketplace around the one-year anniversary of the renovated and re-opened Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC).
The opening address will be given by retired American competitive swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals. To conclude the conference, the closing keynote will be delivered by Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, focusing on raising awareness of ending violence against women and girls.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again showcase the city of Louisville to such an important audience,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of Louisville Tourism. “Hosting Connect Marketplace 2019 will support our mission to continue attracting world-class industry tradeshows in Louisville. This will be the second time Connect Marketplace has been to Louisville, and we plan to take every opportunity to show the best our city has to offer, including the explosion of tourism infrastructure over the last decade.”
Connect Marketplace organizers committed to hosting this show in Louisville in the fall of 2017 after confirming it would be ready before 2019. They last met in Louisville in 2010. The estimated economic impact to Louisville from the three-day conference is $4.4 million, however the city stands to benefit additionally from the prospective future convention bookings that occur as a result of showcasing Louisville’s convention package to these key site selection decision makers.
“We are so pleased to be the host city for the 2019 Connect Marketplace,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “This is a time of great transformation for our city, and we’re proud to host the meeting industry’s top event professionals and give these decision-makers a front-row seat to the nearly $1 billion in tourism-based infrastructure improvements underway here.”
Louisville Tourism planned several initiatives to help the city stand out. Some of the key elements of the welcome program include sponsoring a pink-out opening party at Churchill Downs for breast cancer awareness, chalk art downtown and arranging free artist entertainment outside the convention center in the form of buskers. The buskers are part of the Art in Lou pilot program in partnership with the Fund for the Arts to provide artists with paid opportunities to perform for the community in public spaces, providing a welcoming, lively atmosphere for visitors and residents.
Commercial anglers on Kentucky and Barkley lakes are deploying indicator flags to mark the locations of their nets.
“We want to make anglers and recreational boaters aware of ongoing commercial angling and net locations,” said Jessica Morris, fisheries biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
“These bright yellow flags are visible for a mile. While nets are generally set 3-feet underneath the surface, boaters still should not go between flags or use them for skiing buoys because of the risk of entanglement.”
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation purchased about 100 flags and the materials to attach them to the nets.
This spring, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to allow commercial netting during summer weekends as part of the ongoing effort to control numbers of invasive Asian carp in Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Commercial anglers previously were restricted to netting during the weekdays in summer.
Asian carp outcompete native fish for food. Silver carp, one of the Asian carp species, can be hazardous to boaters as they jump out of the water as a boat approaches.
The net indicator flags are part of a collaborative effort between the department and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation to avoid user conflicts on the lakes. Nets may be deployed day or night, and not all will be marked.
So far this year, commercial anglers have netted 2.8 million pounds of Asian carp from Kentucky waterways, more than double the 1.1 million pounds taken by the same time in 2018. Morris said approximately 80 percent of the harvest comes from Lake Barkley.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is working with commercial anglers and processors to develop markets for Asian carp.
As part of the effort to control Asian carp, construction is underway on a deterrent system designed to thwart the fish from entering a boating lock chamber into Lake Barkley. The device, known as a bio-acoustic fish fence, could be operational by fall.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, center, joins Kentucky craft brewers to announce the Kentucky Proud Beer Series on Tuesday at Gravely Brewing Co. in Louisville. (Kentucky Department of Agriculture photo)
The Kentucky Proud Beer Series will be bigger and better than ever in 2019 with a beer festival in Newport and six Kentucky Proud paired beer dinners in October, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced on Tuesday.
“Every October, Kentucky’s craft brewers use Kentucky Proud products to brew one-of-a-kind beers to showcase their creativity and honor the Commonwealth’s producers,” Commissioner Quarles said. “We are pleased to collaborate with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers on what has become a staple of Kentucky’s fall calendar.”
“We are thrilled to partner again with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to develop over 20 beers that highlight the wonderful products that Kentucky’s farms have to offer,” said Derek Selznick, executive director of the Kentucky Guild of Brewers.
Participating Kentucky craft brewers will release special beers infused with Kentucky Proud products on Oct. 18. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) worked with the guild to match craft brewers with Kentucky Proud producers to create the limited-release beers.
The Kentucky Proud Beer Festival is set for Oct. 19 at Wooden Cask Brewery in Newport. Participating craft breweries will serve their Kentucky Proud beers at the event. Kentucky-sourced foods will be provided by the Farmstand Café and other providers. Tickets are $25 for VIP admission (limited to 250) and $10 for general admission. Tickets include a commemorative Kentucky Proud tasting glass and two 8-ounce samples. More samples are available for purchase.
Six Kentucky Proud paired beer dinners are scheduled Oct. 14-17 in various locations across the Commonwealth. The dinners will consist of locally sourced foods matched with beers from the Kentucky Proud Beer Series.
Brewers participating in the 2019 Kentucky Proud Beer Series include 3rd Turn Brewing, Against the Grain Brewery, Falls City Brewing Co., Gordon Biersch Brewery, Gravely Brewing Co., Holsopple Brewing, Monnik Beer Co., and Old Louisville Brewing, all of Louisville; Blue Stallion Brewing, Fusion Brewing, Lexington Brewing Company, and West Sixth Brewing, Lexington; Alexandria Brewing Company; Bircus Brewing Company, Ludlow; Braxton Brewing Co., Covington; Country Boy Brewing, Georgetown; Darkness Brewing, Bellevue; Flywheel Brewing, Elizabethtown; Jarfly Brewing Co., Somerset; Paducah Beer Werks; Sig Luscher Brewery, Frankfort; and Wooden Cask Brewing Company, Newport.
For more information about the 2019 Kentucky Proud Beer Series and Festival, go to kygbrewers.org.
Thousands of cyclists, paddlers and walkers will be in motion at the Mayor’s Subway Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle Monday, September 2 as it returns for a 15th consecutive Labor Day at Waterfront Park.
“One of our goals is to make Louisville a healthier city, and one way to do that is to ensure we are a more active and accessible city for people of all ages,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I’m excited to join thousands of residents from across Louisville for this beloved annual tradition.”
Subway Restaurants is again the title sponsor of Hike, Bike & Paddle, with presenting sponsors, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, Norton Healthcare and Neil Huffman Subaru. Academy Sports + Outdoors is a contributing sponsor.
“Subway Restaurants is proud to again be the title sponsor of the Mayor’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle, celebrating its 15th year. The events happening today give people an opportunity to be outside in the fresh air and lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Umang Patel, Louisville SUBWAY Board Chair.
“Coca-Cola Consolidated is passionate about serving the Louisville community,” said Brian Outland, Vice President of Retail Sales at Coke Consolidated. “That’s why it’s an honor to support wonderful events like the Hike, Bike, and Paddle, that bring so many people together in the community for family fun during the holiday weekend.”
Norton Healthcare is pleased to once again sponsor the Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle. “As a nationally-recognized healthiest employer, we are committed to providing a culture of health and wellness within our organization and throughout the community,” said Russell F. Cox, president and chief executive officer, Norton Healthcare. “We encourage everyone to live a healthy, active lifestyle and to participate in this fun event.”
“Neil Huffman Subaru is proud to again be a partner with Mayor Greg Fischer and the Office of Special Events for the Memorial Day edition of the Hike, Bike and Paddle,” said Dow Huffman, Managing Partner, Neil Huffman Auto Group. “Throughout the Neil Huffman Auto Group’s 50-year history, community involvement has been one of our core values and we salute this signature healthy city initiative and applaud the thousands of members of our community who participate each year.”
For hikers, this year features three routes, including a 5K route, that will all travel along Waterfront Park to the Big Four Bridge, all ending back at the Great Lawn. All routes are dog friendly, except for the route across the Big Four Bridge. The dog friendly route will take hikers with animals on a path leading to the Louisville Community Boathouse and back to the Great Lawn. All dogs must be leashed, and their owners must pick up waste during the walk. For those needing a shortened route, a third route will travel along Waterfront Park and circle back at the Big Four Bridge. All routes are wheelchair and stroller accessible.
For cyclists, this year’s 13.5-mile route will start near the Flock of Finns on Witherspoon Street and include travel through the Beecher Terrace redevelopment and parts of Smoketown and Shelby Park neighborhoods, past the Logan Street Market and Paristown developments, past the Louisville City FC’s under-construction stadium, and more. Cyclists who do not wish to do the entire course may turn around at any point after the majority of participants have passed.
All of the cycling and walking routes will be marked with signage and will have water stops at the halfway points to refill water bottles. The Louisville Bicycle Club and Scheller’s Fitness and Cycle are providing “bike captains” to help cyclists obey the rules of the road.
“Bike doctors” will be stationed in Waterfront Park before the ride and along the route to assist cyclists with any equipment problems. Louisville Metro Police will provide traffic assistance at key intersections, and the Louisville Metro EMS bicycle team will patrol the route. All cyclists are asked to remain behind the lead Police vehicles.
The paddling activity will begin at the Harbor Lawn in Waterfront Park and the route will be about 5 miles along Ohio River. At 10 a.m., paddlers will go through the McAlpine locks to New Albany. TARC will have free shuttle for the return trip to Waterfront Park.
Paddlers can enter from the University of Louisville Rowing dock located at the east end of Waterfront Park near the Community Boat House and will proceed downstream to the Harbor Lawn to await the start of the event. Free parking is available at this location. Volunteers will be on-site to assist paddlers at both locations.
Back by popular demand again this year, the Louisville Kayak Company will be offering kayak rental services at the event. You can reserve your kayak at the event or before you go by visiting here.
Police and safety boats will be nearby during the paddling activity, and participants can get assistance if needed in launching their canoe or kayak. Safe paddling instruction and demonstrations will take place in the harbor area of the Great Lawn.
More than 50 vendors and information booths will open at 8:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park. Yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba and Pickleball demonstrations will be offered starting at 8 a.m., along with group participation.
2,500 free t-shirts will be available for those arriving early and completing a brief survey. Thanks to sponsor support, this year’s t-shirt is an upgraded performance sport material.
Subway will be handing out free cash gift cards to be used at any Subway location, while supplies last. The Brain Injury Association will distribute 500 helmets to riders who don’t have one. Neil Huffman Subaru will be giving away a free bicycle and kayak at the event. Participants are encouraged to be “green” and bring their own water bottles, which they will be able to fill at Waterfront Park and at various water stations along the routes, as part of Louisville Water’s Pure Tap To Go.
This is the 15th year for the Hike, Bike & Paddle events, which are held each Memorial Day and Labor Day. The events are part of the city’s Healthy Hometown Movement, created to encourage Louisville residents to be more active and make healthier lifestyle choices.
To view interactive route maps, a full schedule and for more information, visit here. RSVP on the Hike, Bike and Paddle Facebook event page. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram @AroundLou!
The Kentucky State Fair announced a new policy for minors attending the annual summer celebration.
Beginning Wednesday Aug. 21, fairgoers under 18 years old entering after 6 p.m. must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older. Proof of age is required. IDs will be verified at the gate. In addition to this new policy, there will be increased lighting and law enforcement personnel during peak hours.
“The Kentucky State Fair is a family-friendly event and our facility’s goal is to ensure that fairgoers are able to enjoy a comfortable experience during the Fair each year. With this new policy and added security measures, we are continuing to enhance the Kentucky State Fair experience for all our guests,” said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues.
The 2019 Kentucky State Fair runs through Aug. 25 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For more information, visit www.kystatefair.org. Find the Fair on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The St. James Court Art Show has been ranked No. 1 on Sunshine Artist Magazine’s 2019 list of the 200 Best Fine Art & Design Shows in America.
“We are extremely excited about the honor of being selected number one,” said Howard Rosenberg, executive director of the St. James Court Art Show. “The credit really goes to all the people who work tirelessly throughout the year on the show. We must also give recognition to our family of artists who exhibit their work at our show and make it so very special.”
The annual list ranks the nation’s most profitable art and craft festivals based on subscribers’ reported sales in 2018. The 200 Best list is based entirely on revenue. Artists cast their votes after being asked by Sunset Artist Magazine to list the top 10 most profitable art and/or craft shows they exhibited at in 2018. They also indicated their level of gross sales at each event and noted whether they consider themselves to be fine artists or craftspeople for each one. The results were tabulated using a weighted scale based on four sales levels to ensure that all events can compete against each other fairly.
To see the complete 2019 Best list, click here.
The 63rd annual St. James Court Art Show takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 and 5 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 6. Admission is free and the art show is a rain or shine event held in historic Old Louisville, home of the largest preserved districts of Victorian architecture in the United States. In addition to the plethora of local Kentucky artists, hundreds of artists travel to Louisville from all around the world to participate in the show. During this three-day event, guests will discover unique works of art in 17 artistic mediums, from clay to wood, and everything in between. Food and drink from local vendors will also be available for purchase.
For more information about the St. James Court Art Show, visit St.JamesCourtArtShow.com.
