Wednesday October 15, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
SubscribeWhat do pawpaw trees, river birches and devil’s walkingstick trees have in common? They are all woody plants that are native to our region.
Using native trees, shrubs, vines, hedges, grasses, ferns and flowering plants in landscapes large and small helps conserve water, attract wildlife and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
The public is invited to learn more about the native plants of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana at a free workshop March 20 on the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus.
The 1 p.m. event will be held inside the Cultural Center Multipurpose Room next to UofL’s Garden Commons community garden. Margaret Shea, owner of Dropseed Native Plant Nursery in Goshen, will be the speaker.
“Native species are so important to our environment, even right here on our urban campus,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. “Margaret has more than 25 years of training and practical experience in natural areas management, restoration and biological inventory. We are thrilled she is coming here to speak to students, faculty, staff and members of the public.”
For more information, contact Mog at justin.mog@louisville.edu or visit louisville.edu/sustainability.
The UofL Alumni Association will host local and national events for alumni and fans to celebrate the NCAA Tournament play this week.
UofL’s #2-seeded men’s team will face #15 Jacksonville State at 2:45 p.m. Friday in Indianapolis in the first round, while #4 women’s basketball will face #13 Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.
On Friday, March 17, in Indianapolis, two locations are available for UofL alumni and fans to gather. They are: Colts Grill at 10 a.m. and Scotty’s Brewhouse at 11 a.m.; both are one block from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Entry is free and the first 50 fans at each location will receive a special giveaway. Seating is first come, first serve with no reservations. If the Cardinals advance, the pre-game gathering locations will remain the same for Sunday’s games.
Fans are also invited to support the 12 Cardinals competing in the NCAA Division 1 Swimming & Diving Championship, which will be March 15-18 at IU Natatorium.
On Saturday, March 18, the UofL and UK alumni chapters in Indianapolis will co-host a Collaborative Community Service Project from 9 a.m.–noon at Gleaners Food Bank. While rivals off the court, the two schools will come together to give back during the event.
Alumni regional chapters will also host national game watches in more than 30 locations across the country including the Sport & Social Club for local fans. A full list of men’s and women’s tournament-related news can be found at: UofLalumni.org/UofLNCAA.
For more information, on-site interview opportunities or photos, contact Lindsay Wehr, Director of Advancement Communications, at 502-262-5434 or lawehr01@louisville.edu.
Abbey Road on the River (AROTR), the annual music festival honoring the music and legend of The Beatles, is just around the corner and area residents now have the opportunity to pick up tickets at all 45 Kentuckiana area Thorntons locations.
With roots dating back to 2002 in Cleveland, the 5-day music festival takes place over Memorial Day weekend along the Jeffersonville waterfront with venues including Big 4 Station Park, Clarion Hotel, and 300 Spring. Attracting over 30,000 attendees, Abbey Road on the River is billed as the largest Beatles festival in the country.
Since the move from Ohio, Abbey Road on the River has expanded greatly, averaging more than 60 bands annually. The 2017 lineup includes legendary greats such as Herman’s Hermits, The Family Stone, Paul Revere & the Raiders former lead singer Mark Lindsay, Wings drummer Steve Holley, The Grass Roots, Ambrosia, and many more. The star-studded lineup is backed by a full bill of original acts and tribute bands who carry on the musical traditions of 60’s, 70’s, and beyond.
And it’s all kicked off with a free concert starring starring Jake Clemons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on Thursday, May 25.
General Admission Tickets are available now for $20 at all 45 Kentuckiana Thorntons Stores, which includes free 21 and under admission. Tickets are also available online.
The National Farm Machinery Show continues to be one of the largest-attended events at the Kentucky Exposition Center — and is ranked 6th in attendance for the Top Ten Largest U.S. Trade Shows. Held Feb. 15-18 of this year, attendees, exhibitors and agribusiness professionals totaled more than 300,000.
The National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) spanned 1.2 million square feet and was packed with 880 booths of the agricultural industry’s latest and most comprehensive display of equipment, services and technology. Other highlights included 15 free seminars with topics ranging from market strategies to aerial imagery to farm data.
As the nation’s largest indoor farm show, NFMS brings an economic impact of $17 million to Louisville annually, filling local hotels and restaurants with attendees from across the country and around the world.
An indicator of the show’s future potential, the National Farm Machinery Show and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) announced a verbal agreement. Beginning in 2018, AEM will assist with management and co-promotion of NFMS, and have an equity position in the future growth of the event.
The Championship Tractor Pull, held in conjunction with the farm show, sold more than 65,000 tickets. Fans flooded Freedom Hall for five pulls, which drew the nation’s top drivers as they competed for the title of Grand Champion and more than $200,000 in prize money.
For more information, visit www.farmmachineryshow.org.
91.9 WFPK Independent Louisville is teaming up with the WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River to give music fans a reason to say YEAH, YEAH, YEAH on opening day of the festival. WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River will present the “WFPK Kick Off Concert starring Jake Clemons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” on Thursday, May 25th at 8:30pm. The free, ticketless event will be held at the Big Four Station Park in Jeffersonville, IN – the new home of the world famous Beatles tribute festival. Attendees will also be able to enjoy live Beatles music on other festival stages, a Beatles merchandise marketplace, and on-site food and beverage.
Jake Clemons is best known for being the nephew of the legendary Clarence Clemons and his replacement as lead saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He’s been touring with The Boss, playing all the big dates, since 2012. Jake has been bringing his original music to audiences since 2010, but he’s really begun making a name for himself as a solo artist with the release of his highly anticipated 11-song first album “Fear & Love,” which was released in January. He plays guitar, sax, piano, and drums, he writes music, he sings, and he loves rock ‘n roll.
Reflecting on the album and first single Jake says: “Fear & Love is a journey that forges through loss & hardship and attempts to reconcile those challenges until finding its way to the freedom of being vulnerable and honest, mostly with yourself. The first single ‘A Little Bit Sweet,’ sits just on the other side of those losses, recognizing that yes, life is bittersweet…but a little bit sweet makes it better.”
In addition to the free kick off concert on May 25th, Clemons will also perform at the festival on Sunday, May 28th. After 12 years in Louisville, the WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River will debut in Jeffersonville at the Big Four Station Park on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-29. 2017 marks a number of musical anniversaries including the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love and the 50th anniversary of the release of the greatest album in rock history – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The lineup of popular musicians from that 1967 summer who will perform at this year’s festival include Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Grammy-winner Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon, American rock band The Grass Roots, The Family Stone, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, American rock band Ambrosia and former Wings band members Laurence Juber (guitarist) and Steve Holley (drummer).
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.arotr.com.
Today is the last day for the annual National Farm Machinery Show. Visitors will have one final chance to see the newest and most advance equipment for all their agricultural needs before they are gone from the Kentucky Exposition Center. Whether you are large commercial farmer or a home gardener, there will be something of interest for everyone. With over 800 exhibitors, a crafts and gift market, and the Championship Tractor Pull, the event is expecting up to 300,000 attendees throughout the course of the show.
The final day of Championship Tractor Pull will feature two events including the 1:00 PM matinée and the 7:30 PM championship finals. Each event is expected to last approximately three hours. Drivers in the afternoon competition will test their machines in the classes for 7,500lb. 4×4 Super Stock Diesel Trucks, 6,400lb. Lightweight Super Stock Alcohol Tractors, and 10,200lb. Pro Stock Tractors. The evening heats include Modified Tractors, Super Farm Tractors, 2WD Super Modified Trucks, Super Stock and Alcohol Tractors, and the massive 10,200lb. Pro Stock Tractor class.
Last night, visitors were treated to a down-to-the-wire performance as three Pro Stock tractors made a full pull of the weight sled to result in a head to head pull-off to determine the winner. The competition is exciting and the event is loud so be sure to bring your ear protection. This is a separate event from the admission-free Farm Machinery Show and tickets must be purchased ahead of time. Pricing starts at $20 for the afternoon event and $25 for the evening event. As with most events at the KY Exposition Center, parking is $8 per car. Do not miss out on one of larger shows that comes Louisville.
Don’t Miss the Nation’s Largest Indoor Farm Show, Gift & Craft Craft Market, and Championship Tractor Pull Finals
The 52nd annual National Farm Machinery Show at the Kentucky Expo Center is more than two days in, but visitors still have time to get in on the action.
With nearly 900 vendors in the farm show exhibit area and the Gift & Craft Market, the event is not just for those in the commercial agriculture industry. Everyone from home gardeners to country craft lovers will find something to spark their interest, from free seminars to face-time with vendors to the excitement of truck and tractor pulling competitions.
While the NFMS itself is free to attend and open to the public, the associated Championship Tractor Pull events each night, with an afternoon matinee on Saturday, require reserved seat tickets, which start at $20. Fans will be treated to thundering excitement as drivers compete in ten weight-based divisions as they try to drag weighted sleds down the full length of the dirt track. If two or more drivers in a division succeed in making a “full pull,” more weight is added and they try again and the driver who pulls the sled farthest wins.
The tense – and LOUD – competition isn’t just for bragging rights, either. Competitors are vying for a piece of a quarter-million dollar purse. Don’t forget your ear plugs!
Fans wanting to check out the powerful machines before they roar into the arena can visit the pit area in Broadbent Arena, where they can get up close and personal with the trucks and tractors and trucks and meet drivers for photos and autographs. The pit area is open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 11 a.m.
Connect with Louisville Dispatch on Facebook for more photos of the event and to share you own. Continue reading
