Thursday January 22, 2026
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
The line-up is set for the 2017 Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. Floats and inflatable units participating in this year’s parade drew for positions at a special event tonight at the Ice House. “Louisville on the Move” will be the theme for the Derby Festival’s oldest event, which will feature approximately 100 units marching down Broadway on Thursday, May 4th.
“This year’s theme is twofold with both a health focus, as well as a nod to how the city continues to grow and progress,” said Mike Berry, KDF President & CEO. “There are many different ways to depict ‘Louisville on the Move’ and we look forward to seeing all the creative and original designs.”
The parade theme will be used by sponsoring companies to help direct the building of floats and costuming of the inflatable handlers and crew. 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 annual spectacle marches west on Broadway from Campbell to Ninth Street.
The 2017 Parade will feature 13 floats, plus 1 push float, 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 six participating inflatable character balloons.
| Floats: | Inflatable Balloon Characters: |
| Belle of LouisvilleCity of St. Matthews
Grand Lodge of Kentucky Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Hwang’s Martial Arts Indiana University Southeast Kentuckiana Pride Festival Kosair Shriners/Kosair Charities Masonic Homes of Kentucky Metro Parks & Recreation Norton Healthcare Second Chance @ Life The Fillies, Inc. Push Float: Passport |
CareSource “Super Grover”Horseshoe Southern Indiana “Horseshoe”
LG&E “Louie the Lightning Bug” Republic Bank “Peggy Bank” StageOne “Flying Elephant” ZirMed, Inc. “Blue Angels Balloon”
|
Fans will have the opportunity to preview each float at the Republic Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Parade Preview Party on Tuesday, May 2, at the Kentucky Exposition Center, in South Wing C. This event will offer a taste of nearly the entire parade. Character balloons, equestrian units and assorted VIPs will join the floats on display for the indoor tour “inside” a parade. Admission is a 2017 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 new Contributing Sponsor, KentuckyOne Health.
Mayor Greg Fischer today announced a contest to celebrate the Louisville Orchestra’s historic performance this week with guest conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.
Tilson Thomas, also known as MTT, is the celebrated music director of the San Francisco Symphony. He will be among the most prominent guest conductors for the Louisville Orchestra since a mid-century visit by Shostakovich and Stravinsky, according to Louisville Orchestra music director Teddy Abrams. More about the concert, including ticket information, can be found at https://louisvilleorchestra.org.
As part of the contest, Mayor Fischer is asking residents to share on social media about how music and the arts changed their lives.
He has posted this question to Facebook and Instagram —residents will have until 5 p.m. Thursday to share their story. The commenter with the best answer will receive two free tickets to the concert conducted by Tilson Thomas and Abrams on Saturday, April 15.
“Promoting rock concerts in college was one of my first experiences as an entrepreneur, and so I’m a big believer in the profound ways art can change a life — and a city,” Mayor Fischer said.
“I’m urging citizens to tell us how music has helped shape their lives, and for music lovers throughout our city — the longtime classical fans, and the new — to make plans to experience this significant moment for the Louisville Orchestra on Saturday.”
MTT will conduct the orchestra for a celebration of American music that includes pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, John Adams and George Gershwin, as well as his own pieces.
Photo: Kentucky State Parks, Pennyrile Forest
Learn about the route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears in western Kentucky during Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park’s Trail of Tears Weekend May 12-13.
The event, co-sponsored by the Friends of Pennyrile, will feature a bus tour of the trail in Caldwell, Crittenden and Livingston counties. The bus will take participants to Mantle Rock Nature Preserve, which is an important point on Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced removals of the Cherokee living east of the Mississippi to what is now Oklahoma.
Guests can attend an introductory program on Friday evening and a historical and musical program on Saturday evening by Laura Hunt Angel.
Space is limited to 50 people.
The fee is $45 and includes the bus tour, a boxed lunch, evening programs and a tour guide. The park is also offering a 10 percent lodging discount. Call 800-325-1711.
The rustic wood and stone Pennyrile Lodge, with 24 rooms, sits serenely on a high cliff overlooking Pennyrile Lake. Open year-round, the park has 12 cottages in the wooded lodge area and on the lake’s shores. The restaurant seats 200, including a private dining room for up to 80. The park also offers hiking trails, fishing, basketball, tennis, camping and horse campsites that are available year-round.
“In For The Cure” by Franklin County artist Fran Redmon
Work by 29 Kentucky artists will hang in Frankfort for the Governor’s Derby Exhibit, an annual initiative coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council.
This exhibit is on display through May 8 in the Capitol Rotunda, 700 Capital Ave. in Frankfort.
“The Kentucky Derby is a time-honored tradition, and so, too, is our celebration of work by Kentucky artists,” said Kentucky First Lady Glenna Bevin. “The Governor’s Derby Exhibit is something we want all Kentuckians and visitors to our wonderful state to come to Frankfort and enjoy as we count down the days until the first Saturday in May.”
The exhibit celebrates Kentucky stories and traditions, including its tobacco heritage, which Frankfort artist Fran Redmon chose to capture in her pastel work titled “In For the Cure,” which shows a colorful rendition of a barn with drying tobacco hanging inside.
“I grew up in Woodford County as the daughter of a tobacco farmer with my five siblings,” Redmon said. “We worked on the farm every year. It was something we were all part of. When I drive down the road in the fall and see tobacco hanging, I remember those days.”
The barn in her piece is one she saw on a fall drive in Franklin County near Switzer.
“I took a picture of it and decided to do a painting,” she said. “I liked the way it was weathered, but the thing that caught my eye was the dramatic lighting of the sun coming across the front. I liked the drama of the light and shadow at that time of day.”
This is the second time Redmon’s work has been selected for the Governor’s Derby Exhibit.
Unlike most Kentucky Arts Council exhibits, which are only open to adjudicated arts council program participants, the Governor’s Derby Exhibit includes art from any Kentuckian age 18 or older.
“One of my goals as executive director is creating more opportunities for Kentucky artists across the state to show work in arts council exhibits,” said Lydia Bailey Brown, arts council executive director. “These exhibits often help us discover even more talent in the state, and gives those artists the confidence to put themselves out there.”
Below is a full list of artists included in the display, their county of residence and title of artwork:
- Bill Berryman, Clark, “The Piper”
- Bill Burton, Daviess, “Keeneland Fall Meet”
- CeCe Butcher, Pulaski, “Tribute to Bill Monroe”
- Robert Clark, Scott, “Mine That Bird’s Derby”
- Laura Eklund, Carter, “Kentucky Sky”
- Darryl Halbrooks, Madison, “Natura Morta 5”
- Jerielle Hanlon, Fayette, “Kentucky Agate and Cloud Abstract”
- Marilyn Holmes, Jefferson, “I Too Sing America”
- Frederica Diane Huff, Jefferson, “A Kentucky Girl and Her Horse”
- Robert Hunt, Madison, “Kentucky Derby Story”
- Shirley Jeter, Fayette, “Tradition”
- Betty Liles, Christian, “The Apple Barn”
- David Neace, Jessamine, “Earth 1946”
- Kevin Osbourn, Clark, “The Rock Bridge”
- Ken Page, Kenton, “The Maestro Takes a Walk”
- Linda Pierce, Christian, “Troop Train”
- Monica Pipia, Fayette, “The Turnaround”
- Fran Redmon, Franklin, “In For the Cure”
- Cassandra Russell Dossett, Jefferson, “My Old Kentucky Saddler”
- Marcheta Sparrow, Franklin, “Intensity – Expression of a Kentucky Champion”
- Wayne Stacy, Franklin, “Faith Abandoned”
- Paula Stone-Buckner, Montgomery, “The Queen’s Court”
- Jason Sturgill, Fayette, “Face Shielded from the Sun Floating Slowly Down the River”
- Billy Tackett, Boone, “Pearl Bryan”
- Susan Tolliver, Jefferson, “Surging Ahead”
- Patty Trujillo, Jefferson, “Uncle Damon”
- Connie Vice, Oldham, “Worthington’s Garage”
- Amy Welborn, Oldham, “Mimosa Sunrise”
- Angela Wells, Jefferson, “Abe’s Last Garden”
The Governor’s Derby Exhibit is open to the public during regular State Capitol building hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
The weather forecast calls for a redbud winter to hit this week. This old saying refers to cold snaps that occur in early April when the redbud trees bloom.
The up and down nature of spring weather can cause consternation among anglers when planning fishing trips. Concerns about the weather is one of three things to consider when planning fishing trips this spring.
1. Barometric pressure is key to unlocking fish behavior in spring:
Barometric pressure is the measurement of the weight of an entire column of air pressing down upon the Earth. Approaching storm fronts in spring ease this weight, resulting in low barometric pressure. The low pressure releases humidity trapped in the atmosphere, resulting in rain or snow.
The dark, low clouds, winds and precipitation that accompany low pressure systems limit light penetration into the water column, providing a better environment for predator fish to ambush prey. Fish do bite better before a front.
High pressure systems follow low pressure frontal systems. In North America, high pressure systems flow out in a clockwise pattern, resulting first in winds from the north and eventually from the east.
“I don’t believe in too many old wives tales when it comes to fishing, but ‘wind from the east, fish bite least’ is one I do believe in,” said Maj. Shane Carrier, assistant director of Law Enforcement for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “I don’t catch many fish when the wind is from the east.”
A couple of days of stable weather in spring ease the influence of high pressure and get fish biting again. The sunny days typical of high pressure warm the water and stir fish activity.
Plan your trips this spring to fish either right before a low pressure system or on the third or fourth day of stable weather.
2. Making sense of the USGS streamflow charts to plan float trips on Kentucky streams:
The streamflow information on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) webpage at www.waterdata.usgs.gov provides invaluable information for paddlers and anglers. On this page, select Kentucky from the drop down menu on the top right hand corner to view the flow on streams on all of the river drainages in Kentucky.
The rate of flow on this page shows as CFS or cubic feet per second. The cubic feet per second expresses the amount of flow that passes the USGS stream gauges per second. The higher the CFS, the higher and swifter the water.
The chart for an individual stream shows the discharge for each day of the preceding week as well as the current day. A small triangle on the chart shows the median, or midpoint, flow for each day based on years of data. A flow measuring much higher than the median means high, and usually muddy, water, not the best conditions for fishing and floating.
A flow under the median usually means tolerable fishing and paddling conditions. The USGS streamflow page also has a chart showing the gauge height for each stream. This helps flesh out the data provided by the streamflow chart. This chart provides a good mental image of the rise, fall or stability of the stream over the last week.
The new Canoeing and Kayaking page on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website at www.fw.ky.gov is another invaluable repository of information for stream anglers and paddlers. This page leads to information collected by biologists concerning the fish populations in a stream, the recommended levels for floating selected streams, photos of access sites and fishing tips. The page also contains a link to the Blue Water Trails series, an ongoing initiative detailing the paddling and fishing on streams across Kentucky as well as a printable map.
3. What is a daily creel limit and a possession limit for fishing?
Anglers often get confused about these terms, especially when they are fishing three or more to a boat.
“Whenever anyone is fishing in Kentucky, each angler is entitled to the daily creel limit for that species on that lake, river or stream,” Carrier explained. “There is no boat limit in Kentucky.”
For example, if three anglers fish for crappie on Kentucky Lake out of one boat, each is entitled to 20 crappie, the daily creel limit for crappie on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. There is also a 10-inch minimum size limit for crappie on these lakes, therefore anglers must immediately release any crappie caught less than 10 inches long.
The possession limit is the amount of unprocessed fish a person may hold after two or more days of fishing. In Kentucky, this amount is two times the daily creel limit for any species that has a daily creel limit.
Keep these things in mind as you plan and execute fishing trips this spring. Remember to buy your 2017-2018 fishing license, as the new license year began March 1.
Photo: Kentucky State Parks
Experience the beauty of the Carter Caves Wildflower Pilgrimage April 21-22 at Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill.
Throughout the weekend guests will experience the beauty of the area during wildflower walks. This is the perfect weekend for experienced wildflower enthusiasts, beginner bloomers or those who just enjoy being in the woods to get outside and experience the natural beauty of spring.
The event is sponsored by the Friends of Carter Caves. All trips are free this year.
Participants will be able to sign up for the hikes at the park. Overnight lodging and camping is available. The park’s friends group will host a hot dog cook out on Saturday with proceeds benefiting the park.
Call the park at 606-286-4411 for more information or to make lodging reservations.
In addition to cave tours, Carter Caves offers hiking, mini-golf, fishing and a gem mine. Carter Caves also has a lodge, cottages and restaurant. For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0059 or visit parks.ky.gov/
Now that the Kentucky-based teams are no longer in the NCAA basketball tournament, the Final Four isn’t nearly as exciting, and somewhat depressing, to watch.
The best cure for any bruised feelings left by March Madness is to get out in early April and chase largemouth bass. A huge largemouth bass shaking its head vigorously trying to throw your white spinnerbait soothes any broken basketball heart.
Water temperatures range from 52 degrees at Lake Cumberland in the east to 58 degrees on Kentucky Lake in the west. In other words, it is prime time.
“With water temperatures in the mid-50s, the big female largemouth bass are staging,” said Jeff Ross, assistant director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “They are moving from their deeper winter locations to spawning locations in the shallows. They definitely work their way shallow in stages, but a cold front can push them back for a short period.”
At this time of year, the male largemouth bass move shallow first to build nests, followed by the female bass to lay their eggs.
“Recently, I caught a lot of largemouth bass, but they were all small male bass,” said Easton Copley, aquatic education program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “When you look at their lips, they were roughed up and bloodied. They looked like they had lipstick on them from making spawning beds.”
Copley recommends looking for those staging areas to catch the large female largemouths. Female largemouth bass stage where large mud flats drop-off into deeper water. This is especially true on smaller state-owned lakes.
“At this time of year, I am not looking for numbers of bass,” Copley explained. “I am fishing for big females.”
Ross said to hit the secondary points or ledges near shallow water on the larger reservoirs, such as Kentucky Lake or Barren River Lake. “When the females hit those secondary points in spring, they are pretty close to spawning,” he said.
Copley said when water temperatures climb to 60 degrees, the larger female bass move into their shallow water spawning areas. “I look for rocky banks and transitional banks from rocky to mud,” he said. “If you can find a laydown tree on this kind of bank, all the better.”
Copley throws a variety of lures when spawning bass are up shallow. “I’ve caught a lot of bass on a square-billed crankbait in the Sexy Shad color,” he said. “I also catch quite a few on jigs. Black and blue is my go-to jig color for lakes with some color to the water. In clear water, I like the Cumberland Craw color for my jigs at this time of year.”
White spinnerbaits with a white and chartreuse trailer also draw strikes from shallow spring largemouth bass.
“When the bite gets tough, I pull out a Shakey head with a black and blue 7-inch straight-tailed worm,” Copley said.
Anglers who plan to release their catch need to release the female largemouth bass back to the same area during the spawn. “Take a photo and get them back in the water as soon as possible so they can get back to their spawning,” Copley said. “They are full of eggs.”
Kentucky anglers have oodles of options to catch spring largemouth bass. Check the 2017 Fishing Forecast
Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
for productive largemouth bass lakes near you.
Copley’s favorite lake is south-central Kentucky’s Green River Lake. He also likes 784-acre Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County. “Guist Creek Lake near Shelbyville has lots of big fish, but can be tough to fish because of high fishing pressure,” he said.
Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley ranked number 4 in the Southeast Region for 2016 on Bassmaster Magazine’s Best Bass Lakes in the Country rankings. These lakes offer arguably the best chance in Kentucky to catch largemouth bass 4 pounds and larger
“We have many lakes where you don’t need a 20-foot bass boat to catch a big bass,” Ross explained. “Our smaller state-owned lakes, such as Kincaid Lake in northern Kentucky and Lake Malone in western Kentucky, are trophy largemouth bass lakes. Both of these lakes have excellent facilities for anglers at Lake Malone State Park and Kincaid Lake State Park. Beshear Lake, mainly located inside Pennyrile State Forest in western Kentucky, is always a big bass producer. Cranks Creek Lake in southeastern Kentucky also has some huge bass in it.”
The Final Four may be a bummer for Kentuckians this year, but warm days and trophy largemouth bass will put the NCAA tournament in the rearview mirror.
Remember to buy your 2017-2018 fishing license if you haven’t already.
