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Halfway through the year, The Parklands of Floyds Fork has exceeded one million visits, putting the donor-supported, public park well on its way to surpassing the 1.8 million visitors initially expected by the end of 2016. This is a major milestone for the ambitious project, which opened its first amenity only five years ago.
“With all four parks now open and additional amenities under construction, 2016 is set to be a landmark year for The Parklands,” said Park Director Scott Martin. “Every day, more people are discovering The Parklands and all it offers the Metro Louisville region.”
Since opening Marshall Playground & Sprayground in 2011, The Parklands has seen tremendous growth in size and interest. In May alone, The Parklands received nearly 300,000 visits—almost double the number from May of 2015. This increasing visitation of the park is due in no small part to the recent opening of Broad Run Park on April 15 of this year and Turkey Run Park in October of 2015.
In order to keep up with the parks’ rapidly growing popularity, The Parklands expanded its team to help operate the nearly 4,000-acre park system. Since opening Turkey Run Park last fall, 21st Century Parks has hired 26 part-time staff and 5 full-time staff to support the expanding system.
Each member of staff is committed to providing a world-class experience to visitors, and with the spike in visitation, The Parklands is asking visitors to do their part.
“We are thrilled to see so many people enjoying the parks and developing a love for the outdoors,” Martin said. “With this increased visitation, we ask park guests to remain courteous and respectful to those around them, and to take precautions to ensure safe and fun experiences on our trails, waterways, playgrounds and other areas.” Continue reading
The concert line-up for the 2016 KY State Fair has been announced. As usual, the Turf Concert Series are included with the paid gate admission and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. All concerts start at 8:00 PM.
Thursday, August 18th: ABBA: The Concert with special guest Kazual
Friday, August 19th: Ashanti with special guest After 7
Saturday, August 20th: Kentucky Headhunters with special guests Black Stone Cherry
Sunday, August 21st: Oak Ridge Boys with special guest Martin Family Circus
Monday, August 22nd: Newsboys with special guest 7eventh Time Down
Tuesday, August 23rd: Happy Together Tour 2016
Wednesday, August 24th: Chris Janson with special guest Brooke Eden
Thursday, August 25th: Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice with special guest Stephen Bishop
Friday, August 26th: American Authors with special guest Public the Band
Saturday, August 27th: Rachel Platten with special guest Jeffrey James
Sunday, August 28th: Francesa Battistelli with special guests Building 429, Lauren Daigle, and Finding Favour. This show starts at 4:00 PM.
The Main Stage Concerts require separate tickets to be purchased at the KY Exposition Center ticket office.
The schedule is:
Thursday, August 18th at 6:30 PM: Reba with special guest Parmalee
Friday, August 19th at 7:00 PM: Jeff Dunham
Friday, August 28th at 7:00 PM: Chris Young and Brett Eldredge with special guest Chris Lane
Event Set for October 1 & 2 at Champions Park Features Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Along with Disturbed, Korn, Slayer, The Cult, Ghost and Many More
Following a 2015 sellout with 50,000 in attendance, LOUDER THAN LIFE returns to Champions Park near downtownLouisville October 1 & 2, 2016 for the third annual destination festival celebrating the region’s culture and cuisine, and featuring award-winning bourbons and spirits, Gourmet Man Food, craft beer and some of the biggest names in rock music. Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold top a mindblowing music lineup of over 35 bands on three stages, with performances from Disturbed, Korn, Slayer, The Cult, Ghost, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick and many more.
Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, America’s premier production company for rock music festivals, Louisville’s LOUDER THAN LIFE features a selection of award-winning bourbons, whiskey, spirits, craft beer, and Gourmet Man Food curated personally by festival creator Danny Wimmer, along with a powerful music lineup of rock legends and breaking talent. The festival celebrates the bourbon culture and culinary heritage of this unique American city. In 2015, Louisville was #2 on theUSA Today list of Best Local Food Scenes and was featured in Time Magazine‘s list of America’s Best Music Scenes.
LOUDER THAN LIFE founder and producer Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents declares, “Louisville: The home of bourbon. Great people. Great food. How can those ingredients not make a perfect place to have a festival? This is a place youhave to visit if you’re a lover of bourbon, a lover of food…a lover of life. I asked my team how we could top last year’sLOUDER THAN LIFE sellout. The easy answer? Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold.”
LOUDER THAN LIFE tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 1 at Noon ET at www.LouderThanLifeFestival.com with limited quantities available at early bird discounted prices. Ticket prices will increase in the coming weeks, so fans are encouraged to buy early to save. See below for details.
The daily music lineup for LOUDER THAN LIFE is as follows: Continue reading
Thousands of cyclists, paddlers and walkers will be in motion Memorial Day at the 23rd Subway Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle May 30 at Waterfront Park.
“This has become a true signature event for Louisville – a demonstration of how much our residents love being outdoors and participating in family-oriented healthy exercise and recreation,” Mayor Greg Fischer said.
SUBWAY Restaurants is the title sponsor of Hike, Bike & Paddle, with presenting sponsors, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, Norton Healthcare and Neil Huffman Automotive Group.
“SUBWAY Restaurants are proud to once again be the title sponsor of the SUBWAY Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle events. The events give people an opportunity to be outside in the fresh air and lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Doug Messmore, local board chairman for Kentuckiana Subway Restaurants.
“Coca-Cola Consolidated is proud to be a Presenting Sponsor of the Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle activity on Memorial Day,” said Brian Outland, vice president of Retail Sales for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated. “This activity supports our most recent initiative, ‘Fit Family Challenge,’ which challenges people in Louisville and Lexington to be more active. We recognize the uniqueness of consumers’ lifestyles and dietary choices. All of our products can be part of an active, healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible, balanced diet, proper hydration and regular, physical exercise.”
“We at Norton Healthcare are not only repeat supporters of the Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle event, we look forward to participating,” said Allison Ledford, director of Employee Wellness at Norton Healthcare. “Norton has been recognized both locally and nationally as a leading healthy employer, so we embrace opportunities like this to promote health-oriented activities among our 13,000 employees. By taking part in the various Hike, Bike & Paddle events, we all can be proactive in adopting healthy lifestyles, and have fun while we do it.” Continue reading
Bring The Family, Friends And Pets And For A Day Of Fun And Season’S Greetings
Louisville – It’s the time of year when Frankfort Avenue rings in the holidays with the 20th Annual Olde Tyme Christmas on Saturday, December 5.
“Saturday is shaping up to be a beautiful day, for a sprint, a stroll, a walk with your dog or a visit with Santa,” says Councilman Bill Hollander (D-9). “It’s a great way to support the important work of United Crescent Hill Ministries who help those in need at this time of year and our local businesses with this great celebration.”
The day begins with the annual Santa Sprint & Stroll, a merry 5k Run or 1-Mile Walk presented by the Frankfort Avenue Business Association, to benefit the United Crescent Hill Ministries. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. at Barret Traditional Middle School, 2561 Grinstead Drive.
The run and walk starts at 9:00 a.m. and travels a flat course on South Peterson Avenue, South Galt Avenue and Frankfort Avenue before ending back at the school, where refreshments will be served.
The following streets will closed from 8:30 am – 10:30 am, with no parking from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.:
· South Peterson Avenue from Frankfort Avenue to Grinstead Drive
· Frankfort Avenue from Stilz Avenue to the railroad tracks
· South Galt Avenue from Frankfort Avenue to Rowland Avenue
At Noon, dogs take over the Avenue with the annual Holiday Dog Walk. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. at 2005 Frankfort Avenue, in front of the new, locally owned Bankstown Road at Frankfur Avenue pet supply store.
Free trolleys run throughout the Avenue from Noon to 5:00 p.m. and horse carriage rides are from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Many shops and restaurants will have holiday specials.
In the early afternoon, the focus shifts to the Avenue in front of Margaret’s Consignments, 2700 Frankfort Avenue. Santa will be there from Noon to 3:00 p.m. Councilman Hollander will present the Frankfort Avenue Business Association’s Golden Antler and Good Neighbor Awards at 2:00 p.m., recognizing the Avenue’s best-decorated shops and some outstanding area neighbors.
“So come out and join the fun,” says Hollander.
The Clifton Center has partnered with Old National Bank and Strothman and Company to offer complimentary tickets for local students to attend select concerts that are part of the Center’s 2015-2016 Louisville Heritage Project. Students from 1st grade through college are invited to enjoy and discover musical and cultural traditions from different regions of the world and the U.S., from Latin America to Appalachia. In addition to free admittance to select concerts, participating students will receive a passport that will get stamped at each concert they attend, giving them a chance to earn a Clifton Center T-shirt.
Free tickets are available for the following concerts (more will be added, visit cliftoncenter.org for updates to the season):
Hot Rize – Friday, September 18
Cumbia All Stars and Trio Brasileiro – Sunday, September 27
Roland Dyens – Thursday, October 1
Dave Liebman – Wednesday, October 21
Eric Bibb and Corey Harris – Thursday, February 4
Dom Flemons – Thursday, March 3
To reserve free students tickets, visit www.CliftonCenter.org and use the promotional code: PASSPORT when checking out. Student status will be verified at Will Call when picking up tickets, and college students must present a valid ID. Students will receive their Passport at the first concert they attend. Tickets also available at the door, based on availability.
The Clifton Center also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Louisville Metro Government, Music Go Round, West Sixth Street Brewing Company, DD Williamson, Republic Bank, Carmichael’s Bookstore, 91.9 WFPK, and the Friends of the Clifton Center. The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, also provides operating support to the Clifton Center with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) will host the 7th Annual Louisville Brewfest on Friday, September 25th from 4:00pm to 10:00pm at the Louisville Slugger Field, 401 East Main Street. The event is presented by BoomBozz Pizza & Taphouse and will feature independent local and regional beer, wine and bourbon, as well as food vendors and a silent auction. Admission is $5 which includes a souvenir cup. Attendees must be 21 or older to enjoy the beer, wine and bourbon. (Designated drivers get free admission.) VIP tickets are $45 and include access to exclusive beers, special gifts made by local artisans, and larger pours in a commemorative festival glass. For more info, visit www.keeplouisvilleweird.com.
In addition to sampling brews from 19 different local and regional breweries, festival goers will have the exclusive opportunity to taste a limited edition beer created especially for this event by Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer. Working with Goodwood Brewing Company, Mayor Fischer provided input on the recipe for an Irish Oatmeal Stout style beer, and he will participate in the brewing process at a media event on Friday, August 28th at 10am at Goodwood, 636 E. Main Street. Local musician Ben Sollee will also create his own variety of beer in collaboration with Apocalypse Brew Works that event attendees can sample.
Also new to the event this year will be an interactive activity where attendees can glue bottle caps and other items to an art piece to show their local love. Returning again is the “Brewseum”, a self-directed journey through the history of craft beer in Louisville, supported by demos and ‘how-to’ areas, created by Paul Young. An after party will also be hosted by The Haymarket Whiskey Bar, with free admission for Brewfest attendees.
Participating local brewers include Against the Grain, Akasha Brewing Company, Apocalypse Brew Works, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Cumberland Brewery, Falls City Beer, Goodwood Brewing Company, Monnik Brewing Company (formerly Beer Engine), New Albanian Brewing Company, and Sterling Beer. Guest brewers from the region include Central State Brewing Company from Indianapolis, Country Boy Brewing from Lexington, Eight Ball Brewing from Newport, Flat 12 Bierworks from Indianapolis, Kentucky Ale from Lexington, Rivertown Brewing Company from Cincinnati, Tin Man Brewing from Evansville, Upland from Bloomington and West 6th from Lexington. Locally made wines from Horseshoe Bend Vineyard & Winery, Old 502 Winery, Purple Toad Winery, and Smith-Berry Winery will also be available, as well as bourbon from Heaven Hill Distilleries.
The 7th Annual Louisville Brewfest is sponsored by Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse, Manny & Merle, Joella’s Hot Chicken, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Heaven Hill Brands, Yellow Cab, The Haymarket Whiskey Bar, Buckhead Mountain Grill, Eclipse Bank, LEO Weekly, Louisville Magazine, Louisville.com, LouisvilleHotBytes.com, Nachbar, Abbey Road on the River, vo2 Multisport, WAKY radio, WFPK, Falls City Beer, Universal Linen, YELP Louisville, ValuMarket, Louisvillebeer.com, and Old 502 Winery.