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The Kentucky Center Free Summer Concert Series: A concert series of diverse musical acts taking place on the front steps of The Kentucky Center (501 West Main Street) each Tuesday evening during the month of June.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 @ 5-7 p.m. – Appalatin
- Appalatin’s foot-stomping, hip-swinging sound organically unite Appalachian folk and high-energy Latin music. The name, Appalatin, reflects the unexpected meeting in Louisville of Kentucky-raised musicians and masterful Latin émigrés from Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Their all-acoustic performances of traditional strings of guitar, mandolin, upright bass and charango, indigenous Andean flutes, hand percussion, harmonica and vocal harmonies have brought joy and happiness to listeners of all ages. https://www.appalatin.com/
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 @ 5-7 p.m. – Small Time Napoleon
- Small Time Napoleon is the combination of new ideas and old sounds. Their interest in the jazz standards of the swing-era shine through in their voices, writing and playing, while their ear for new sounds and ideas constantly drives them forward. The product of this pairing is what Kyle Ware of Insider Louisville has called “A mad science blend of western swing, hot jazz and folk,” which is “already starting to gel into something wholly singular.” http://www.smalltimenapoleon.com/
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 @ 5-7 p.m. – Hot Brown Smackdown
- Hot Brown Smackdown is a bluegrass fueled, funk steered, rock influenced, semi-acoustic party sextet. Energetic and soulful, they skillfully bridge the gap between jamgrass and genres beyond, deploying textured bluegrass polyphony and infectious rhythms to keep you moving all night. http://hotbrownsmackdown.com/
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 @ 5-7 p.m. – The Misty Mountain String Band
- Drawing influence from old-time music, Americana, bluegrass and songs of labor and protest, Misty Mountain String Band doesn’t stray far from their upbringings in Kentucky and West Virginia. Formed as a pickup group for an old-time camp revival, MMSB has evolved into a professional band that’s as at home playing with the Louisville Orchestra as at bluegrass festivals with Americana favorites. The group connects with fans of folk music around the world, sharing unique string band music written for today, but informed by tradition. http://www.themistymountainstringband.com/
Be sure to visit The Kentucky Center and enjoy live music, beverages and dinner from the area’s best food trucks. The Kentucky Center Free Summer Concert Series is part of the Cultural Pass, in addition to several other events taking place at The Kentucky Center, including the Family Film Night on the Belvedere and the Young Person’s Guide to Local Music. To learn more about the 2017 Cultural Pass visit here.
Note: In the event of rain, event is cancelled. Please monitor The Kentucky Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and kentuckycenter.org for updates.
#FOLLOWME will feature Willdabeast, Nia Sioux, Kenneth San José, and Janelle Ginestra on Tuesday, August 15, at 7:30 p.m.. The performance will take place in Brown Theatre, located at 315 W. Broadway, Louisville 40202
#FOLLOWME celebrates the hip-hop community, inspiring dancers to step into the spotlight, giving fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see, dance, and interact with their YouTube dance idols.
You watch their videos. You learn their moves. Join the ultimate global dance crew and see your favorite stars step off the screen and onto the stage in this unique dance experience where dreams come true.
The Kentucky Center is the official ticket service for this event. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. online, by phone (502.584.7777), and at the box office (501 W. Main Street, Louisville 40202).
Tickets start at $22.50, reserved seating, fees apply. VIP Packages are available at $110, including premium seating and post-show Meet and Greet with photo opportunity.
Jefferson Memorial Forest will connect with thousands of other campers and the great outdoors on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25, as they host the annual Great American Campout.
The Great American Campout, in its 13th year, is a great way for friends, families, and children experience nature, sleep under the stars and create lasting family memories. Jefferson Memorial Forest will provide the campfire, story-telling, and night hikes; you provide your dinner, breakfast, and tent.
In the morning campers will have the day to explore the Forest by hiking any of our 35 miles of trails, fishing at Tom Wallace Lake with free fishing poles provided at the Welcome Center, or unleashing your adventurous side by taking on the GoApe tree-top adventure course (reservations with GoApe required).
The price of the campout is $25 per family of (4), and $5 each additional family member. Platform tents are available to rent at a cost of $15.
Pre-registration is required by calling the Forest’s Welcome Center at (502) 368-5404.
With school out and temperatures getting warmer, Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13) is once again sponsoring FREE Family Swim Nights at the Fairdale Pool beginning on Thursday, June 8th.
“With busy schedules and parents working, sometimes families just don’t have the chance to have some fun during the week,” says Welch. “Cooling off at the pool is a great way to spend quality time together, and I am glad to be able to offer this free event at one of the best pools in Metro Louisville.”
The Fairdale Pool is located at Hornbeck Park 709 Fairdale Road. The FREE Family Swim Nights will be offered on Thursdays from June 8th to July 27th. The hours of operation for this special event are 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Regular pool hours are 1:00pm to 6:00pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Admission is free but parents or guardians must be with their children at all times during the event. No drop offs are allowed. Proper swimwear is required.
“I want to invite everyone to come out have some fun and maybe get in a little exercise,” says Welch. “I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy the summer.”
For more information, contact Councilwoman Welch’s office at 574-1113.
Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
June is one of the best months for outside activities such as fishing. However, many predator species, such as largemouth bass, have already completed their annual reproductive ritual and kind of sulk through June.
It can be a tough month for fishing in lakes and reservoirs, but two options will produce fishing that compares to the marvelous weather.
Largemouth bass in farm ponds:
June is a transitional month for largemouth bass in our larger lakes, but the confined nature of a farm pond ups the odds in the angler’s favor.
“You can catch largemouth bass all summer in a farm pond,” said Jeff Ross, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Successful summer largemouth bass fishing in farm ponds is all about timing and changing approaches as the day progresses. Wake up early enough that dew soaks your shoes as you walk to the pond.
Old school topwater lures such as the Hula Popper or a Jitterbug in the bullfrog color draw vicious strikes when slowly worked along the edge of vegetation in the low light of early morning.
As the sun rises, switch to fishing a weightless 7-inch ribbon-tailed worm in the junebug color. “Bass hold tight to cover during the middle of the day on a farm pond,” Ross said. “Fish the shady side of the pond if there is one.”
The weightless ribbon-tailed worm slowly falls through the cover attracting largemouth bass snuggled deeply in it. If the pond has no cover, fish the worm slowly along any weedlines or under any floating vegetation.
As day fades into night, the topwater bite again comes into play. Anglers also catch many farm pond bass in the dark on a 1/4-ounce black spinnerbait with a round Colorado blade.
Fish the spinnerbait just above bottom and let the Colorado blade thump. Hold on tight as largemouth bass often savage this presentation.
Channel catfish:
Channel catfish spawn in Kentucky mainly in June. “They are cavity spawners,” Ross said. “You often find them near riprap or chunk rock.”
Riprap consists of cantaloupe-sized rock used to protect the face of dams, bridge abutments and marinas from erosion caused by the pounding of waves. A 3/8-ounce slip-sinker rig with a 4/0 circle hook is a good choice for catfish when fished on or near riprap or areas of chunk rock lining the banks.
A slip-sinker rig consists of an 18-inch fluorocarbon or monofilament leader with the circle hook on one end. Tie the other end of the leader to a barrel swivel. After threading the main line coming from your rod through an egg sinker followed by a glass bead, tie the main line to the open loop of the barrel swivel.
A circle hook prevents gut hooking catfish. Resist the temptation to set the hook, simply reel in slack line until you feel the catfish swimming and keep your rod tip high. The catfish will hook itself in the side of the mouth with a circle hook.
“Hot dogs, shrimp, chicken liver or beef liver, channel catfish will eat practically anything,” Ross said. “I like chicken liver best for channels.”
Ross also said any cavity near a root wad or stump also holds channel catfish in June on our lakes and reservoirs.
The many creeks coursing through Kentucky hold surprising numbers of channel catfish. Those with rocky bottoms and water at least chest deep are best.
Undercut banks are key to finding channel catfish in streams. Use a slip-sinker rig with enough weight to hold it in place in current. Use a 3/0 circle hook with a piece of cleaning sponge impaled on it.
Drop the sponge into a tub of commercially made stink bait, also called dip bait, and push it to the bottom with a stick. Hold it there to soak up as much of the smelly dip bait as the sponge can hold and cast it to an undercut bank. The sponge emits a plume of funk downstream that channel catfish follow back to the sponge and eat it.
You can also use chicken livers, nightcrawlers or rancid cheese for this presentation, but the dip bait sponge is hard to beat in a stream. You will catch many 16- to 21-inch long channel catfish in streams, perfect size for a dinner. Channel catfish from a cool stream offer fantastic table fare.
June is a wonderful month weather wise, but a transition time as predator fish move into their summer locations. Farm pond largemouth bass and channel catfish provide excellent sport during this unpredictable month.
Credit: KY State Parks
The grand opening for a new splash pad at E.P. “Tom” State Park will be Saturday, June 3, at 11:30 a.m.
State and local officials will be on hand to open the splash pad. Admission to the pool area will be free from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday. There will be refreshments, music and prizes.
The celebration is being organized by the Tom Sawyer State Park Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the park. The foundation played a critical role in raising the funds that paid for the splash pad.
The youth pool at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park has not been able to open for several years because of federal swimming pool regulations that could not be met. A fund-raising campaign to pay for installation of a splash pad where the youth pool was located was initiated by the park’s foundation board. The funds were raised with the support of Mr. Sawyer’s family and members of the Louisville Metro Council. Construction ensued in summer 2016.
The park is named for Erbon Powers Sawyer, who was a Jefferson County Judge/Executive and local attorney. Daughters Diane Sawyer and Linda Sawyer Frankel are longtime supporters of the park as was their late mother, Jean Sawyer Hayes.
E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park is a 580-acre park within the urban landscape of the city of Louisville and serves as the only state park within Jefferson County. Recreational facilities include an Olympic-size outdoor pool; fully functional gymnasium with basketball, badminton and pickleball courts; athletic fields for soccer, lacrosse and flag football; a three-field softball complex; tennis courts; archery range; radio controlled airfield; and BMX bicycle track.
Meeting space is available with small classrooms in the administrative building or the large reception hall and conference room found at the Sawyer Hayes Community Center. The park also has three picnic shelters.
As school wraps up for the summer, Mayor Greg Fischer is reminding parents and caregivers that there are plenty of learning opportunities for Louisville students of all ages over the next three months.
During a news conference at the Newburg Library, the Mayor and others outlined a number of programs designed to keep kids engaged and prevent summer learning loss, including the Louisville Free Public Library’s Summer Reading program, and the 2017 Cultural Pass — presented by Churchill Downs in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, the library, the Arts and Culture Alliance and the Fund for the Arts.
“As parents, we all know that a week or so after classes end, the kids complain, ‘I’m bored!’ Well, there is no reason for any young person in Louisville to be bored this summer,” the Mayor said. “Thanks to partners like Churchill Downs, there is a long list of activities and learning opportunities to keep kids engaged.”
And in celebration of both the Library’s Summer Reading Program and the Cultural Pass, the Mayor announced, the Main Library will host the Super Summer Reading Kickoff and Cultural Pass Showcase on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will offer a plethora of activities, performances, and crafts featuring more than two dozen members of the Arts and Culture Alliance. Participating groups will include the Louisville Zoo, Kentucky Science Center, Frazier History Museum, Kentucky Shakespeare, and more. For more information, please visit LFPL.org/Kids or call (502) 574-1620.
The Cultural Pass supports and encourages lifelong learning by providing free access to 38 of Greater Louisville’s arts and cultural institutions for children and young adults to age 21. The Pass is valid from June 3 to Aug. 12 for one-time general admission at each of the participating institutions.
“The Cultural Pass is an incredible asset for our city,” said Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen. “Churchill Downs is proud to sponsor such an important endeavor that enriches our great city.”
“The Cultural Pass turns our world-class arts and cultural institutions into summer classrooms for our community’s children and families,” said Christen Boone, Fund for the Arts President and CEO. “Churchill Downs’ support has been remarkable as we work together to reduce barriers to the arts for every child, parent and citizen of our community.”
The 2017 Cultural Pass and Summer Reading materials are available now at any Louisville Free Public Library branch and any Metro Louisville Community Center.
Pass holders can register and track the progress of their Cultural Pass online at www.lfpl.org/culturalpass and are encouraged to visit as many venues as they are able during the summer. Children with 5 or more documented visits receive a Cultural Pass giveaway prize and will be entered into a drawing to win additional prizes, including a free stay at 21C Museum Hotel, tickets to area performances like The Christmas Carol at Actors Theatre or Louisville Ballet’s Nutcracker, family memberships to Bernheim Forest, the Frazier History Museum, Gheens Science Hall and Planetarium, and more.
“The Arts and Culture Alliance is delighted to once again participate in this program, providing access to our arts and cultural organizations for thousands of youth in our area,” said Kim Baker, President and CEO of the Kentucky Center, and Chair of the ACA Executive Committee. “Our participating members look forward to providing memorable experiences this summer as we work together to make our community a vibrant place to live, learn, work and play. We’re grateful to Churchill Downs, Fund for the Arts and Louisville Metro for this unique opportunity.”
To learn more about the Cultural Pass, please visit www.fundforthearts.org/2017culturalpass.