Louisville, Kentucky

==Arts and culture==

{{more citations needed section|date=June 2014}}

===Annual festivals and other events===

{{See also|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}}
[[File:Kentucky Derby Festival, Great Balloon Race.jpg|thumb|The Great Balloon Race, part of the [[Kentucky Derby Festival]]]]
Louisville is home to many annual cultural events. Perhaps most well known is the [[Kentucky Derby]], held annually during the first Saturday of May. The Derby is preceded by a two-week-long [[Kentucky Derby Festival]], which starts with the annual [[Thunder Over Louisville]], the largest annual [[fireworks|fireworks display]] in North America.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lammers|first1=Braden|title=Distinguished service awards presented to the men behind Thunder Over Louisville|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2014/04/11/distinguished-service-awards-presented-to-the-men.html?page=all|access-date=October 16, 2014|work=Louisville Business First|publisher=[[American City Business Journals]]|date=April 11, 2014|archive-date=October 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025061258/http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2014/04/11/distinguished-service-awards-presented-to-the-men.html?page=all|url-status=live}}</ref> The Kentucky Derby Festival also features notable events such as the [[Pegasus Parade]], [[Great Steamboat Race|The Great Steamboat Race]], Great [[Hot air ballooning#Competition|Balloon Race]], a combined [[marathon]]/[[mini marathon]] and about seventy events in total. [[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire magazine]] has called the Kentucky Derby "the biggest party in the south".

The summer season in Louisville also features a series of cultural events such as the [[Kentucky Shakespeare Festival]] (commonly called "[[Shakespeare in the Park festivals|Shakespeare in Central Park]]"), held every summer from May to August and presents free [[Shakespeare]] plays in [[Central Park, Louisville|Central Park]] in [[Old Louisville]].

[[File:Arcade Fire, Forecastle 2018.jpg|thumb|left|[[Arcade Fire]] appearing at the [[Forecastle Festival]] in 2018]]
In July, the [[Forecastle Festival]] draws 75,000 visitors ({{as of|2022|lc=y}}) to [[Louisville Waterfront Park]] in celebration of the best in music, art and environmental activism. Past performers include [[The Black Keys]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Widespread Panic]], [[The Smashing Pumpkins]], [[The Avett Brothers]], [[The Black Crowes]] and hundreds more.

The [[Kentucky State Fair]] is held every August at the [[Kentucky Exposition Center]] in Louisville as well, featuring an array of culture from all areas of Kentucky. In places, the African American community celebrates [[Juneteenth]] commemorating June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in the western territories learned of their freedom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenthlegacytheatre.com/Jamboree.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509184359/http://www.juneteenthlegacytheatre.com/Jamboree.html|archive-date=May 9, 2013|title=The 11th Annual Juneteenth Jamboree of New Plays|access-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hellolouisville.com/event/juneteenth_jamboree_runs_june_319/200835/ |title=Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19—Louisville, Kentucky |access-date=July 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320175241/http://www.hellolouisville.com/event/juneteenth_jamboree_runs_june_319/200835/ |archive-date=March 20, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|title=Juneteenth—Kentucky|access-date=July 16, 2010|archive-date=June 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624133054/http://juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Jeffersontown, Kentucky|Jeffersontown neighborhood]] is also the home of the annual [[Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival|Gaslight Festival]], a series of events spread over a week. Attendance is estimated at 200,000–300,000 for the week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.louisville.com/content/what-do-louisville-gaslight-festival-week|title=What to Do in Louisville: Gaslight Festival Week|date=September 10, 2015|website=Louisville.com|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322213143/https://www.louisville.com/content/what-do-louisville-gaslight-festival-week|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The month of October features the [[St. James Court Art Show]] in [[Old Louisville]]. Thousands of artists gather on the streets and in the courtyard to exhibit and sell their wares, and the event is attended by many art collectors and enthusiasts. The show typically brings in a crowd of over 150,000 people and $3 million in sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/9411/62nd+Annual+St.+James+Court+Art+Show+Returns+October+5-7|title=Louisville, KY|website=topslouisville.com|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322213136/https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/9411/62nd%2BAnnual%2BSt.%2BJames%2BCourt%2BArt%2BShow%2BReturns%2BOctober%2B5-7|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another art-related event that occurs every month is the [[First Friday (public event)|First Friday Hop]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstfridayhop.com/|title=Republic Bank First Friday Hop|website=firstfridayhop.com|access-date=June 3, 2016|archive-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609024243/http://www.firstfridayhop.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> A free [[Transit Authority of River City|TARC]] bus takes art lovers to many downtown area (especially [[East Market District, Louisville|East Market District]]/NuLu) independent art galleries on the first Friday of every month.

===Indie scene===

Louisville has blossomed as a booming center for independent art, music and business.

A Louisville locale that highlights this scene is [[Bardstown Road]], an area located in the heart of the [[The Highlands, Louisville|Highlands]]. Bardstown Road is known for its cultural diversity and local trade. The majority of the businesses along Bardstown Road, such as coffee shops, clothing stores and art galleries, are locally owned and operated businesses. Though it is only about a mile (1.6&nbsp;km) long, this strip of Bardstown Road constitutes much of the city's culture and diverse lifestyle, contributing to the unofficial "[[Keep Louisville Weird]]" slogan.

In downtown Louisville, [[21c Museum Hotel]], a hotel that showcases contemporary art installations and exhibitions throughout its public spaces, and features a red penguin on its roof, is, according to ''The New York Times'', "an innovative concept with strong execution and prompt and enthusiastic service".

Louisville is home to a thriving [[indie music scene]] with bands such as [[Love Jones (band)|Love Jones]], [[Tantric (band)|Tantric]], [[Squirrel Bait]], [[Cabin (band)|CABIN]], [[Slint]], [[My Morning Jacket]], [[Houndmouth]], [[Young Widows]] and [[Wax Fang]]. Acclaimed singer-songwriters [[Will Oldham]], who performs under the moniker "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy", is a resident, as was country/rock singer-songwriter [[Tim Krekel]]. Cellist [[Ben Sollee]] splits his time between Louisville and Lexington. Long running rock/jazz fusion band [[NRBQ]] also formed in Louisville in the late 1960s as well as 1980s [[psychobilly]] band [[Bodeco]]. [[Post-grunge]] band [[Days of the New]], at one time including future breakout pop star [[Nicole Scherzinger]], formed in Louisville in the mid-1990s. Popular local singer [[Bryson Tiller]] paid homage to Louisville is his chart-topping ''[[T R A P S O U L]]'' with the song "502 Come Up", referencing the city's area code, and rapper [[Jack Harlow]] also calls the city home.

The Louisville music scene reaches a crescendo every July during the [[Forecastle Festival]], a three-day music, art and environmental activism festival taking place at [[Louisville Waterfront Park]].

Especially catering to Louisville's music scene is 91.9 [[WFPK]] Radio Louisville, a local [[public broadcasting|public radio]] station funded, in part, from local listeners. The station features not only national and international musicians common to public radio, but also local and regional talent. The station also hosts summer concerts on the waterfront from April until July, where up-and-coming alternative artists are brought to stage.

===Museums, galleries and interpretive centers===

[[File:FIHM.jpg|thumb|upright|Facade of the [[Frazier History Museum]]]]
{{See also|List of museums in the Louisville metropolitan area|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}}

The [[West Main District (Louisville)|West Main District]] in [[downtown Louisville]] features what is locally known as "Museum Row". In this area is the [[Frazier History Museum]], which opened its doors in 2004 as an armaments museum, featuring the only collection of [[Royal Armouries]] artifacts outside of the United Kingdom. Since then the Frazier has expanded its focus to broader history. The Frazier Museum has three floors of exhibits, an education center and a tournament ring, which presents daily performances, as well as event spaces available for rent, including a rooftop garden featuring native plants and 4th floor loft-style space that accommodates up to 360 people seated.

Also nearby is the [[Kentucky Science Center]], which is Kentucky's largest hands-on science center and features interactive exhibits, [[IMAX]] films, educational programs and technology networks. [[Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft|The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft]], opened in 1981, is a nonprofit organization. The [[Muhammad Ali Center]] opened November 2005 in "Museum Row" and features Louisville native [[Muhammad Ali]]'s [[boxing]] memorabilia. [[File:AliCenter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Muhammad Ali Center]], alongside [[Interstate 64|I{{nbhyph}}64]] on Louisville's riverfront]]

The [[National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution]] (SAR) is a patriotic, historical, and educational non-profit organization and a leading male lineage society that perpetuates the ideals of the American war for independence and the founding of the United States. The SAR opened its [[National Genealogical Research Library]] in 2010 along Louisville's Museum Row next door to its national headquarters, with an on-site American Revolutionary War Education Center expected to be completed soon.

The [[Speed Art Museum]] opened in 1927 and is the oldest and largest [[art gallery|art museum]] in the state of Kentucky. The museum was closed for three years, re-opening in 2016 with 220,000 sq. ft. of renovations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://louisvilleky.com/the-countdown-to-the-speed-art-museums-reopening-has-begun/|title=The Countdown to the Speed Art Museum's Reopening has Begun in Louisville KY|last=RickRedding|date=March 18, 2015|website=Louisville KY|language=en-CA|access-date=March 22, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322214819/http://louisvilleky.com/the-countdown-to-the-speed-art-museums-reopening-has-begun/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Located adjacent to the [[University of Louisville]], the museum features over 12,000 pieces of art in its permanent collection and hosts traveling exhibitions. Multiple art galleries are located in the city, but they are especially concentrated in the [[East Market District]] (NuLu), immediately to the east of downtown. This row of galleries, plus others in the West Main District, are prominently featured in the monthly First Friday Hop.

Several [[local history]] museums can be found in the Louisville area. The most prominent among them is [[The Filson Historical Society]], founded in 1884, which has holdings exceeding 1.5&nbsp;million manuscript items and over 50,000 volumes in the library. The Filson's extensive collections focus on Kentucky, the [[Upper South]] and the [[Ohio River Valley]], and contain a large collection of portraiture and over 10,000 museum artifacts. Other local history museums include the [[Portland Museum (Louisville)|Portland Museum]], [[Historic Locust Grove]], [[Conrad-Caldwell House|Conrad-Caldwell House Museum]], the [[Falls of the Ohio State Park]] [[interpretive center]] ([[Clarksville, Indiana]]), [[Howard Steamboat Museum]] (Jeffersonville, Indiana) and the [[Carnegie Center for Art and History]] ([[New Albany, Indiana]]). The Falls interpretive center, part of the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]], also functions as a [[natural history]] museum, covering findings in the nearby exposed [[Devonian]] [[fossil]] bed.
[[File:Belle of Louisville 2.jpg|thumb|left|The ''[[Belle of Louisville]]'']]

There are also several historical properties and items of interest in the area, including the ''[[Belle of Louisville]]'', the oldest [[Mississippi]]-style [[steamboat]] in operation in the United States. The [[United States Marine Hospital of Louisville]] is considered by the [[National Park Service]] to be the best remaining [[antebellum architecture|antebellum]] hospital in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-2130183395&ResourceType=Building |title=National Historic Landmarks Program (NHL)—United States Marine Hospital |access-date=July 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107043203/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-2130183395&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=November 7, 2012 }}</ref> It was designed by [[Robert Mills (architect)|Robert Mills]], who is best known as the designer of the [[Washington Monument]]. [[Fort Knox]], spread out among [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt]], [[Hardin County, Kentucky|Hardin]] and [[Meade County, Kentucky|Meade]] Counties (two of which are in the [[Louisville metropolitan area]]), is home to the [[United States Bullion Depository|U.S. Bullion Depository]] and the [[General George Patton Museum of Leadership|General George Patton Museum]]. The previously mentioned Locust Grove, former home of Louisville Founder [[George Rogers Clark]], portrays life in the early days of the city. Other notable properties include the [[Farmington Historic Plantation]] (home of the Speed family), [[Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing]] and the restored [[Union Station (Louisville)|Union Station]], which opened in 1891. The Louisville area is also home to the [[Waverly Hills Sanatorium]], a [[Fin de siècle|turn-of-the-century]] (20th) [[hospital]] that was originally built to accommodate [[tuberculosis]] patients, and subsequently has been reported and sensationalized to be haunted. The [[Little Loomhouse]] maintains historical records of local spinning and weaving patterns and techniques, and also offers tours, hands-on activities, and professional-level classes and materials.

===Performing arts===
{{Primary sources|section|date=February 2024}}
[[File:The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.jpg|thumb|[[The Kentucky Center]] in [[Downtown Louisville]]]]
{{Main|Performing arts in Louisville, Kentucky}}
{{See also|Theater in Kentucky|List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area}}

[[The Kentucky Center]], dedicated in 1983, located in the downtown hotel and entertainment district, features a variety of plays and concerts. This is also the home of the [[Louisville Ballet]], [[Louisville Orchestra]], [[Bourbon Baroque]], [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]], StageOne Family Theatre, Derby Dinner Playhouse, [[Kentucky Shakespeare Festival]], which operates the oldest professional outdoor Shakespeare festival, and the [[Kentucky Opera]], which is the twelfth oldest [[opera]] in the United States.

[[Actors Theatre of Louisville]], regarded as a beacon of innovative and inclusive professional storytelling in the Louisville area, presents approximately six hundred performances of about thirty productions during its year-round season, composed of a diverse array of contemporary and classical fare. From 1976 to 2021, it hosted the [[Humana Festival of New American Plays]], a month-long festival of plays in the spring; the last festival took place virtually due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The event was discontinued after the festival's chief sponsor, the Humana Foundation, refocused its philanthropic endeavors to support health-based initiatives.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wdrb.com/news/humana-festival-comes-to-an-end-as-actors-theatre-of-louisville-makes-plan-to-support/article_51d3a054-a165-11ec-a9ce-3fbdcf02873a.html|title=Humana Festival comes to an end as Actors Theatre of Louisville makes plan to support new works|date=March 11, 2022|work=[[WDRB]]|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=April 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401032219/https://www.wdrb.com/news/humana-festival-comes-to-an-end-as-actors-theatre-of-louisville-makes-plan-to-support/article_51d3a054-a165-11ec-a9ce-3fbdcf02873a.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Louisville area is home to a fast-growing independent and progressive theatre scene as well. Redline Performing Arts "produces a thriving culture for underserved, often marginalized communities."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.redlineperformingarts.com/about|title=Our Mission|website=RedlineArts|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=November 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129011015/https://www.redlineperformingarts.com/about|url-status=live}}</ref> Three Witches Shakespeare brings the Bard's plays to life through a queer/LGBTQIA+ perspective. Others include Chicken Coop Theatre, Pandora Productions, Mind's Eye Theatre, Looking for Lilith, Louisville Improvisers, [[Squallis Puppeteers]], and many others that curate full seasons of contemporary, classical and experimental work.

The Louisville Orchestra was founded in 1937 by conductor [[Robert Whitney (conductor)|Robert Whitney]] and [[Charles Farnsley]], then Mayor of Louisville, and was a world leader in commissioning and recording contemporary works for orchestra from the 1950s to 1980s. The Louisville Orchestra today performs more than 125 concerts per year with a core of salaried musicians and is recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville arts community. The orchestra won the [[66th Annual Grammy Awards|2024 Grammy Award]] for "Best Classical Instrumental Solo".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://louisvilleorchestra.org/yuja-wang-teddy-abrams-louisville-orchestra-win-grammy-award/|title=Yuja Wang, Teddy Abrams, and The Louisville Orchestra Win First GRAMMY for The American Project|first=David|last=Sharpe|date=February 5, 2024|website=The Louisville Orchestra|access-date=February 27, 2024|archive-date=February 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212174219/https://louisvilleorchestra.org/yuja-wang-teddy-abrams-louisville-orchestra-win-grammy-award/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Palace Theatre (Louisville, Kentucky)|Palace Theatre]] is an ornate theatre in [[downtown Louisville]]'s theatre district which shows [[film]]s and hosts concerts.

[[Iroquois Park]] is the home of the renovated Iroquois Amphitheater, which hosts a variety of musical concerts in a partially covered outdoor setting.