University of Louisville

JANUARY

• Louisville Boat, RV & Sports show - Held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, featuring over 550 watercraft and RVs, a catch-and-release trout pond, a paddle sports pool, and live acoustic music.

• Louisville Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival - Held at the Mellwood Art Center, this tasting celebration features artisan chocolates, wine pours, and local craft whiskey selections.

• Louisville Build, Renovate & Landscape Expo - A home and garden transformation showcase hosted at the Kentucky International Convention Center with indoor show gardens and remodeling professionals.

FEBRUARY

• Musique Romantique - An annual Valentine's Day dinner show, concert, and dance hosted by the Louisville Chorus at The Seelbach Hilton Louisville.

• National Farm Machinery Show & Championship Tractor Pull - held at Freedom Hall, drawing massive crowds for indoor tractor pulling competitions and agricultural exhibits.

MARCH

• St. Patrick's Parade - A massive neighborhood tradition winding through the Highlands area, featuring festive floats, marching groups, and local community celebrations.

• Tailspin Ale Fest - This popular end-of-winter beer festival held annually at the historic Bowman Field features tastings from over 50 regional and commonwealth breweries.

• NuLu Bock Fest & Wurst Fest - A free street festival spanning multiple blocks in the NuLu neighborhood celebrating local bock beer history, highlighted by adult and baby goat races and the Kentucky Proud Wurst Fest restaurant competition.

• Earth Fest - A community kickoff event for Earth Month featuring local art, live music, food, and family-friendly sustainability activities.

APRIL

• Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront - A multi-day outdoor music festival on the Waterfront Park Great Lawn featuring the iconic Chow Wagon, live concerts, midway rides, and many illuminated hot air balloons.

• The Great Steamboat Race - A historic head-to-head river tradition on the Ohio River matching the Belle of Louisville against visiting or local steamboats.

• Thunder Over Louisville - A massive opening-day spectacle featuring one of the nation's largest annual fireworks shows and an extensive air show over the Ohio River.

• Kentucky Oats - The prestigious, high-energy sister race to the Derby held at Churchill Downs on the final day of April.

MAY

• Kentucky Derby - Held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchhill Downs, this world-famous Grade 1 horse race is known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports."

• Abbey Road on the River - Memorial Day Weekend at Belvedere Park. The largest Beatles tribute festival in America.

• Kentucky Reggae Festival – Memorial Day Weekend at the Louisville Water Tower.

• Cherokee Triangle Art Fair - A popular annual neighborhood visual arts and music festival held the weekend before or around early May in the historic Highlands neighborhood.

JUNE​

• VinylFest – Weekend of celebrating vinyl record collecting and music at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

• Kentuckiana Pride Festival & Parade – Celebration for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies on the Waterfront.

• Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park - Free, professional performances of Shakespeare plays in Old Louisville's Central park throughout the summer months.

• Juneteenth Celebrations - Ancestors Dream Block Party on Fourth Street Live! with local business vendors and live music, alongside the Solidarity Ride at Shawnee Park) - 

JULY

• Waterfront Park Fourth of July – Free Fourth of July party featuring concerts, fireworks and more.

• Forecastle Festival - annual three-day celebration of music, art, and activism held in Waterfront Park.

• Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival – Enjoy local BBQ vendors and craft beer tasting while being surrounded by live blues music at Louisville Water Tower Park.

• Kentucky Music Week - a five-day traditional arts and music event in Bardstown offering over 125 classes, jam sessions, and instructor concerts.

AUGUST

• Kentucky State Fair – Held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, this massive annual tradition features agriculture competitions, midway rides, concerts, and local food favorites.

• WorldFest – A celebration of world cultures with global food vendors, live entertainment, cultural exhibits, and a parade of cultures held at the Belvedere over Labor Day weekend.

• Sky Soul Festival - A prominent soul and R&B music showcase at Waterfront Park.

SEPTEMBER​

• Louisville Irish Fest- annual cultural celebration held the final weekend of September featuring traditional Irish food, live Celtic music, and dance.

• National Jug Band Jubilee - Gathering of the nation's best jug bands.

• Louisville Music Awards – Celebration of local music held at Headliners Music Hall.

• Louder Than Life - known as America's largest rock and metal music festival.

OCTOBER

• St. James Court Art Show - A large, juried outdoor fine arts and crafts show set in the historic Victorian neighborhood during the first weekend of October.

• Garvin Gate Blues Festival - Largest free neighborhood street music festival in Louisville.

• Jack O'Lantern Spectacular - A nightly illuminated walk through Iroquois Park featuring thousands of artistically carved, glowing pumpkins set to themed music.​

• Via Colori Street Painting Festival - Annual community event on the Big Four Lawn featuring large-scale sidewalk masterpieces, live music, and family activities supporting the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana.

NOVEMBER

• North American Championship Rodeo - Competitive equestrian sports and rodeo traditions at Freedhom Hall.

• Game Con Junction - a gaming convention celebrating gaming culture with tabletop games, board games, and tournaments at the Louisville Marriott. 

DECEMBER

• The Nutcracker Ballet - Presented by the Louisville Ballet at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts.

• Lights Under Louisville - Load the car with holiday cheer and drive through the Louisville Mega Cavern's underground wonderland, the only fully underground holiday light show in the world!

• Fete de Noel Winter Holiday Festival - This festival in the Paristown neighborhood features Louisville's only authentic outdoor ice rink - plus, a holiday market, photos with Santa, trackless train rides, and special performances, like "Drag Queens on Ice."

• Cookies with Captain Santa - Step aboard the Mary M. Miller riverboat, transformed into a winter wonderland. Snap a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy cookies and hot cocoa, and festive activities or get you and the family in the holiday spirit.