1. Kentucky Derby Festival
Of course, the most well-known festival in Louisville is the Kentucky Derby Festival, a week-long festival that features famous events such as Thunder Over Louisville, Great Balloon Race, the Pegasus Parade, and others that change yearly. This festival not only brings people in from around the country, but it also brings our city closer together.
2. NuLu Fest
This year Nulu Fest is coming back for the 9th time on September 30th from 11 am to 11 pm. It's a street festival packed with local food and beer to as you enjoy the live music featured throughout the day. Ben Sollee, The Pass, Quiet Hollers, and Matt Geary are some of the artists playing at NuLu Fest 2017. Don't miss it!
NuLu Fest will be located on the 600, 700, and 800 blocks of East Market Street.
3. Buy Local Fair
The Buy Local Fair is exactly what it sounds like-- an awesome fair that features local artists, as well as amazing local food and drinks! Watch for this fair in early July. It's usually located at the Watertower Park.
4. St. James Art Fair
Here's another event to mark on your calendars, the St. James Art Fair occurs in St. James Court in Old Louisville on the first weekend in October, with this year’s edition landing on October 6th-8th from 10am to 5pm. This art fair is an amazing autumn tradition here in Louisville, and it's always packed with people admiring over 700 vendor's works. Be sure to check it out, and arrive early, as parking can be difficult.
5. Tailspin Ale Fest
The Tailspin Ale Fest is located in in a revived WWII era airplane hangar at the oldest continually operating airfield in North America, Bowman Field. Over 150 different brews are featured at this festival and live music will be playing, too. Since this event happens in February, exact dates and times have not been released yet.
6. Forecastle Festival
Forecastle Festival is the largest music festival in Louisville. People from around the city, state, and beyond flock to the Waterfront to hear famous artists perform. The Kentucky Landing provides local food trucks and stands so that you can eat amazing local food and beer while you're there too.
7. World Fest
World Fest is an amazing celebration of the different cultures in our city, featuring some amazing food vendors from local restaurants in Louisville. Different musicians and performers from many various cultures are on stage almost constantly during the festival. This event usually spans 3 or 4 days and includes a naturalization ceremony, where over 300 immigrants will become citizens. It's a must-see for anyone near Louisville who enjoys learning about different cultures! If you just missed this year’s World Fest, be sure not to miss out on it next year.
8. Gaslight Festival
The Gaslight Festival is located in Jeffersontown and has food, games, rides, and more for the whole family to enjoy. This year's Gaslight festival is happening from the 15th through the 17th.
Be sure to check out these festivals and share some of your own favorite Louisville events with us in the comments! Check out this article about some of the best food fests in Louisville if you enjoyed this one.
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