If you're local I highly recommend you take the day off from work and school and visit during a…read moreweekday. I easily printed off the school excuse form, which was accepted by my son's high school. We picked tickets up from Kroger. At only $9 they included parking. Tickets could be ordered online for $12. At the gate you'll pay a much higher entry fee. I appreciated the social media page sharing which gates were open for entry as well as the parking lots for visitors. Even better there were workers guiding traffic to parking. So much smoother this year! The fair offers a little something for everyone. It's best to check out their website for schedules - from shows and animals to types of exhibitions. Each night offers a free concert and music at the beer tents are popular. There's now a small beer festival. The midway is in front and it is not covered by any shade. You've been warned. You're going to spend money, much more than you'd consider on a normal day. But the food is going to suck you in!!! Corn dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, fudge, caramel apples, taters, doughnut burgers, and more.

This is my 3rd year attending on the designated Senior Day of the fair. This is always falling on…read morea Tuesday when the barns are being switched over midway through the fair season, so not as many animals on site for viewing. We viewed the usual quilts, baked goods, and canning competitions as we wound our way through the exhibition halls. I also had my mandatory Dole whip. Overall, a good time was had by everyone in our group.

The kiddos plus cousins recently invaded the Kentucky Science Center. We got to explore it much…read moremore than we had been able to before, and I left with more appreciation for all that it offers. The kids played with the sensory activities, the dinosaur and animal exhibits, engineering fun, the makerspace and so much more. We ended up spending a couple hours there, and we could have stayed longer if not for impending nap times. The facility was clean and so much for everyone to learn. Our family members, who were visiting from Philly, lamented the fact that they don't have a kids science museum like this by them. It was neat to see it through their eyes. We also ended up getting the membership that also includes the Louisville Zoo. As long as we visit twice, the membership will be a deal. The science center also hosts great events, including some fun ones for adults. Plus we need to go back and see a film in its theater. Like I wrote in my last review of the center, it's a gem!

This review is well overdue. We've visited quite a few science centers and children's museum so I…read morecan't help but compare this spot to others. It's conveniently located in the heart of downtown Louisville alongside other museums like the slugger museum. We were lucky and able to find metered parking around the corner. My biggest complaint with this museum was the price $$$ to experience ratio. The price was on par with some of the nicer museums of this nature like Cosi in Columbus, Carnegie in Pittsburgh, etc but the experience wasn't up to the same level. It also felt like there were a lot of kids not being watched closely so we had to keep an extra close eye on our younger crew in this space. The museum features playscapes, hands-on experiences, space exhibits, creamy area, water play, etc. making it ideal for ages two and up.

I love these Jack O' Lanterns. They were amazing again this year!…read more I'm disappointed to see the tickets moved to a Ticketmaster platform which added extra fees that increased the cost. We opted for the 9:30 tickets on a Thursday, arrived around 9:15 and finished the trail at 10pm. I was disappointed that the gift shop and the food trucks were closed at 10pm when there were still people on the trail. I would have looked to look at the merch while eating a warm treat.

A perfect Monday night to see 5,000 carved pumpkins on a 1/3 mile trail. We reserved the 7:30 pm…read moreslot again arriving at about 6:45 to get in line. Despite being a good sized crowd for a week night we were in our car by 8:35 pm. Timed entry makes a huge difference. Also, going on a week night rather than a weekend is beneficial. We have now attended all 13 years of this event. It's truly our favorite Halloween event. Seeing all the intricately carved pumpkins is breathtaking.

Visited here for a spectacular tour prior to a dinner reservation at the nearby Barn8 restaurant in…read morelate spring 2024 a few weeks prior to Derby 150. Timing was excellent leading up to the race. We arrived for the last tour of the day at 3 PM on a Sunday and were directed to a covered wagon being pulled by a tractor. We used a small set of steps to access the wagon and then took our spot on one of the long bench seats on either side. Bales of hay lined the center of the wagon and were covered with soft horse blankets. Our tour guide was fantastic and entertaining with his presentation. He welcomed our questions and was very approachable during the entire tour, which was approximately an hour, and we did not feel rushed. We toured one of the horse barns where we were able to meet and greet at least 4 horses, including thoroughbred and Lippizaner breeds. We also were able to view a video presentation, trophy room, and memorabilia, which were all very informative and interesting. We resumed the wagon tour and accessed various fields along the route out and back, which contained foals, colts, and adult horses. Gorgeous picturesque property with rolling green fields surrounded by neat black board fences and very well maintained. This was an amazing experience for me even though I have lived in this area for many decades and I learned quite a bit of history while on the tour. I look forward to returning to share the experience with family and friends and knowing the tour will continue to evolve as the seasons change and the life cycle of the horses continues. I would also rate this as one of the top 5 things someone should see if they are visiting the area for the first time and want to better understand the importance of the horse in this region.

Located about a half an hour drive from downtown Louisville is Hermitage Farm. We do not drive,…read morebut fortunately Hermitage Farm offers a package that includes admission to the Kentucky Derby Museum, a tour of the farm, and a shuttle between the museum and farm. The tour of Hermitage Farm, an operational thoroughbred nursery, included a ride through the beautiful grounds, a visit to the barn (where we saw eight horses and a baby), lunch made of ingredients grown on the farm, and a bourbon tasting (Old Forester, Maker's Mark, Russell's Reserve). A great way to spend a sunny afternoon! [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023]

Attended the Progress Park open house this evening. What an outstanding event venue with…read moreairstream trailers and house/cottage overnight accommodations. The property is well laid out and tonights event was so well coordinated. There is a huge indoor event space, a very large outdoor covered pavilion, small lakes with fountains, trails connecting the individual airatream trailers, numerous sitting areas, fire pits. You can rent an individual airstream trailer, a house/cabin, or I assume the entire property if you were having a huge event with out of town guests. The event space allows for your own vendors but at the open house their favorite vendors to work with were on site offering samples of there services, drinks, food. They had a smores bar set up with a great fire pit and all the accessories needed to roast a perfect marshmallow for your smore. Kayaks are situated around the property for use by guests. Each airstream has it's own covered sitting area with a fire pit and comfortable outdoor seating. Lovely interior airstreams, modern and fully equipped. Just an all around lovely space. A great idea for a family gathering or girls trip.

Progress Park is the best hidden secret right in the middle of Louisville…read more The park isn't massive but it's big enough to do so many things! Pond for fishing and kayaking, huge chess board, huge connect four, covered pickle ball court, volley ball, shuffle board and more! We have stayed at two different air streams and both have been very nice and roomy! There are outdoor grills to use and camp fires for each area. It's wild how you basically go from an industrial park directly to feeling like you are in the middle of nowhere camp. It's awesome! Best part is, if you forget something, there are so many stores within a few minutes. Highly recommended!

The main appeal of an annual ticketed event like this one is to allow locals to sample from a…read morevariety of businesses in one evening. I tend to shy away from this sort of thing because they tend to be overwhelming, and having so many vendors makes it hard to leave with a clear impression of any in particular. Also, if you're looking to try a new restaurant, why not just read Yelp reviews? That said, I think Taste of 502 makes a good effort. Events like these can be variable, even from year to year. Will it be crowded? Is the price point reasonable? And will I even get enough to eat? Our experience this year was that it's a lot of fun. We were already familiar with most of the restaurants and shops, so we weren't just running around in a fog. And there was no danger of going home hungry. Even as the (reasonable-sized) crowds dissipated, most of the vendors still had plenty of food. Lines weren't much of a problem, and you can walk around without clutching your plate near your chest. And true to the local spirit, more than half the room was dedicated to sugar, fat, and alcohol. In short, it was at least as much fun as a standard night on the town would be, and a fine way to have a good time, all in the good name of community spirit. I may or may not return for this event, but I certainly will return to many of the eateries it showcases.

The 2016 Taste of 502 Event was fantastic! I had a blast. It's been a while since I've enjoyed…read moremyself so much. There were oodles of different food vendors with lots of things to try! An equal amount of food, drinks and desserts samples were present from what I could see. Wild Rita's had one of the tastiest desserts I tried. Shout out to Rye for their pork samples that were fabulous, and Cake flour for the a-mazing bourbon chocolate fudge brownies. There were pasta dishes, tons of savory treats, appetizers, salads, shrimp kaboobs, cookies, pie, cakes, ice cream, and brownie samples! And of course, a large variety of drink samples from wine to vodka mixes to bourbon. After being stuffed from trying all that food, we stopped to take a picture in the complimentary photo booth. Plenty of seating, easy to socialize, leave and join another table. It was crowded but not uncomfortable and vendors not difficult to access. It was a cool local event and fun getting to try out the treats of different businesses around Louisville. I definitely found 3 or 4 that I'm enthused to go visit. I look forward to attending this event again next year.

With festivals coming back, I am revisiting all of them. Belknap is a 2-day event starting on a…read moreFriday evening and concluding Saturday. You'll need to find parking in the nearby neighborhood and then walk over to the festival. Local vendors and businesses have booths and this year we spotted a few food trucks. A few tables and chairs are provided to sit and eat. One section is geared to younger attendees, offering chalk art and pumpkins to paint. Music is scheduled during both days. This gathering felt small in terms of local vendors to shop and the volume of the music was overwhelming while shopping. The pathways also became crowded due to the streets having booths on both sides of the path. Same for the area in front of the stage which you need to pass through to get to other vendor booths. This is a "nice to do" if you're nearby or want to add it as part of your day, but I wouldn't choose it over other favorites.

If you live in or around the Belknap neighborhood you already know about this annual festival. It…read morealways happens right as we're entering the Fall and so weather wise I feel like it's PERFECT! They have a huge outdoor stage with live music to help you dance the night away. If you're into shopping local, drinking draft beer, eating food, or just walking around and looking at other people...check this festival out. Oh it's free, btw.

The Olmsted is a fantastic venue with amazing catering and a beautiful and clean event space…read more Masterson's always delivers quality food selections, and the event staff here is top knotch!

Through the years I've attended weddings, professional conferences and special events at The…read moreOlmsted. The main buildings sit back from the road but their entrance and signage are fairly easy to spot on Frankfort Ave. I also appreciate the ample parking near the main building. Several steps lead to the front door so check with the Olmstead's team if you need a ramp. If needed, a coat check is in the lobby. The main foyer sits in the middle of two ballrooms. For conferences and weddings they can utilize both sides - i.e. one side for speakers / ceremony and another for lunches / reception. A stage is available and at one wedding the ceiling was beautifully decorated. Food is fairly basic but I've always enjoyed it. Servers came around regularly to clear plates and restock drinks. Bathrooms are located off the foyer and have a few stalls to manage a crowd. Outside the main building offers outside seating and lots of greenery. No issue with sound, whether it's speakers hooked up to wireless mics or DJs and classical ensembles. The screen projection for conferences is very clear too. My only issue is seating when attending a conference. The chairs are metal and not comfortable during a full-day session.