This is my new favorite Derby tradition! How have I lived here for 15 years and only now have taken…read morein the Kentucky Derby Festival Balloon Glow?!? My family and I came down to Waterfront Park around 6 for dinner at the Chow Wagon and then wandered over to the open grassy area to wait for the sun to go down and for the glow to start. First discovery: It only takes 15-30 minutes for a hot air balloon to inflate. It felt like we were surrounded by balloons rather quickly. One of my favorite memories from this is seeing the balloons rise on the other side of the interstate that bisects the park. There were so many balloons! Second discovery: Even with the large open flame used to inflate these monstrous balloons, onlookers can still get pretty close to the balloons. Third discovery: Some of the balloons will light up to the beat of music. One of the radio stations had speakers set up, and the balloons were getting into it. This was fun for my husband and I and our kids. The spaciousness of Waterfront Park also allowed my son the space to run around with his friend while we were waiting for everything to begin. We will definitely go back next year!

This event wasn't what I expected, it was just okay. This featured the many balloons gathered for…read morethe balloon race earlier in the week. They were really beautiful lit up against the stormy night sky. Like all events at the Fairgrounds, it was a pain in the neck getting and out of the event. With as many things as go on there and the same humans frequenting the venue, you'd think we'd have figured out a system by now. Or things like, "maybe my small child shouldn't ride his bike here?" Also, is this the best place to buy your kid a bow and arrow AND let them shoot it? I realize you may be thinking, "this isn't fair to put that in the review!" I say, "false." If you're going to have an event you need to have and enforce some common-sense rules to keep everyone safe. This was in the dark and I have to worry about your kid on his bike or your other one with his bow and arrow. I'm fairly confident that if we went next year the kids will be on bikes shooting their bows and arrows. The weather wasn't ideal for balloon glowing, which wasn't anyone fault (but God's, doesn't he know it's Derby) and in the future, I'd skip any event like this on a windy day. Derby is our biggest civic event in the Commonwealth, it's our signature event and everything should be done well. That this place was chaotic and full or preventable garbage is distressing and disappointing.

This was Truly an Honor to be a part of this Amazing Event. I was blessed with the task of being…read moreone of the judges in the Drinks and Appetizers category. There was so many different varieties of drinks and apps I can't even begin to name them. Everyone did a great job in creating unique and delicious food items. I must say some were better than others, but none of them disappointed me at all! Which made being a judge that much harder! After our judging was complete, we had the honor of taking in the event and going around to try any and everything we wanted! DELICIOUS!!! ... And Yes!! I paid the price later for eating all of those sweets!! But Man was it worth it! I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

I've wanted to be a judge for this event for five years and finally made it. What could be better…read morethan sampling a bevy of gourmet creations made with Girl Scout products?!? You never imagine how difficult it might be to consume and rate 18 sugary confections! The full room was laid out with competitors along one wall and the silent auction asking the other. In between were numerous rounds for both reserved and open seating. I perused the auction tables which helps a wide array of items from liquor to experiences. Judging was done blindly, but after we finished I sought out a few of my favorites. I thought the most inventive appetizer was a lemon and herb cracker with citrus salad. My favorite desserts were a homage to the Samoa from Scarlett's Bakery and a delicious peanut butter-chocolate creme brulee (not sure who made it). For fans of desserts &/or Girl Scout cookies, this fundraiser shouldn't be missed!

Another year in the books and this Beer Fest never ceases to amaze me. It seems to get better…read moreevery year. VIP is the way to go for the awesome swag bags. Those bags contain coupons for certain restaurants, koozies and other goodies. They really outdid themselves this year with the tasting glasses that resembled Stanley cups. As always I never had a favorite beer from here there is too many to choose from. They had Ohio Valley Wrestling and Vinyl Richie for entertainment again this year. Other than the rain (had my rain poncho the whole time) I had an awesome time. Looking forward to the next year as always.

Wow, has it really been that long since my first visit? I had the opportunity to come back to…read moreTailspin this year. Our tickets were general admission. VIP is available, which is an additional hour in a smaller crowd plus food and a goodie bag. Loved the socks I spotted. Oh, and special area for porta pots. There's no lack of beer or food trucks. During the last hour some folks are running out of options but that makes sense if folks are coming back for extra rounds of their fav. The variety of beers was also great. Bands were great and there were some vendors selling candy as well as a raffle auction. This event takes place during the winter season and it is almost always frigid weather. During my first visit there were tented areas that provided shelter from winds and temps - we may have also gotten to use the hangar. That's no longer the case and that means only the strong can make it through the event. Heavy coats, gloves, hats ... all are a must. I was surprised we didn't see heat lamps for a quick warm up, and especially for those working the event. Not sure this is my favorite beer fest based on this year's experience but would always recommend it.

I attended this event September of 2016 and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's the perfect event for…read morefoodies that appreciate local eats and treats. For those that like trying new things you get plenty to choose from and sample. There was something for everyone there! An added bonus when I went was the event was located at the beautiful Clifton center.

I won two VIP tickets to the Taste of Frankfort thanks to Yelp! My mom drove up and served as my…read moredate. We didn't know what to expect, never having attended an event like this before. Found the location easily and parked on the street. Ran into some troubles checking in to get my free tickets. The two older ladies monitoring the ticket table didn't know what Yelp was and it was a slight struggle explaining my situation. We finally received our VIP wristbands after about 5 minutes of confusion. With VIP we had access to an exclusive lounge area with champagne, whiskey, and chocolatey treats, along with artfully placed couches. Mom and I headed there and grabbed a drink before meandering to find the food. Thankfully we got there right when the event began because before long the room was packed! Some favorites were pizza from BoomBozz, bacon wrapped dates from The Hub, and Korean tacos with kimchi. Perfection. Within about an hour and a half we had sufficiently stuffed ourselves silly and happily drove home. Thanks for the tix!

The Keg Fest of Ales is a really great beer festival!…read more Aside from it being across the river in Southern Indiana, here are some of the highlights: -It is a bit spread out. There is some breathing room and on various levels in and around the amphitheater. -They allow chairs in so you can sit and enjoy your brews in some shade. -An awesome, varied selection of beers! -They have a SOUR TRUCK! And entire station dedicated to sour beers. Bless you, Fest of Ales. BLESS YOU!! And thank you. As long as the weather isn't the literal worst, attending this event with be pretty wonderful! They always have a great selection of beers, several food trucks and a bunch of sponsor/non-beer vendor booths to break up the afternoon. A notable thing about this festival is that you don't get a tally card for how many drinks/samples you can get. I *actually* think this encourages more responsible drinking! You just taste what you want as you want it. People aren't rushing to get all the drinks they can get and fill out their tasting sheet! I have been to several different beer festivals, and it seems like it is often a race and challenge to 'complete' your card. Somehow....doing away with the cards might have helped! At least, my experience with the people around me is that they seemed more sober. It is a fun reason to cross the river, get your drink on, and be reminded that New Albany is a pretty cute lil' town!

Recently having moved to New Albany, I have been trying to explore this charming town. I have been…read morefinding that New Albany hosts some great events such as this one. The Keg Fest of Ale took place at the Riverfront Amphitheater which offers Indiana's view of the Ohio River. It was a nice warm day and there were were occasional breezes which felt great while sipping beer, listening to music, and walking down the riverfront. I have been to many beer festivals before and I have to say this was one of my favorite ones. The view by the river, the spread out festival tents was a nice break from being cramped up next to people who maybe have had too much to drink, and the company I had was really really nice. Plus there was a Yelp booth there of course and Kasen and Kathy were manning it so major yay! There were over 200 breweries there and some new tappings which led to long lines but surprisingly all the lines moved quickly. All a result of the festival being spread out so that's a major plus. So much beer. I tried. I really did try. But I doubt I even tried half of the beers that were offered there. I did get to try some favorites there and I tasted a lot of new ones. I love craft beers and the amazing creative names that breweries come up with. Some of the names just draw you in so hey it works. I especially recall liking a summer shandy from a Northern Michican brewery called Shorts. I tried seeing if this was available at a liquor store after the event but it was not. I hope this company expands as it was one of my favorites out of all the beers I sampled. This event is one I'll have to plan to go to each year. And hey it's for charity! Beer and charity. Enough said. Any other reasons to wonder if this even is worth it? Okay well they also have some food trucks and this year they had one which sold tater tots. I immediately respect any place who offers tater tots, bringing a classic nostalgic food item into an only adult festival. The tater tots took me back to elementary school which was such an easy fun time. Except there wasn't beer. So tater tots and beer combined, AMAZING (Spongebob voice) experience! Seriously, everything about this festival was great. The weather, the company I was with, the food, the event location, and I love how this event didn't have to deal with any vouchers or punch cards. It was just pay, get a wristband and drink whatever you choose. SO much easier than other events, especially after having tasted a dozen or so beers. At this least in this event it's just a matter if you can hand over your event tasting glass and ask for whatever beer you want to sample. I give this event a big 5 stars. Great event in New Albany, Indiana. Already looking forward to next year!

What a fun family event that is new to Louisville this year. It is the new Halloween balloon glow…read moreat Lynn family stadium. It features trick or treating and halllowwen adventures for all the little ones. It also has awesome balloon light up adventure at night. Great family fun all around

This is my favorite beer festival, from the location to crowd and beer offers. In July it is always…read moregoing to be a scorcher and I have to mentally prepare for that, but it also pushes me to try different offerings like ciders and sour ales. This year several vendors had waters on hand for the crowd and it was appreciated. The event is 4 hours and it's easy to stay the entire time. Between snacks and food trucks plus areas to sit and lounge, the time passes quickly. A storm came through this year which sadly affected the crowd, band playing, and our time there but we were so happy still with our experience. Love the Groupon deals this festival offers. They also host a lot of free tickets and events leading up to the festival. Great time! Recommend you out this on your summer rotation.

This was my first time attending the JTown Summer Beer Fest. I happened to win a pair of tickets…read morethrough Yelp, and I had such a good time! It was situated right behind 3rd Turn Brewing, and it was actually much larger than I initially thought it was going to be, and there were so many different craft breweries represented here. There was a lot to choose from, and I don't even think we got to them all! I do wish that there was more seating options. We had to end up sitting on a curb to eat, and it was pretty hot out so it would've been nice to sit in the shade.

Very much recommended going to Thunder through the KyScience Museum. Good food trucks, not too…read morecrowded, porta-potties or go inside. VIP area includes tables, chairs, separate seating area, food and drink tickets. Admission also includes entrance into the museum. This was my 5 year, good times!

This was the best Thunder I have been to and I have only missed 3 in 15 years of living here (covid…read moreclaimed 2 of those) They went and blew our minds with the drone show and then the fireworks that made my heart stop! It was beautiful, fun, great weather and the perfect thunder to get to come back to after covid quarantines! To the people behind this tremendous event: thank you so much for such a fun time for my family and friends and my fellow louisvillians!!