Annual Wild & Scenic Red RiverFest
It’s that time of year again!
Since 2017, the Wild & Scenic Red Riverfest has celebrated our free-flowing Red River, one of our unique Kentucky treasures and KY’s only nationally designated/protected Wild & Scenic river.
The event is co-hosted by Friends of Red River and Kentucky Waterways Alliance, who work closely together to protect, restore, and celebrate the Red River through clean ups, environmental education, safe public access and recreation.
This year, Clay City Parks Department joins as a cohost! Along with celebrating and raising awareness of the value of clean water, the event is a fundraiser for Friends of Red River for cleanups, improved public river access, and keeping this festival free and accessible to ALL.
Jamming with Wildberries Workshop
Pick berries, make jam, take jam home! It’s easy, delicious and fun!
This Lots of Food workshop is led by Amanda Fuller and hosted by Louisville Grows. Walk the Portland neighborhood to forage for berries then return to Healthy House to make your own jam.
Registration includes a jar of jam to take home and easy recipes so you can keep jamming all summer long! Register here!
A Midsumer Night's Dream
Introducing… A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
Bring your lawn chair or blanket to Alberta O. Jones Park for this performance by Kentucky Shakespeare!
The natural world plays a starring role in this live comic play featuring four lovers who find themselves bewitched by woodland fairies in a sly reckoning with love, jealousy, and marriage.
A pre-show performance features a sneak preview of “Who Killed Alberta Jones?”, an original screenplay produced by Redline Performing Arts in association with Actors Theater of Louisville that will have its world premiere at Alberta O. Jones Park Day in July.
Community partners will be on-site to share resources to build a healthy and sustainable environment!
Olmsted Parks Beer Garden: Tyler Park
Kentucky Select Properties presents the Olmsted Parks Beer Garden – Tyler Park!
Enjoy beer from West Sixth Brewing and food from local food trucks.
Click here for more details and/or other information on similar events!
Jamming with Wildberries Workshop
Pick berries, make jam, take jam home! It’s easy, delicious and fun!
This Lots of Food workshop is led by Amanda Fuller and hosted by Louisville Grows. Walk the Portland neighborhood to forage for berries then return to Healthy House to make your own jam.
Registration includes a jar of jam to take home and easy recipes so you can keep jamming all summer long! Register here!
Run for the Parklands
Mark your calendars for the 2024 Parklands and WLKY 5K!
Whether you prefer to walk, run, or just support your friends and family that do, it’s a great opportunity to support the Parklands’ annual maintenance and operations.
Register to participate today and get $5 off with the promo code EARLYBIRD. As a visitor-and-donor supported public park, you can help us keep The Parklands safe, clean, fun, and beautiful!
Learn more and register here.
Old Louisville Garden Tour
On the second weekend of June each year, Louisville offers glimpses into one of its best-kept secrets: The Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.
This tour welcomes garden lovers into the private green spaces of the nation’s largest Victorian residential neighborhood. Our gardeners share their personal retreats, tucked behind stately Victorian mansions and protected by vine-covered walls and privacy fences.
In addition to the Garden Tour, guests are encouraged to visit the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum. Purchasing a discounted combo ticket for the Garden Tour allows customers to visit this Victorian mansion either the same weekend of the tour or any other date through the end of July that the museum is open.
Also, attendees during the month of June can see a special display of an "Indoor Victorian Garden" showcasing plant varieties throughout the house that were typical of those found in the early 1900's. Remember, this special display is only available during the month of June!
Buy Local Fair
The Buy Local Fair is a fun family event that supports our local businesses!
Attendees come not only for excellent shopping, eating and good times, but also to show their resounding support for the local independent businesses that make our community unique.
More information coming soon at this link! Interested in a booth or volunteering? Click the links on the website to be part of it!
Sorry, no animals (besides service animals) allowed.
Secret Garden Party
Our wildly popular series makes its 2024 return!
We’ll start you off at Yew Dell and will then whisk you away by shuttle to a nearby gem of a garden, nursery and cut flower farm for scrumptious food, delightful drink and engaging tours of the gardens, greenhouse and grounds. Don’t call and ask about the location. We ain’t talkin’!
Details:
Time slots are 4:00-7:00 PM, and 5:00-8:00 PM.
This event has limited space and will sell out quickly so get make your reservations right away!
Please keep in mind that all ticket purchases are final sale. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. All programs and events are rain or shine.
Budgeting to Shop Ethically Workshop
Wondering how to fit your values into your budget?
Join Canopy Co-Board Chair and Senior VP of the Louisville Branch of the Federal Reserve of St. Louis Seema Sheth to learn how to hit your budget and spend the way YOU want. Canopy Founder and CEO, Scott Koloms will be there to walk you through how to approach shopping with purpose and why it’s a valuable part of your spending education.
Your ticket includes: a cocktail, entry into raffles to win gift cards to local establishments, and a fun night out with shoppers just like you! Don’t miss this opportunity to start shopping guilt free—buy your ticket today.
Paws in Nature
Did you know that more than 12,000 dogs visit Bernheim with their owners each year?
We love our canine visitors, so we’re honoring them in a special way! On Saturday, June 15th, from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, Bernheim will go to the dogs at Paws in Nature, a festival that celebrates our furry best friends.
Spoil your four-legged friends with a day in nature filled with a variety of activities for dogs and their humans. Mingle with other dogs and their families and treat your good boys and good girls with goodies from local artists and vendors who specialize in pet products.
Forest Fest
A celebration of music, local makers, and nature.
Forest Fest is a free, family-friendly festival of bluegrass and Americana music, local food, and crafts in the largest municipally-owned forest in the U.S.
Our 2024 lineup features Songs from the Road Band, the Bibelhauser Brothers, The Wheelhouse Rousters, The Montvales, and Relaay!
BloomFest at Bernheim
Join us on May 18th from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM for Bernheim’s annual celebration of spring!
Don’t miss the monarch plant kit sale! This free event includes tons of great activities for children of all ages, including arts and crafts, garden faerie house construction, naturalist-led discovery stations, and musical entertainment.
BloomFest is also a great time to experience Playcosystem, Bernheim’s natural play area.
Activities:
Nature Discovery Stations
Faerie & Gnome Dress-up
Faerie Crowns & Wands Crafts
Nature Concert with Mr. Dan
Faerie & Gnome Parade
Bernheim Storytime in the Edible Garden
Yarden Party
It’s a Yarden Party!
We welcome our friends at Louisville Grows and Beargrass Thunder to come set up a plant swap, garden giveaway, and more! We'll be out on the patio enjoying foraged mountain mint cocktails and getting our gardens ready for summer.
The event is FREE to attend! Here's some things to expect:
10:00 AM: Meet outside Slugger Field for a "wildflower walk" to the waterfront to learn about some native wildflowers and foliage in Louisville.
11:00 AM: The walk returns and we're ready to party! Enjoy:
Free garden seeds
Free wildflower seeds
Gardening information and help
A plant swap!
River Cowboys Film Premiere
Friends of Red River and Kentucky Waterways Alliance are thrilled to bring you our new and very first mini-documentary!
The film is about the Upper Red River Cleanup that our fearless leader, Russ Miller, created and has continued since 1996! What's with all this trash in our rivers, especially our nationally protected Wild & Scenic Red River? See unseen footage of this section of river, marvel at the effort that it takes to keep our Red River clean, and consider the solutions!
We hope to see you at this momentous occasion! And since you'll be in the RRG, please plan to join us for the entire Red RiverFest weekend of fun, paddles, live music, clean water info, climbing wall, cornhole tournament, yoga, vendors and more from May 17th to May 19th!
More information, vendor & volunteer sign-up, and paddle registration can be found here!
Solar for Business and Nonprofit Organizations
Solarize Louisville presents:
Solar for Business and Nonprofit Organizations
May 13, 3-5 PM at THE JANE & JEWELL CENTER
1618 Columbia St, Louisville, KY 40203
Featuring solar installers Pure Power Solar and Icon Solar.
In collaboration with our partners at the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the Kentucky Solar Energy Society.
Is Solar Right for Your Business?
Businesses, houses of worship, and nonprofits that own their own roofs can potentially reap great benefits by installing rooftop solar. But the situation is not the same for everyone.
That’s why we created this free workshop with our partners so that you can hear directly from solar installers and experts about what the process of going solar looks like.
Join us for this presentation and Q&A with representatives from industry, government, and the nonprofit world to explore what going solar could do for your business. Register Here.
Details:
May 13, 3-5 PM at THE JANE & JEWELL CENTER
1618 Columbia St, Louisville, KY 40203
Gardener's Fair: Spring on the Farm
Celebrate Spring on the Farm at Locust Grove!
There will be over 30 vendors, featuring plants, botanicals, vegetables, KY Proud products, animal demonstrations, garden tools, garden art, and more!
Hands-on workshops will be held throughout the weekend. For more information, visit our webpage to sign up!
Musical entertainment will be provided by Louisville Gypsy Jazz. Food trucks and historical reenactments will also take place throughout the event.
May Green Drinks with Air Pollution Control District
Clean Air Trivia is back!
Air Quality Awareness Week 2024 is May 6-10, and we are going to test our knowledge again this year with pub style trivia. Join LSC and APCD at Noble Funk Brewing Company on Wednesday, May 8, 6-8 PM.
There will be prizes for the top winning teams, so gather your work colleagues, friends, or neighbors together to form a team and come join us! Free to play.
Brown-Forman has generously provided two $5 off Uber vouchers for up to 50 people to get you to Green Drinks and back home safely. Click here to redeem.
Nature Hike and Bioblitz
Celebrate Earth Day all month!
Participate in the 2024 iNaturalist City Nature Challenge Bioblitz by joining us on Sunday, April 28th at 4:00 PM for a nature hike at the Earth & Spirit Center.
Led by naturalist Tim Darst, we will explore the trails and gardens, capturing photos and identifying plants and animals. Engage in citizen science while gaining knowledge of the biodiversity in Jefferson County!
All ages are welcome, but please bring a smartphone for this project. The fee is $5 per family.
Spring 2024 Youth Cleanup
Brightside Spring 2024 Youth Cleanup in partnership with St. Margaret Mary Catholic School!
Come join us for Brightside’s semi-annual youth cleanup. Cleanup supplies—bags, gloves, and grabbers—will be provided.
Join us at 9:30 AM on April 27th with St. Margaret Mary for a morning of beautifying the Lyndon neighborhood. See you there!
Olmsted Parks Beer Garden: Cherokee Park
Kentucky Select Properties presents the Olmsted Parks Beer Garden – Cherokee Park!
Enjoy beer from West Sixth Brewing and food from local food trucks. This event is located near the Stegner Pavilion, on the Scenic Loop just past Hogan’s Fountain.
Click here for more details and/or other information on similar events!
Nursery Open House
A rare and special behind-the-scenes experience!
Get a first-hand look at thousands of plants being produced for our garden displays, upcoming sales, and trial projects. And our spring ephemerals production will be in full spring swing!
Guided by Horticulture and Facilities Director, Jacob Stidham, and Nursery and Greenhouse Manager, Jeff Margreiter, you’ll be hard pressed to find two more knowledgeable plant pros anywhere.
Schnitzelburg Neighborhood Cleanup
The 2024 Brightside Spring Schnitzelburg Neighborhood Cleanup is just around the corner!
On Sunday, April 21st, we encourage all residents to take part in our neighborhood cleanup. The event is a great service opportunity for boy/girl scouts, sports teams, faith groups, and community organizations. It could also be a corporate team bonding activity!
Cleanups are an integral part of Brightside’s mission, and without the help of volunteer groups, and many other volunteers throughout the year, Brightside could not achieve their goals of a cleaner, greener Louisville.
Please meet us at Emerson Park at 9:00 AM! We can provide gloves and bags for each volunteer. We will work with Solid Waste Management to have the collected litter bags picked up.
Earth Day of Service
Earth Day of Service at Alberta O. Jones Park
Join us for a day of service planting native pollinators, picking up litter, and a small sustainability resource fair at Alberta O. Jones Park!
This volunteer event is a collaboration between Louisville Metro Government Mayor's Office of Sustainability, the Parks Alliance of Louisville, Beargrass Thunder, and YouthBuild Louisville.
Register here to volunteer!
Kentuckiana Meeting for Advancing Participatory Sciences: Integrating Health, Environment, and Community Resilience
About Kentuckiana MAPS 2024
As the intersection of environmental sustainability, health, and community development gains significance, it is imperative to foster collaboration among organizations leading efforts in these domains. Recognizing the shared commitment to fostering resilient communities, this meeting aims to explore synergies between climate change, health, outdoor recreation, and community resilience, fostering a holistic approach to address common challenges through a New Vision of Health.
The meeting will be held at the Urban Design Studio at the Envirome Institute in downtown Louisville, KY.
Log Inoculation Event
Learn about growing mushrooms!
Learn about growing edible mushroom varieties locally and help with an environmental science student project!
Meet in the parking lot of the Earth and Spirit Center. We hope you can join us!
*Some snacks and drinks will be provided.
*Wear closed-toe shoes and an outfit you don’t mind getting dirty!
Seeds and Starts Sale
Mark your calendars!
Louisville Grows’ annual Seeds and Starts Sale will feature your favorite as well as unique veggies, herbs, pollinators, fruit trees, and berries.
Proceeds from the sale of plants and other gardening items at the Seeds & Starts Sales directly support a sustainable and equitable food system in our community by benefiting community gardens and orchards through our grant and Giving Grove programs.
Friends of Louisville Grows who have made a one-time donation ($50 or more) or are sustaining monthly members will receive an invitation to the Member's ONLY presale in April and a special discount. Click this link for more info.!
TreeFest 2024
Louisville Parks and Recreation, TreesLouisville, and Jefferson Memorial Forest are proud to announce the return of TreeFest—an event to celebrate all things TREES!
TreeFest was introduced to Louisville in 2022 as a way to celebrate Arbor Day and provide community members with an opportunity to learn more about and appreciate our community forest.
This year will include a volunteer tree planting event, family-friendly activities like kids tree climbing, a tree giveaway, and opportunities to meet and learn about different “green” organizations in our city. Local vendors are invited to sell their sustainable wares, and live music, food and drinks are also available, all making for an ideal afternoon to sit in a park and take in the scenery!
Additional information is available here.
Community Wide Clean-up
Join in Saturday, April 13th for the Brightside & WM Community-Wide Cleanup!
We encourage all residents to take part in Brightside's Community-Wide Cleanups. Held in the spring and fall, the events are a great service opportunity for boy and/or girl scouts, sports teams, faith groups and community organizations. It could also be a corporate team bonding opportunity!
Cleanups are an integral part of Brightside's mission and without the help of volunteer groups, and many other volunteers throughout the year, Brightside could not achieve their goals of a cleaner, greener Louisville.
Neighborhoods can hold their own cleanups at any point throughout the year and we can provide gloves and bags for each Neighborhood Cleanup. We will work with Solid Waste Management to have the collected litter bags picked up. Give us a call at (502) 574-2613 or register online about two weeks prior to your event to schedule your cleanup. Once registered, please contact us at (502) 574-8455 to schedule a supply pickup time.
Thanks to each and every volunteer who supports the Brightside Community-Wide Cleanup, for your time and dedication – we can’t do it without you!
The State of Black Food Summit
Join us at the State of Black Food Summit, a transformative event addressing food security and justice for Black families.
Join Change Today Change Tomorrow for a groundbreaking event focused on addressing food security and justice for Black families. This transformative summit brings together Black individuals, community leaders, and organizations passionate about creating equitable access to healthy and culturally relevant food.
Engage in thought-provoking discussions, collaborative exercises, and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals. Explore innovative solutions, best practices, and policies to combat food insecurity in the Black community. Together, we will develop concrete action plans and strategies to drive lasting change.
Be part of this movement to empower and uplift Black families, as we envision a future where food security is a fundamental right for all. Join us at the State of Black Food Summit and make a significant impact in our community. Register here!
Wildflower Weekend
The Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) is happy to announce this year’s Wildflower Weekend is April 12th to the 14th at Natural Bridge State Resort Park!
Throughout its long history, Wildflower Weekend has been an enriching experience to our members and beyond; offering guided hikes to explore Kentucky’s rich natural history and resources in the Red River Gorge. We hope you will join us and other nature lovers, families, community scientists, amateur naturalists, and professional botanists from across the Commonwealth, to explore the beauty and diversity of our native plants this April.
The event will include guided hikes through beautiful natural areas throughout the weekend, a Friday Evening Friends & Members Social, and Saturday evening presentations.
Attendees will be able pre-register for both the event, as well as guided hikes. Pre-registration will be opened online several weeks before Wildflower Weekend. Members of KNPS will be allowed to register before the registration is opened to the general public.
Foraging Kentucky
The Louisville Nature Center (LNC) is excited to partner with Carmichael’s Bookstore for this event!
Join the LNC and Carmichael’s on April 11th at 7:00 PM in hosting George Barnett for his new book, “Foraging Kentucky: An Introduction to the Edible Plants, Fungi, and Tree Crops of the Southeast”! Barnett will also be joined by the extraordinary Lindsay Duncan from Bernheim Forest.
Barnett’s book is a great beginner’s guide to safety and ethically foraging in Kentucky. We hope to see you there!
(almost)Total Solar Eclipse “Solar-bration”
To celebrate the solar eclipse, Bernheim is hosting a party on Monday, April 8th from 1:30 to 4:30 PM!
For the duration of the eclipse, Bernheim will allow visitors to safely observe the eclipse*, engage in solar-themed activities, create homemade solar eclipse viewers from recycled materials, and more. Maximum sun cover (over 98%) will be observed at 3:07 p.m., but the fun will last all afternoon.
We will have food trucks and a special menu at Isaac’s Café that will be out of this world!
*Eclipse viewing glasses will be handed out on a first-come, first served basis beginning at 1:30 pm. There will also be telescopes with solar filters for safe viewing.
Total Eclipse of the Park: Eclipse Watch Party
Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild…
Join Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks and Recreation in Iroquois Park for an eclipse watch party on Monday, April 8th, from 1 to 4 PM.
The gate to the upper portion of the park will be open 1-4 p.m. The Froggy’s Popcorn food truck will be located near Jacob’s Lodge.
Olmsted Parks Conservancy members will receive free eclipse glasses while supplies last!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
Join us at Waterfront Parks Big Four Lawn for an unforgettable experience during the solar eclipse.
While Louisville may not be in the path of totality, we will witness a mesmerizing deep partial eclipse. Enjoy a day filled with engaging activities, various vendors, food and drink concessions and music!
Don’t forget to grab your eclipse glasses, generously provided by kynect, for a safe and stunning view of this celestial spectacle.
Start of partial eclipse: 1:49pm EDT
Maximum eclipse (99.25%): 3:07pm EDT
End of partial eclipse: 4:22pm EDT
Care-Day Neighborhood Cleanup
Join The Care Project on April 6th from 12 to 4 PM for a Care Day neighborhood cleanup!
We invite you to help us make West Louisville a cleaner place with us. We will provide all sanity materials.
Fill out our volunteer form to join our team. If you can’t make it this Care Day, that’s okay! Still sign up to join our volunteer mailing list.
For any questions, don’t hesitate to DM us or reach out to Lakin Barrett at lakinbarrett0@gmail.com.
Lucky Horseshoe Neighborhood Tree Planting
Join Louisville Grows to help us improve the health of the residents in the Lucky Horseshoe neighborhood through our Urban Forestry program.
Trained Citizen Foresters will lead groups of volunteers to properly plant trees on residential and business properties, and in the right-of-ways along the streets. No experience is necessary, everyone is welcome to come play in the dirt with us!
*Building Our Blocks is an event that seeks to transform a single neighborhood in one day through projects such as tree plantings, home repair, street safety improvements, beautification, and more. The goal is to be proactive in solving issues our community members face daily by bringing city services to their doorstep.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Community Engagement Manager Ellie at outreach@louisvillegrows.org or 502-694-0120. Click here for more details and registration!
Paristown Garden Show
A curated, outdoor, FREE event.
Enjoy plants, flowers, local speakers, garden decor, wine garden and more!
This event is brought to you by The Fleur de Flea Vintage Market and Jefferson County Master Gardeners. Space is filling up FAST. If you sell plants, native plants, shrubs, trees, vintage garden items, or anything garden-related, you are welcome to sign up.
Head to this link for more info. or contact (502) 533-2688.
Tree Adoption Event
Spring is upon us and you know what that means… time to hand out some free trees!
Join Trees Louisville for our next Tree Adoption on March 30th and take home up to two trees! Trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with the option to only take home one C tree per person / household.
We are thrilled to be partnering with Churchill Downs this year to offer an adoption location convenient for new communities! Come to the backside of the Downs and find us in the Turquoise Parking Lot.
Solidarity Workshop
This workshop, designed for people of privilege, defines solidarity, and supports participants to develop their abilities to engage in solidarity with people who are most marginalized and/or impacted.
Our human nature is to be and act in relationship with one another. One aspect of this relationality is to act in solidarity with others. So by nature, we are designed to act in solidarity. If we aren’t paying attention, however, we tend to act in solidarity, by default, with people who are similar. Men, by default, act in solidarity with other men; white people, by default, act in solidarity with other white people; heterosexual people, by default, act in solidarity with other heterosexual people… It takes intentionality and practice to act in solidarity with "others."
This interactive workshop (link to register), designed for people of privilege, will define solidarity, and will help participants to develop their confidence and abilities to engage in solidarity with people who are most marginalized and/or impacted by injustice and oppression.
Zero Waste Repair Fair
The UL Free Store is proud to announce this collaboration with the Louisville Time Bank, Louisville Tool Library, and Lvl1 Hackerspace in our Zero Waste Repair Fair!
Join us for a chance to learn new skills from community leaders. There will be different stations with skills to learn to live a more sustainable lifestyle. There will also be a Free Sale at the event!
This event is open to UL students AND the public—come visit us anytime between 4:30 to 6:30 PM in the Red Barn. We’ll see you there.
Send us an email with your business or organization name, time & date of the event, location, and a description!