Louisville Kentucky offers so much to visitors of Bourbon City this September. The nation's largest rock music festival, cultures from around the world, theatrical performances, and an abundance of Bourbon, can all be experienced without leaving Louisville this Bourbon Heritage Month.
The 8th annual Big Four Bridge Arts Festival will be held on Waterfront Park’s Big Four Lawn at the base of the popular Big Four Walking Bridge. Over 150 juried artists will set up shop along the Ohio River during the two-day event, featuring paintings, jewelry, sculptures, photography, and live music. Tickets for the event are just $5 and can be purchased online or at the entrance to the festival.
Centred around the small-town ambiance of Gaslight Square, the Gaslight Festival has evolved into an eight-day extravaganza that has become a time-honoured tradition of East Louisville's Jeffersontown (J-Town) community. Celebrating its 55th year in 2024, the festival's signature events include a car show, golf scramble, 5K run, parade, balloon glow, motorcycle rally, live entertainment, and over 200 arts, crafts, and commercial booths.
Located just 45 minutes south of downtown Louisville in Bardstown, KY, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival has been celebrating America's native spirit for over 30 years. Both single-day and three-day passes are available for this annual Bourbon Heritage Month festival, which with experiential tastings, dinners, auctions, and the World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay. Bourbon enthusiasts can sip their favorite hard-to-find bourbons or get signature cocktails prepared by pro mixologists. VIP-level experiences are already sold out so be sure to purchase tickets in advance.
Held every September in Louisville’s Highlands neighbourhood, this annual block party has become a staple end-of-summer event. The 2024 entertainment lineup includes Marzz, DJ Kim Sorise, DJ Warren Peace and more, along with a variety of drag performers across two stages. The day-long festival is held across multiple blocks on Bardstown Road, which is also home to some of the city’s most popular LGBTQ bars, including Chill Bar and Big Bar, which stay open late after the festival ends.
The World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival is returning to the Highland Festival Grounds after a record-breaking 2023 crowd. This star-studded event brings together the best in Classic Rock, Alt Rock, Country, and Bluegrass music with 100 artists across five stages, alongside hands-on bourbon workshops, tastings, and culinary programming with celebrity chefs. This year's festival includes headliners Sting, Dave Matthews Band, Zach Bryan, and Tyler Childers.
Louder Than Life will wrap up an incredible summer of music in Louisville with a four-day rock festival just south of downtown at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center. Headliners for the festival include Slipknot, Motley Crue, Korn and Slayer. Local food and drink culture will also be incorporated into the festival’s culinary scene with pop-ups from popular Kentucky Bourbon brands and local Louisville restaurants. Weekend General Admission, VIP and Top Shelf passes are currently on sale.
Once named "One of the Coolest Neighbourhoods in North America," Louisville's East Market District, or NuLu, will have its annual neighbourhood street fest on the last Saturday in September. Known for its art galleries, unique retail stores, and some of the most popular restaurants in the city, the neighbourhood block party will feature live music, regional micro-brewed beers, Bourbon, and numerous food and retail booths by local vendors.
One of Louisville’s longest-running traditions extends its hours just a few times a year for what Churchill Downs has coined Downs After Dark. With gates opening at 5pm and the last horse race past 11pm, racing fans will have a chance to see Churchill Downs in a new light. Live music, festive attire, and classic cocktails add to the excitement with general admission tickets starting at $20. If you can't make it to night racing, Churchill Downs will offer live racing Thursdays - Sundays, September 12-29, as part of their September meet.
To find more events taking place this September in Louisville, click
here.
For a round up of Halloween activities taking place this Fall click
here.
To find all events happening in and around the city be sure to check out our
event calendar.
Posted by: Louisville Tourism
Posted on: 03/09/2024