So Many Reasons to Celebrate this June in Louisville

Pride month, the Muhammad Ali Festival, and Juneteenth headline this month's diverse lineup of festivals and community celebrations. Below are some of Louisville's most anticipated events for June 2022.

Old Fashioned Fortnight | June 1-14

Named the official cocktail of Louisville in 2015, the Old Fashioned has a special place in the heart of Bourbon City. Every year during the first two weeks of June, Old Fashioned Fortnight shines the spotlight on this spirited bourbon concoction that was invented right here in Louisville. Participate in Bourbon themed events, find recipes, and even earn prizes along the city's Urban Bourbon Trail® the first fortnight in June. Find 14 different ways to celebrate the Old Fashioned, here.

Kentucky R&B Fest | June 3

Popular R&B, hip-hop, and soul singers will be headlining this year's Kentucky R&B Fest at downtown Louisville's KFC Yum! Center. Keith Sweat will be joined by Tevin Campbell, Ginuwine, 112, and others for a night of old school chart-topping hits.

Louisville GreekFest | June 3-4

Celebrate Grecian hospitality and culture with Louisville's Greek community at the annual Louisville Greek Fest. Food vendors will be offering up popular Greek items like gyros, souvlake sandwiches, tiropitas, along with an assortment of pastries and desserts. Live music and traditional Greek dancing will also be performed from a number of local groups. Weather permitting the event will be held outside of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in the Lyndon neighborhood off of Ormsby Lane.

Ali Fest | June 3-9

Six years after the passing of Louisville's native son, the annual Ali Festival celebrates Muhammad Ali’s impactful legacy and love for Louisville. The community celebration will include an array of events including fitness, art, history, community service, family activities, and special announcements. On top of a visit to the Louisville Muhammad Ali Center and the Champ's final resting place at Cave Hill Cemetery, other participating venues include TKO Boxing Gym, Trolley de 'Ville, and the the Louisville Bats. If you can't be in town for the week of celebration, you can always follow in the Footsteps of Greatness while taking this self-guided tour around the city.

Free Summer Movie Night at Iroquois Amphitheater | June 6, 13, 20 & 27

Sponsored by the Louisville Metro Council, the cinema lovers can catch a free movie every Monday this June at South Louisville's Iroquois Amphitheater. Weekly screenings will roll at 8:30pm at this outdoor, covered theater, with showings of Respect (June 6), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (June 13), Grease (June 20), and Jaws (June 27). Concessions and bar service will be available to purchase on site, but no outside food or drink are permitted.

PNC Broadway Louisville presents: HAMILTON | June 7-19

Held at the Kentucky Center in downtown Louisville, this revolutionary musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda blends R&B, jazz, hip-hop and Broadway to tell the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

Southern Fried Poetry Slam | June 8-11

Hailed as "the nation's largest premier poetry slam tournament," poets from around the country will travel to downtown Louisville to partake in this annual competition. 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of the event with 32 poetry teams representing 25+ cities who are ready to compete during this 4-day festival. The rules of the competition are that each poet has three minutes to perform one poem of his or her own construction. No props, costumes, or musical accompaniment are allowed. Each poem is then scored by a panel of five judges who have been chosen randomly from the audience. The poet's individual score is then added to the cumulative total for the team that the poet represents.

Journeys to Freedom: (Un)Known Project River Cruise | June 9, 10, 22 & 23

Commissioned by IDEAS xLab and written and directed by artist Sidney Monroe Williams (they/them), these special event cruises aboard the Belle of Louisville will tell the stories of two families looking to escape enslavement. While floating along the Ohio River between Kentucky — once a slave state — and Indiana — a free state — participants will be assigned a persona and be given different access to various spaces throughout the boat as the performance progresses. You can learn more about Ideas xLab and the (Un)Known Project, here.

Kentucky Craft Bash | June 11

For one day this summer, the Kentucky Guild of Brewers will transform Louisville's Waterfront Park into the state’s largest, most exclusive taproom during the annual Kentucky Craft Bash - Kentucky’s only craft beer festival by brewers, for brewers. Pouring only beers from breweries located in the Commonwealth, Craft Bash hosts over 70 local breweries and serves more than 150 different varieties of beer. Experimental beers and collaborations that don't go into widespread distribution and are rarely found outside of a brewery’s taproom will also be available to sample.

Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour | June 11 & 12

For one weekend out of the year, Old Louisville residents welcome garden lovers into some of their private green spaces within the nation’s largest Victorian residential neighborhood. See some of the areas best kept secrets as gardeners share glimpses of their personal retreats, tucked behind stately Victorian mansions and protected by vine-covered walls and privacy fences.

Juneteenth Celebrations | June 11-19

Louisville will be home a variety of Juneteenth festivals and celebrations, marking the anniversary of the federal holiday. The city-led Juneteenth Jubilee (June 11-19) will feature a Golf Scramble, day camp, Miss Juneteenth Pageant, special performances, and a Race for Justice. The Louisville Juneteenth Festival (June 16-19) has a schedule that includes an HBCU Midnight Brunch, bourbon-infused events, and a day-long festival on the Belvedere in downtown Louisville. The MELANnaire Marketplace (June 18 & 19) will host a two-day event at Louisville's Fourth St. Live! highlighting local Black entrepreneurs selling everything from food, arts, and retail products. You can learn more about Louisville's Black history and heritage by checking out the experiences part of the Unfiltered Truth Collection.

Louisville Funk Fest | June 18

Held outdoors at Louisville's Waterfront Park, this funky daytime festival kicks off at 4pm, with gates opening at 2pm. VIP covered seating is available to catch performers Jodeci, Master P, Mysitkal and more, for an afternoon of musical performances.

Kentuckiana Pride Parade & Festival | June 18

Held at Louisville’s Waterfront Park, the Kentuckiana Pride Parade & Festival has been a tradition in downtown Louisville for more than 20 years. Start the day with the annual Pride parade down East Market Street in the popular NuLu neighborhood as it marches 1.5-miles towards the Ohio River and the iconic Big Four Bridge. Headliners for this year's entertainment include Tove Lo, Miki Ratsula, Daisha McBride and others, as more than 20,000 people are expected to attend one of the state's largest LGBTQ+ events. You can learn more about Louisville's LGBTQ scene, here.

The Big Bounce America | June 24-26

Covering an area of over 13,000 square feet and towering 32ft from the ground, the World’s Biggest Bounce House is headed to Tom Sawyer State Park this June. This over-sized inflatable includes climbing towers, slides, obstacles and even a ball pit allowing kids, and kids at heart, unforgettable hours of bouncing. Toddler, junior, big kids, and adult only sessions are available with both timed-entry and unlimited access tickets available. Socks are required to bounce, so be sure to bring an extra pair if arriving in sandals or flip-flops.