Annual Festivals & Events
From an award-winning festival city
Louisville knows how to party (and host a festival)!
In fact, the whole world knows.
In addition to hosting the longest running annual sporting event in America (the Kentucky Derby), Louisville became one of the first cities in the world to be recognized as a TOP festival and event city.
The International Festivals & Events Association named Louisville a "best festival city" for its various events and how the community supports them.
Find out yourself by exploring one of the many happenings going on throughout the year.
Annual Festivals & Events
- Abbey Road on the River
- Ali Festival
- Americana World Festival
- The Big Stomp
- Jeffersontown Beer Festival
- Kentuckiana Pride Festival
- Kentucky Craft Bash
- Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
- Kentucky State Fair
- Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle
- NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus
- Old Fashioned Fortnight
- Old Lou Craft Beer Festival
- Waterfront Independence Festival
- World Championship of Dainty
- World Championship Horse Show
- Belknap Festival
- Boo at the Zoo
- Bourbon & Beyond
- Garvin Gate Blues Festival
- Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular
- Louder Than Life
- Louisville’s International Festival of Film
- Louisville Pride Festival
- Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival
- Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle
- National Bourbon Heritage Month
- National Jug Band Jubilee
- North American Livestock Exposition & Championship Rodeo
- NuLu Festival
- Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom
- St. James Court Art Show
- Urban Bourbon Half Marathon
- WorldFest
Upcoming Festivals
Cymbeline - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
1340 South Fourth Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40208
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Cymbeline - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
“O, for a horse with wings!” Shakespeare’s inventive fairy tale of love, loss, and legacy… An evil stepmother, long-lost princes, a banished lover, dastardly...
Hamlet - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
1340 South Fourth Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40208
Details
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Hamlet - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Shakespeare’s unparalleled masterpiece is a haunting tale of corruption, betrayal, and revenge. Follow Hamlet...
NuLu Summer Fest
600, 700, and 800 blocks of East Market Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Details
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Join us on East Market Street for some fun in the sun during NuLu Summer Fest, taking place on Saturday, July 19, 2025 NuLu's annual summer celebration, NuLu...
Louisville Street Food Festival
411 S. Fourth St.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Details
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Louisville Street Food Festival
The 3rd annual Louisville Street Food Festival is returning to Fourth Street Live & taking over an entire city block on July 19th & 20th, 2025! This...
Much Ado About Nothing - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
1340 South Fourth Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40208
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Much Ado About Nothing - Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” The 65th season kicks off with one of the greatest romantic comedies ever written. It’s a battle of wits, and love...
Flyover Film Festival
2204 Alta Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40205
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Cue the lights, turn up the volume, and grab the popcorn because the 15th annual Flyover Film Festival is here in Louisville from July 23-27! Presented by the...
The Big Stomp
129 E. River Rd.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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Now in its 10th year, the Big Stomp, formerly known as PeteFest and the nation’s first music festival to focus on mental health, will return in 2025 with a...
Summer Beer Fest at Frazier
829 W. Main St.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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The Frazier Summer Beer Fest is back and we’re celebrating the 21st anniversary of the Frazier History Museum! That’s right, the Frazier is officially of legal...
56th Annual Street Rod Nationals
937 Phillips Ln.
Louisville, Kentucky 40209
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56th Annual Street Rod Nationals
The National Street Rods Association is excited to host its 56th Annual Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. The event will be held at the Kentucky...
Kentucky State Fair
937 Phillips Ln.
Louisville, Kentucky 40209
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Held annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the Kentucky State Fair is a tradition that celebrates Kentucky’s culture, art, agriculture, music and more....
Digging the Past
201 W. Riverside Dr.\r\n201 W. Riverside Dr.
Clarksville, Indiana 47129
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Combining the best of archaeology and paleontology while giving kids and adults alike a unique, hands-on experience of both sciences.Fresh shale at our new...
WorldFest
141 N. 6th St.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Details
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