I Am Ali Festival

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 8, 2017) – The community-wide “I Am Ali Festival” kicked off on June 3 (the one-year anniversary of Muhammad Ali’s passing), and dozens of events are under way through July 15 to honor “The Greatest.”

Ali is being honored in his Louisville hometown for six weeks. Each week, one of his “Six Core Principles” (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Respect, Spirituality and Giving), which guided the boxing legend and global humanitarian throughout his life will be celebrated with events, exhibits, programs and discounts. This week’s theme was Spirituality.

Here are a couple more events taking place this weekend to celebrate Louisville’s most famous native son:

Moving Day® Louisville – A Walk for Parkinson’s is on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park.

The Muhammad Ali Childhood Home Museum Community Togetherness Walk starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at the West End School, 3628 Virginia Ave.

Next week (June 11-17), Ali’s “Giving” principle will be in the spotlight. Here’s a rundown of some of the “Giving” themed events taking place throughout the city:

Daughters of Greatness (a breakfast series featuring prominent women engaged in social philanthropy, activism and pursuits of justice) will take place on June 15 at the Muhammad Ali Center. Lesley Visser (the only woman in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the only female sportscaster to have carried the Olympic Torch) is the featured speaker. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program from 9 to 10 a.m. Tickets are $25, $20 for Ali Center members and $15 for students. Seating is limited.

“Giving Festival:” Ali’s legacy of service will be celebrated June 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Muhammad Ali Center. Visitors of all ages are invited to give back by participating in fun and inspiring service projects with local organizations. Those who participate in service activities will receive discounted admission to the Center’s exhibits. The Ali Center has several other events planned during the “I Am Ali” Festival. For more details, visit www.alicenter.org.

A Kid, A Cop, And a Cause: Local men and women in uniform will help foster children build bicycles that they can take home with them on June 17 from noon to 2 p.m. at 4th Street Live!

I Am Ali Night: The Louisville City FC soccer team will take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on June 17 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field during a game that pays tribute to “The Greatest.”

Giving Themed Tours: The American Printing House for the Blind’s tours will feature a giving theme. They’ll highlight that they provide free accessible materials, including print/braille books for preschoolers who are blind and visually impaired, as well as magazine subscriptions for adults with vision loss.

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (KCAAH) in collaboration with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts’ ArtsReach program presents “Performance, Rehearsal and Reclamation,” an exhibition of original works and photographs curated by Sara Muhammad. An opening reception takes place at KCAAH on June 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The River City Drum Corp and ArtsReach present an open mic event with a giving theme on June 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Participants are encouraged to share their talent at this free, all-ages event.

The Frazier History Museum will be giving visitors a discounted rate ($24) to its new “The Hunger Games: The Exhibition.”

The “I Am Ali” Festival runs through July 15. Several local venues will have Ali-themed exhibits on display during the entire run of the festival, including the Muhammad Ali Center (“Breaking Barriers: Sports for Change” and “Where Inspiration Takes Flight”); the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (“A Salute to Muhammad Ali: A Life of Inspiration”); Louisville Zoo (“Butterflies N’ Bloom”); and the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (“Ali & Aaron: United in the Fight”). The Brown Hotel, which features an Ali suite, has a special exhibit on display in the historic hotel’s lobby, and is also offering an Ali-inspired lunch and cocktails.

For more information about the “I Am Ali” Festival, visit www.gotolouisville.com/ali.