By Dalila Bevab
Bellarmine students are days away from finals, which means Louisville residents and local students get to explore Louisville over the summer. The city offers many fun activities and events in the summer, from outdoor concerts to amusement parks.
Music lovers can enjoy free outdoor concerts on the Big Four Lawn at Waterfront Park, once a month from April to September. The shows begin on April 27 and run until Sept. 28. Bellarmine alum Kiana & the Sun Kings will perform on April 27, and artists such as Routine Caffeine, Maggie Rose and Mark Charles are scheduled to perform throughout the summer. More information can be found here.
Two-time Grammy-nominated Louisville rapper Jack Harlow is headlining the Forecastle festival on May 27, after the festival was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will take place on Waterfront Park from May 27 to May 29 and will feature notable artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Clairo, and COIN. Wristbands can be purchased here starting at $100 for one-day general admission entry, and more information can be found on Forecastle’s Instagram.
The KFC Yum! Center, located at 1 Arena Plaza, has a slate of A-list artists throughout the summer, including Machine Gun Kelly featuring Avril Lavigne, The Eagles, Kid Rock, Gucci Mane, Shawn Mendes and the Lumineers. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
Kentucky Kingdom features dozens of rollercoaster rides and water park slides to cool down after a long day. Kentucky Kingdom opens its gates on April 23 to Gold Passholder members and April 30 for all passholders. Hurricane Bay opens on May 28. Kentucky Kingdom also offers seasonal part-time and full-time jobs with possible tuition reimbursement. More information can be found here. Park hours and ticket information can be found here.
Kentucky Shakespeare is a non-profit organization and professional theatre company that hosts free 90-minute outdoor performances from April to the end of May in a series known as Shakespeare in the Park. Times and locations vary, and more information can be found here.
Iroquois Amphitheater, located in Iroquois Park, hosts outdoor live music performances, with acts such as Martina McBride, My Morning Jacket and Billy Strings scheduled to perform this summer. The amphitheater will also have a production of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Aug. 13. Tickets and more information can be found here.
In the evening, residents can walk through Bardstown Road and Downtown Louisville to access bars, cafes, museums and walk across the Big Four Bridge.
The Frazier Museum, located at 829 W. Main St., is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. A new exhibit titled, “The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall,” opens on June 1 and will “tell the story of Kentucky’s rich history, including, among other topics, its native peoples, the Civil War, and the early nineteenth century,” according to the Frazier Museum’s website. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Muhammad Ali Center honors Louisville native Muhammad Ali’s legacy through interactive exhibits, galleries and artifacts, as well as temporary exhibits that focus on gender equality issues. The center’s newest exhibition titled, “Shining a Light: Women and the Weight of Water,” continues through Aug. 7 and intends to “empower all women and girls globally,” according to the Ali Center’s website. More information on hours and tickets can be found here.
The Speed Art Museum, located at 2035 S. Third St., is open Saturday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission for college students is $14 and non-student adults pay $20 for admission. Sunday admission is free, although select exhibitions will require an additional ticket purchase, according to the museum’s website.
The museum offers collections highlighting African, European, Native American and contemporary art, as well as a special collection showcasing art by Kentucky artists. The museum is offering two special exhibitions featuring quilts produced by American artists titled, “Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch” and “Pictures from Pieces – Quilts from the Eleanor Bingham Miller Collection.” Tickets can be purchased here.
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