The big-bang theory becomes a reality this weekend when the booming sounds, rattle and roll the Kentuckiana area during Independence Day celebrations. While downtown Louisville’s Waterfront Independence Festival is the red, white and blue centerpiece for patriotic partying, plenty of other festive options are planned this weekend.
Be safe, have fun and enjoy our country’s 233rd birthday celebration. Here’s a sparkler, er, sampler of holiday happenings:
The Waterfront Independence Festival — a two-day family blast — begins Friday at Waterfront Park. The free event, presented by Fifth Third Bank and co-sponsored by several organizations, including Louisville Waterfront Development Corp. and Louisville Metro Government, will feature concerts, children’s activities, refreshments, games and Zambelli fireworks.
Vendors will sell such fare as corn dogs, Italian sausage, gyros and barbecue. Arts and crafts also will be exhibited and sold.
The gates will open at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, at which time the Catfish Louie Kids Area and the Coors Light Beer Garden also will open.
On both nights there will be topnotch musical attractions on the Great Lawn. Joe Nichols, whose hits include “Brokenheartsville” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” country music’s Steve Wariner and Nashville recording artist J.D. Shelburne will take the stage Friday, starting at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s musical lineup will feature the finger-poppin’ funk sounds of the Ohio Players, the Greyboy Allstars (acid jazz) and Lyrics Born (electro, rock and R&B). The music will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Fireworks will cap things off at approximately 10:30 p.m. Friday and 10:15 p.m. Saturday.
You may bring: Water in small, unopened plastic bottles, which will be recycled on site; and blankets, lawn chairs and umbrellas.
You may not bring: Tents, glass, coolers, cans, bottles, pets, skateboards or weapons.
Secure bicycle parking will be available near the entrance.
More information: Visit www.waterfrontindependencefestival.com.
Balls, strikes and fireworks will be in play for baseball fans attending Friday’s game between the Louisville Bats and Indianapolis Indians at 7:05 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field, 401 E. Main St. The gates will open at 5:30.
Highlights include $2 Michelob Craft Beer Happy Hour (5:30 to 7 p.m.) with live music by the Troubadours of Divine Bliss (5:40 to 6:40 p.m.) on the Overlook Deck, performances by Duo Design (a strength and hand-balancing act from Warsaw, Poland) between innings and fireworks following the game around 10:30 p.m.
Note: The Louisville Bats’ fireworks show is the same one that’s part of downtown Louisville’s Waterfront Independence Festival. Friday’s fireworks were donated by the Louisville Bats. You can watch the post-game fireworks from your stadium seats or from the waterfront; there should be enough time after the game to walk over to Waterfront Park.
For tickets and more information, call (502) 212-2287 or visit www.batsbaseball.com.
The Crescent Hill Old-Fashioned Fourth of July packs so much patriotic punch that it has been expanded to two days. The free event is celebrating its 26th anniversary Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Ave.
Attractions include three music stages, an antique car and firetruck parade, miniature golf, inflatables, silent auction, pet show, children’s games, food court and a cake and pie competition. Fireworks will be Saturday night only.
The celebration also features a juried arts fair with 90 exhibitors.
The general hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Some events begin earlier, such as the 5K Fun Run & Walk at 8 a.m. Saturday, with registration at 7:30.
Food vendors will sell refreshments, including brats, corn on the cob, pies, ice cream, root-beer floats, funnel cakes, corn dogs, fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, coffee and beer.
Music is a key attraction, so expect to be entertained Saturday by Black Cat Band (noon), Next Exit Bluegrass Band (noon), Louisville Dulcimer Society (1 p.m.), Sam Gaddis (1 p.m.), Mickey Clark (1:30 p.m.), the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra (2 p.m.), the Keller Quintette with Valerie Keller (3 p.m.), Panpipes Flute Choir (3 p.m.), BlueZenGrass (4 p.m.), Terry Graves (4 p.m.), John Gage with Richard Thurman (5 p.m.), Les Chaine Poulets (5 p.m.), Hominy & Grizz (6 p.m.), the Vinyl Kings (6:30 p.m.), Flyer (7 p.m.) and the Hit Men (8 p.m.).
Sunday’s lineup includes Kentucky Homefront with John Gage, Joel Timothy, David Lamb, Clark Absher and other guests (noon), the Gypsy Ring Band (also at noon), the Jim Masterson Band (1 p.m.), the Muddy Loafers (2 p.m.), Johnny Doughnut (3 p.m.), Denny Wheatley & Friends (4 p.m.) and Donny Dynamite & the Dynamos (5 p.m.)
A Zambelli fireworks show, sponsored by First Capital Bank of Kentucky, will be at 10 p.m. Saturday.
Visit www.crescenthill.us for more information.
The Louisville Orchestra captures the spirit of America with popular patriotic music and Sousa marches at 8 p.m. Saturday at RiverStage — a barge converted into a floating amphitheater anchored at the terraced lawn by the Ohio River at Spring Street and Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Jason Weinberger, the orchestra’s resident conductor, will direct the program, which will include “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a medley of Stephen Foster tunes, American ballads and Sousa’s “Washington Post.”
Refreshments, including cash bar and food, will be available.
Also, a brass quintet from the 113th Army Band also will be featured prior to the concert at 6:15.
The concert’s finale will coincide with the Waterfront Independence Festival fireworks extravaganza.
Admission is free, but a $10 donation is suggested. The city of Jeffersonville is sponsoring the concert. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic.
For more information, visit www.louisvilleorchestra.org.
http://sunnysideoflouisville.org/events/calendar.htm
Enjoy waterworks and fireworks during Belle of Louisville and Spirit of Jefferson cruises from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Boarding for the Belle and the Spirit will be at 7:30 at the Fourth Street Wharf at River Road.
Amenities on both boats include a deejay, dance floor, gift shop, concession stands and cash bar.
Those on board will get plenty of bang for their bucks from the Waterfront Independence Festival’s fireworks shows.
Tickets for the cruises are $18 (free for ages 2 and younger).
Call (502) 574-2992 or visit www.belleoflouisville.org.
A free Independence Day Celebration — or more precisely a pre-Independence Day Celebration with entertainment, concessions and fireworks — will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday at the newly renovated New Albany Riverfront Amphitheater on Water Street.
The headlining band will be multi-Grammy Award-nominated Ambrosia with special guests the Wulfe Bros.
Flashbak and the Steve Price Band will open the event at 5. Fireworks will begin around 9:30.
For more information, call (812) 948-5333.
The Louisville Chorus will present its fifth annual “Fanfare for the 4th: Musical Visions of America” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Beargrass Christian Church, 4100 Shelbyville Road at Browns Lane.
This event will be a bicentennial tribute to Abraham Lincoln. Daniel Spurlock, the new and returning music director, will direct the chorus during this choral cinema multimedia show with stirring historical and patriotic songs and visuals. William P. Bradford II will be the guest narrator.
Musical selections include “Words of Lincoln,” “Dixie,” “American Anthem” and “Armed Forces — the Pride of America.”
An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be on stage.
Tickets for the 90-minute performance are $18 ($15 for seniors and $8 for students) and will be sold at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call (502) 968-6300.
The Oldham County July 4th Freedom Celebration will be from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Wendell Moore Park, 1551 N. Ky. 393 in Buckner.
Long Shot, a country band, will perform from 6 to 7:45 p.m. The Oldham Community Band will perform patriotic songs from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m.
Fireworks over the lake will light up the night sky at 10 p.m.
The party is sponsored by the Oldham County Parks and Recreation Department.
Admission is free.
Related fun: A greased-watermelon dive, a cannonball contest and other pool games will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at the John W. Black Aquatics Center on the park grounds. (Regular pool admission applies.)
Refreshments will be available at the aquatics center snack bar.
For more information, call (502) 225-0655.
Prospect Fourth of July will see fireworks and horse-drawn carriages as part of the Independence Day celebrations Saturday. The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with a parade and wraps up after the pyrotechnics, which begin at 9:45 p.m.Ö In between will be carriage rides, flag jumpers and Radio Disney fun for the kids.
Many Kentucky state parks are celebrating the July Fourth holiday with fireworks, patriotic activities and entertainment. For complete details, visit www.parks.ky.gov.
