We began the next day by attend the grand opening of the 70,000-square-foot Old Forester Distillery (119 West Main St. Tel:502-779-2222. www.oldforester.com/distillery) that offers bourbon-making tours and tastings. The new attraction is located in a historic building on Whiskey Row, a downtown Louisville neighborhood that’s so hot it’s slated to get two new hotels in a few months: Hotel Distil, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection and Moxy Louisville, which is also part of Marriott International.
Whiskey Row is an ideal complement to the city’s Urban Bourbon Trail (www.gotolouisville.com/restaurants/urban-bourbon-trail1), and the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau distributes free “passports” with information about nearly 30 bars, restaurants, and hotels that specialize in bourbon.
After touring Old Forester (where just the aroma of bourbon was enough to give me a buzz), Angel and I emerged famished on Whiskey Row, ready to explore the neighborhood’s atmospheric bars and restaurants.
For lunch, we refueled at Doc Crow’s (127 West Main Street. Tel: 502-587-1626. www.doccrows.com), a casual eatery that combines Southern cuisine with raw oyster bar favorites and, not surprisingly, lots of whiskey options.
Kentuckiana Pride
Afterward, we spent the afternoon in a nearby neighborhood called Museum Row, where cultural attractions are a big draw. We stopped first at Frazier Kentucky History Museum (829 West Main Street. Tel: 502-753-5663. www.fraziermuseum.org), where we admired the “Magnificent Mona Bismarck,” an exhibit of photos and clothing of one of Louisville’s leading 20th-century socialites (sorry to tell you that was a temporary exhibit, but the museum hosts interesting historical and cultural exhibits throughout the year). In addition, the Frazier is now home to a new Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, which debuted in 2018 as the first stop in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (www.kybourbontrail.com), a self-guided route that highlights distilleries around the state.
We also strolled down Main Street for a must-do selfie in front of the 120-foot baseball bat that soars above the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (800 West Main Street. Tel: 877-775-8443. www.sluggermuseum.com). We didn’t have time to take one of the factory tours that showcase the birthplace of Major League baseball’s official bat (and, to be honest, we personally weren’t heartbroken about missing the experience). We had other pressing matters to attend to: it was time for cocktails at Proof on Main (702 West Main Street. Tel: 502-217-6360. www.proofonmain.com), a hip restaurant and bar located at the equally hip 21C Museum Hotel. Two representatives from the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rosanne Mastin and Christa Ritchie, joined us, and they were as excited as we were about the upcoming Kentuckiana Pride event. “It’s just a lot of fun, and it keeps growing every year,” Ritchie told us.
For dinner that night, Angel and I visited the Highlands, the old stomping grounds of my beloved Uncle Ed and Aunt Agnes, but tonight would be a far cry from the Big Boy cuisine that I used to eat. Instead, we met with Anne, one of my childhood friends, and her husband at The Fat Lamb Modern Kitchen & Bar (2011 Grinstead Drive. Tel: 502-409-7499. www.fatlamblouisville.com), a sophisticated venue that blends Mediterranean and Southern flavors, with delectable results. “Louisville is an oasis of progressiveness in Kentucky,” Anne said over dinner, and I believe it.
Muhammad Ali Center
The following day was filled with culture, shopping, and pride. We started our morning with a visit to the Muhammad Ali Center (144 North Sixth Street. Tel: 502-992-5301. www.alicenter.org), located near Museum Row. This fascinating venue goes way beyond the champ’s boxing accomplishments, with detailed multimedia exhibits about spirituality, civil rights, and human rights. We stopped for a quick lunch at Dizzy Whizz (217 West Saint Catherine Street. Tel: 502-583-3828. www.dizzywhizz.com), a decidedly downscale fab hamburger joint that’s been in business for more than 60 years.
Next up was an afternoon of shopping in NuLu (www.nulu.org), a fast-rising downtown neighborhood (also called the East Market District), where we browsed the coolly-casual clothing at BloFish (714 East Market Street. Tel: 502-727-2007. www.blofish.com), handmade jewelry and art at Revelry Gallery (742 East Market Street. Tel: 502-414-1278. www.revelrygallery.com), and thoughtfully curated home décor and accessories at the gay-owned Scout (720 East Market Street. Tel: 502-584-8969; www.scoutonmarket.com).
The next day, it was time to celebrate pride, Kentuckiana style! The term “Kentuckiana,” by the way, refers to the region that includes northwestern Kentucky and southern Indiana, which it borders. The first day of Kentuckiana Pride (www.kypride.com) usually takes place on a Friday evening in June, the parade perfectly timed to take advantage of cooler evening temperatures. If you attend, be sure to keep your phone fully charged, because there are lots of photo opportunities. Louisville is, after all, home to what is likely the only pride parade with a Colonel Sanders lookalike among the participants.
The vibrant parade snaked through the streets and ended at an attractive waterfront park along the banks of the Ohio River. The well=organized festival featured food and merchandise vendors, and the reasonably priced VIP tent provided us with free snacks and a great vantage point for the live entertainment.
The second day during the Kentuckiana Pride Festival, the park was packed from noon until 11 P.M. It was also the day with the most live entertainment, including a brilliant performance by Cece Peniston.
Belle of Louisville
In case you can’t make Kentuckiana Pride in June, the city hosts another annual celebration, Louisville Pride (www.louisvillepride.com) that takes place in September and includes a street festival in the Highlands neighborhood.
