There’s nothing quite like summertime in Louisville, KY! Maybe it’s the bourbon talking, but there is a certain buzz of excitement in the city as the town comes alive with vibrant nature and fabulous festivals.

And since horse racing at Churchill Downs continues through early July, you’re not too late to experience all of the best things that Louisville, Kentucky has to offer on your summer vacation.

Our Favorite Louisville Summer Events

When it comes to summer events in Louisville KY, there’s so much to choose from! Whether you choose to stay in Louisville proper or step out to Elizabethtown or even New Albany, the Louisville area has more than enough to offer to fill the summer months.

Here is just a taste of our favorite summer festivals for you to consider visiting this season.

You may also like: 18 Best Things To Do In Louisville In Summer (Rain or Shine)

1. Summer Nights and Wild Lights at the Louisville Zoo

Louisville, Kentucky has a fantastic zoo. Opened in 1969, it features over 1,100 animals, including North America’s most endangered mammal, the black-footed ferret.

There are over 130 acres of animal habitats to see, including their award-winning Glacier Run and Gorilla Forest exhibits… But things really get wild at night when the zoo launches its Wild Lights festival!

Wild Lights at the Louisville Zoo is one of the nation’s largest lantern festivals. It features thousands of silk lanterns and uses over 50,000 LED light bulbs to illuminate the night sky!

As you stroll by the peacocks, serpents, and massive butterflies, be sure to grab a bite to eat or a drink along the way.

In previous years, the Wild Lights festival featured a Chinese 5 Spice Kentucky mule and an Asian Pear Sangria for the 21 and older crowd, plus Chinese sugar donuts and other specialty cuisine just for the event. The event also included Chinese cultural performances.

This is a unique and awe-inspiring event for adult couples or the whole family. Advance ticket purchases are required and it’s a “rain or shine” event.

2025 dates: awaiting release.

2. Sample Craft Brews at the Summer Beer Fest at Frazier

Craft beer lovers, unite! This festival is always a crowd favorite, drawing more than 80 craft beer breweries from across Central Kentucky and the Ohio Valley Region (with a few more distant outliers joining in on the fun).

If you’re a casual craft beer lover, you’ll enjoy sampling from all of the brewers during the General Admission time from 5-8pm. But if you’re practically a Cicerone (the beer equivalent of a wine sommelier), you’ll want to make sure you have your VIP tickets for first dibs at 4pm.

You may also like: Louisville Wine Tours

The Kentucky Summer Beer Fest takes place at the Frazier on the famous Museum Row in downtown Louisville. We highly recommend leaving some time to explore this part of Louisville. Besides a craft beer festival, there’s so much to see here!

2025 dates: awaiting release.

To get your tickets as well as the latest updates, make sure to visit the website of the Frazier History Museum.

3. Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Parade

If music, entertainment, community, and a whole heap of rainbows are your idea of fun, then be sure to catch the Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Parade at the Big Four Lawn in Louisville. In 2024, Chappell Roan was even a part of the all-star lineup. 

This is an all-day party celebrating the state’s LGBTQ+ community and allies. Kentuckiana Pride starts at noon on June 21st and stretches into the late hours of the evening with live music and performances on the Stonewall Stage.

Be sure to catch the parade, which kicks off the event, as it winds through the hip NuLu district of Louisville. There are plenty of food trucks to enjoy throughout the day, along with many participating vendor booths to peruse.

Since 2000, the festival has been committed to promoting social, economic, and health equity for the area’s LGBTQ+ community. VIP tickets and General Admission are available for sale at KYPride.com.

2025 date: June 21st.

4. Relax with the Bicentennial Park Free Concert Series (New Albany)

Few things in the world can beat starting off the weekend to the sound of live music. Cross the Ohio River into New Albany, Indiana to find this winning combination at the Bicentennial Park Concert Series. 

Held at the charming Bicentennial Park in downtown New Albany, the series of free concerts allow you to enjoy a wide range of music from classic rock to blues and jazz. 

You don’t need to bring anything as the festival has plenty of choices when it comes to food and drinks. Even better, the line-up of food on offer tends to change just as much as the acts on stage so you’re guaranteed to have some great options available to you.

Combining a night of live music with a visit to Louisville is super easy! The Inn at Woodhaven is less than a 20-minute drive away and we’re more than happy to share the best shortcuts to take!

2025 dates: awaiting release.

For the latest updates and line-up for 2025, see the New Albany City Hall website.

5. Celebrate Community Celebration at the Muhammad Ali Center

Louisville is home to many celebrities but Muhammad Ali is probably the most well-known of them all.

Every year in the first week of June, the Muhammad Ali Center hosts a series of free events to celebrate the life and values of one of Louisville’s finest.

Ali Fest traditionally starts off with Ali Carnival. With simple kid-friendly things such as games and face-painting as well as live Jazz and art events, it’s fun for the whole family.

2025 dates: awaiting release.

Check the Ali Fest website before you go for the latest updates.

6. Visit the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival

Celebrate the famous playwright with the oldest Shakespeare Festival in the country! Every year, the Kentucky Shakespeare Company puts on a series of free plays by the most famous playwright of all time.

Over the summer months of May to August, you can expect to see classics such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” performed by the professional actors of this group.

If a night of Shakespeare sounds terrifying to you, rest assured. Every year, a host of food trucks flock to Central Park to bring you an excellent selection of fresh food to round off the evening.

With the ever-popular combination of cuisine and culture, it’s no wonder this festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. This is why we highly recommend you book your accommodation ahead of time!

2025 dates: awaiting release.

7. Round Out Racing Season at Churchill Downs

Okay, okay… we know this is supposed to be a list of festivals, but how could we not include an event related to one of our town’s most iconic sites, the horse tracks at Churchill Downs?

If you’ve ever looked for the perfect excuse to go, 2025 is the time. Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the famous races, and the Derby keeps getting more and more exciting each year. 

Enjoy a day of horse races while you enjoy an oh-so-satisfying brunch in the Stakes Room at Churchill Downs.

The menu includes traditional brunch fare like bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns, plus local specialties like Hot Brown. (Though we still think our Caramel French Toast Casserole at the Inn at Woodhaven is hands-down the best breakfast in Louisville).

2025 dates: Every Sunday during the spring heat (May and June).

You can find more information and book your tickets at their website. Tickets are $87 for adults and $34 for children. 

8. Fourth of July Festival at Waterfront Park

We’d argue that the heartland of America is one of the best places to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, and the Fourth of July at Waterfront Park is the place to be!

Aside from the gorgeous spectacle of fireworks over the Ohio River, the Louisville Waterfront 4th of July is an all-day event with live music and upscale cuisine. The event includes a Family Activity Tent sponsored by the William M. Wood Foundation.

Last year’s free concert featured Teddy Abrams and The Louisville Orchestra with special guest star Sam Bush. The gates opened at 6:30pm with the concert beginning on the Waterfront Park Great Lawn at 8:30pm. Fireworks kicked off at 10pm.

Be sure to bring a blanket or lawn chairs with you (or ask us if we have extras available at that time). Pets, coolers, and glass vessels have to sit this event out. For more information, visit OurWaterfront.org.

2025 dates: July 4th.

9. Cruisin’ the Heartland Car Show

If you’re a car enthusiast, then rev up your engine because this is your event! Cruisin’ The Heartland celebrates its 12th annual car show and cruise-in this summer on Friday July 29th and Saturday, July 30th.

Considered one of the top cruise-ins in the nation by Chevy Classic Magazine, this event draws in four-wheeled fans from far and wide. There are food vendors, concerts, a beer tent, and some autograph-worthy attendees. While you’re in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, be sure to explore the Swope’s “Cars of Yesteryear Museum” on your trip.

If you’re entering your vehicle in the show, registration begins at 2pm on Friday and costs $20. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three winners, with awards given to the top 20 participants.

And if you need a to-go meal packed for your drive south to Elizabethtown, just let us know at least 24 hours in advance and we’ll pack you a picnic lunch that is perfect for the road!

You can find more information at ElizabethtownKY.org.

2025 dates: Last weekend of July.

More Reasons to Enjoy Louisville

If our incredible bourbon trail, rich racing history, and gorgeous state parks weren’t enough to draw you to the area this summer, we hope that one of the events above will bring you our way! We love hosting guests from across the United States and the world, sharing with them the charm and culture that Louisville, Kentucky has to offer.

Take a tour of our rooms and then book your stay with us soon for a summer vacation that is sure to be filled with great memories… and full bellies too!

More resources:

• Haunted Louisville destinations
• Louisville hidden gems
• Louisville for art lovers