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Street Rods Zoom Back to Louisville

Posted By Joe Hayden on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 11:36:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
Every year, right before school starts, the roads around Louisville, KY's fairgrounds and airport fill brightly colored custom cars from the Annual Street Rod Nationals Plus. It is the world’s largest automotive participation event, and one of Louisville’s largest tradeshows.

This year, the Nationals will feature more than 11,000 street rods. Traditionally the vehicles had been limited to those manufactured prior to 1949, but this year the show is including any vehicle 30 years old and older. The cars are custom finished and modified to travel modern roads.

Enthusiasts of muscle cars and classic cars can mingle at a swap meet and a trade show featuring more than 350 manufacturers and parts suppliers. Manufacturers’ seminars on brake systems, chassis, steering and paint run throughout the weekend, and stars of the street rod world – a custom car painter, a custom car designer -- are available to meet and chat.

John Schnatter, founder and chairman of Papa John’s International, will have his 1971 Z28 Camaro – now featured in the chain’s commercials – on display. And “Grave Digger,” a popular Monster Truck, will also put in a daily appearance.

Friday and Saturday afternoons include live entertainment and games for kids.

While the action for the Nationals centers around Louisville’ Fairgrounds, the Street Rods zoom out throughout the community to “flaunt their flame jobs and cruise the city.” Part of the thrill of hosting the custom car show is being able to see these great automotive examples out and about everywhere in the days leading up to Nationals.

Should the custom car bug bite you, bring your money. While many Street Rods will cost you anywhere from $11,000 to $35,000, a few will set you back $100,000 or more. Now that’s what we call custom!

For more information visit www.nsra-usa.com.

When you are in town for the Street Rod Nationals and would like more information about buying a home in the Louisville area, please visit Louisville, KY Real Estate.

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Inaugural HullabaLOU a Success, to Return to Louisville, KY in 2011

Posted By Joe Hayden on Wednesday, August 04, 2010 9:33:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
Despite scorching hot temperatures, the first HullabaLOU Music Festival drew more than 78,000 fans from across North America for a weekend of endless music outdoors at Churchill Downs.

Over a July three-day weekend, attendees got to listen –and dance – to 66 artists ranging from headliners Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney, to the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Taj Mahal and Huey Lewis & the News.  Other acts included Sam Bush, the O’Jays, Steve Miller Band, Gladys Knight, the Dooby Brothers, Al Green, Michael McDonald, Joan Osborne and Dwight Yoakum.

To beat the heat, Churchill Downs set up huge “Cool Zone” stations, where fans sprayed a cool mist. The track also opened up entire second half of the third-floor grandstand to offer air conditioning, food, drinks and, of course, shade.

Churchill Downs Entertainment Group developed the festival with an eye towards building a nationally acclaimed event. The Churchill Down brand and the track’s storied history helped open many artists’ doors, CDE President Steve Sexton said.
The festival offered fans five stages of music over three days. Many acts performed for about an hour, while headliners played up to two hours. Three of the stages were in the infield, facing north, south and east, and offered lawn seating. The main stage was set up by the finish line, and had general and reserved seating. 

A fifth stage operated within the track’s Paddock area.

Vendors also sold souvenirs and crafts at the “Kentucky Heritage Marketplace,” and food and drinks throughout the track. A music store sold CDs of the acts, which fans could then take over to an “Autograph Tent” to get signed.

A HullabaLOU Facebook page is now collecting comments for planning next year’s festival, from some of the 26,000-plus fans of the page.  More information is at HullabalouFest.

If your visit to Hullabalou has excited your interest about living in Louisville, KY, please visit Louisville, KY Real Estate to learn more.

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Louisville's Actor's Theatre - A True Community Gem

Posted By Joe Hayden on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:22:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
Can I drop a few names on you? Names like Beth Henley, Naomi Wallace, Arthur Kopit, Tony Kushner, Horton Foote and Marsha Norman?

These major playwrights have all had plays which premiered at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, through the famous Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Actors is a Tony-award-winning theater organization that enjoys deep ongoing support for its year-round calendar of productions. Actor's Theare stages more than 500 performances of 20 productions in a year. Productions vary from contemporary to classics – and classical – fare; from full, multi-act set pieces to 10-minute plays.

For example, the coming season will include performances of “The Kite Runner,” Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” holiday favorites “Dracula” and “A Christmas Story,” and of course, a raft of new plays with the Humana Festival.

The comedy troupe Second City also will visit for a month, to perform a Louisville-centric show. 

Talent also flows out from Louisville as well. Most recently Actors announced that its Associate Artistic Director, Sean Daniels, has been tapped to direct a fall Broadway-aimed play, ‘Under My Skin,” which is based the life of “The Nanny” television sitcom star Fran Dreschner. 

He will be working for show backers Marcy Carsey, the television producer behind “The Cosby Show” and “Roseanne;” Tony Award nominee Jeff Davis of "Rock of Ages", and Tony winner Steve Traxler of "Hair.”

Actors Theatre enjoys one of the largest per capita subscription audiences in the U.S. More than 200,000 people attend performances at the theater’s historic Main Street complex. The organization also has deep roots in the community, offering internships, educational programs, workshops, artists in schools programs and other outreach efforts.

There’s much more information about this 40-plus year old organization at its website, Actor's Theatre. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Actor's Theatre of Louisville is one more reason to consider a move to the area.  Please visit Real Estate Louisville, KY to learn about buying a home in the area.
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The Dude Abides, Annually

Posted By Joe Hayden on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:55:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
Do you know The Dude? He of the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski”?

Once a year, usually in the summer, he is feted in Louisville with some white Russians, a bowling tournament, and of course, a special showing of the movie. There’s also music, a gathering of Achievers, and generally a lot of fun celebrating the cult classic movie.

The Louisville Lebowski Fest is nine years old and growing. It has spawned other Lebowski fests in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle – even one in the U.K.!

But the Louisville one is the original – and, we think, the best. It was inspired by conversations at a tattoo expo, where bored exhibitors began tossing out lines from the movie during a slow afternoon. From there, they naturally thought: Why not throw a huge party in Louisville related to the movie?

The fest is centered at the Executive Strike and Spare, which is near a lot of Louisville airport hotels. Along with the bowling and the movie, there are serious costume and trivia contests. Some pretty good Dudes, Walters, Nihilists, and Maudes are usually on hand to liven up things.

The Dude himself – Jeff Bridges – visited the fest in 2008. He has since gone on to visit a Los Angeles Lebowski Fest, and win an Oscar for another movie, “Crazy Heart.” He has said in interviews he loves the movie. (He is, of COURSE, referring to “The Big Lebowski.”)

Fans help promote the festival by posting photos of themselves holding signs in the “John 3:16”style.  This year, they’re holding “Lebowski 7:17” signs, to reflect this year’s July 16 & 17 dates.

Future festival dates and locations are here: LebowskiFest.

And yes, that rug really tied the room together.

If you are considering a move to the Louisville area to be closer to the home of the LebowskiFest, please check out Louisville, KY Real Estate.

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Downs After Dark Proving to be a Local Hit

Posted By Joe Hayden on Monday, July 12, 2010 7:25:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
It’s different in the dark.

It’s been a big party scene at Churchill Downs this year during the track’s new “Downs after Dark” events. People danced in the paddock, competed in “Bet or No Bet” games, and generally let their hair down for a $10 admission at the track.

Churchill Downs added permanent lights this year to fuel a party atmosphere during the last four Fridays of the 2010 Spring Meet. Typically that made it the place to be for 25,000 to 30,000 people on those nights.

While the horse racing and betting continued, doing it at night upped most folks’ sense of fun and relaxation. To be sure, any racing day that’s not Derby, Oaks or Breeder’s Cup is a more relaxed time, but going during the day means you may be as relaxed only as much as business casual allows. Downs after Dark is a whole ‘nother state of patronage altogether.

The track designed each night around a theme. The first one was dubbed “Disco at the Downs” and urged guests to come decked out in their favorite disco-era clothing. People raided thrift shops and got it on like it was 1979: Polyester three-piece suits, catsuits, maxi dresses, bellbottoms, spandex – you definitely needed some shades and not because of the lights!

More recently, for Independence Day weekend, the track adopted an Americana theme with its “Boots, Brew & BBQ” night. Boot-scooters were welcome to boogie around a beer garden and street party at the track as country music ruled the day.

More nights are planned with the Fall Meet, starting with Halloween. And if you have to miss them all this year, don’t worry. It’s proved popular – and will be back next year!

For information regarding Louisville, KY Real Estate, please follow the link provided.

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Forecastle Festival

Posted By Joe Hayden on Monday, July 12, 2010 7:13:00 AM  |  Comment on This Post
The Forecastle festival, one of the nation’s top outdoor summer music festivals, returned to Louisville this month, bringing a crowd of 30,000 music fans and activists to our Waterfront Park.

Smashing Pumpkins, the Flaming Lips, Widespread Panic, Devo, Spoon and Zooey Deschanel’s She and Him were among the more than 100 acts performing at the 9th Annual Forecastle Festival.

Founder JK McKnight took the name Forecastle out of his fondness for things nautical, and specifically because one meaning of forecastle can be “a place where people come together.” Now the three-day Forecastle brings together “the progressive Midwest” for a “symposium for musicians, artists, and environmentalists,” according to the festival website. They come from throughout the region – from Chicago and St. Louis, from Nashville and Lexington, and many cities in-between.

It’s a total atmosphere. There are exhibits from environmental activist and community non-profit groups. Organic food to sample. A Green marketplace. Rides on the historic Belle of Louisville. And oh yes – parties. Veteran festival-goers get their weekend set up on Facebook.

The festival starts Friday night at 4 p.m. and parties until 1 a.m., then Saturday and Sunday revs up again at noon and runs until midnight or shortly thereafter. Prices for the three days are pretty reasonable too, considering how much entertainment the festival offers. A three-day VIP pass gets you up front (with access to air conditioning and massage tables!) for $300, while an addition three-day camping pass at a nearby riverfront park (American Turners) costs another $150. We’ve seen some one-night concerts cost WAY more than that per hour!

As with any music festival, Forecastle also sells stuff – t-shirts, posters, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and golf shirts (!) – and the Monty Python-esque artwork’s not bad, either!

If you are considering buying a home in the Louisville, KY area, please search for Real Estate in Louisville, KY at the link provided.
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