There are a lot of great things to do in and around Kentucky. Here’s a sample of the awesome and “interesting” festivals happening around the Commonwealth.
Have an event you would like us to add and possibly cover?
JuLy 2026
Now – May 16, 2027
Main Off-Broadway Play Reading Series
Louisville Public Libraries
Now – October 9, 2026
Downtown Drive-in at Waterfront Park
Summer movie series at the Brown-Forman Amphitheater (1301 River Road, Louisville, KY)
Thursdays – July 9, 2026 – August 27, 2026
Bourbon and Botanicals Music Series
Where live music, craft bourbon, and the beauty of the gardens come together.
August 2026
August 13, 2026
Artie Dean Harris & Bourbontown
J-Town Summer Concert Series (Free Show)
August 14, 2026
Totally Tubular Festival
Music festival at Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, KY.
Tomas Dolby, Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, and more.
August 14, 2026 – April 11, 2027
Rick Bell’s Riverfront Reflections
A monthly history series at Waterfront Park PlayPort.
August 20 – August 30, 2026
Kentucky State Fair
Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, KY
August 21, 2026
Old Louisville Brew Craft Beer Fest
August 22, 2026
Highlands Festival
A freee, family-friendly festival the Highlands district of Louisville
September 2026
September 1 – September 30, 2026
National Bourbon Heritage Month
September 17 – 20, 2026
Louder Than Life
Major rock festival
September 23 – 27, 2026
Bourbon and Beyond
Major music festival
September 19, 2026
NuLu Festival
600 to 900 blocks of East Market Street, Louisville, KY
September 10, 2026
Juice Box Heros
J-Town Summer Concert Series (Free Show)
September 10 – 20, 2026
Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival
September 12 – 13, 2026
Big Four Bridge Art Festival
September 12, 2026
Louisville Pride Festival
Kentucky’s largest free Pride festival on Bardstown Road in the Highlands of Louisville.
October
October 3 – 4, 2026
Bowman Fest
Aviation and military heritage festival featuring air shows, static aircraft displays, military vehicles, family activities, and more.
October 15 – 18, 2026
Goatman Festival
Louisville’s weirdest festival.
Pope Lick Park
4002 S Pope Lick Rd
Louisville, KY 40299
October 14, 2026
6 pm – 9 pm
Louisville Zoo Skelebration
Skelebration is an after-hours Halloween event for adults 21 and older that features costumes, drinks, and tasty treats along the zoo’s traditional holiday route.
October 30-31, 2026
The 2026 Breeders Cup
Keeneland, Lexington, KY
2027
April
April 3, 2027
2027 Toyota Bluegrass Stakes
Keeneland, Lexington, KY.
April, 17, 2027
Thunder over Louisville
Airshow and fireworks to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival.
April 22 – 24, 2027
L&N Federal Credit Union Great Balloon Fest
Balloon Races and Balloon Glows fill the skies.
April 22 – 25, 2027
The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
April 28, 2027
Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race
The slowest race you will ever participate in, and perhaps the most fun!
April 30 – May 1, 2027
The 153rd Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks
Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Where else would you be on the first Saturday in May?