MAY
27–29 — Kentucky Reggae Festival: Louiville Water Tower Park (3005 River Road), Fri. 5–11:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 2–11:30 p.m. Food by Jamaican Assoc. of Louisville, Caribbean Market with arts, crafts, jewelry, beads and more, extensive lineup of live reggae.
JUNE
1 — Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona”: Central Park, 8 p.m., June 1–5, June 7-12, July 13, 16, 20, 23, features live performances of Shakespeare’s plays for free, kyshakespeare.com.
3–4 — Louisville’s Greek Festival: Belvedere, Fri. 4–11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. noon–6 p.m., celebrates Greek culture with music, arts and crafts, food and more, louisvillegreekfest.com.
4 — 11th Annual Fest of Ale: New Albany Riverfront Amphitheater, 201 E. Water St., New Albany, Ind., 3 p.m.–7 p.m., Benefiting Crusade for Children, offers over 250 craft and import ales for sample.
4-5 — Butchertown Art Fair: Butchertown (800 and 900 blocks of E. Washington St.), Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., features art, live music and plenty of food and drink, butchertown.wix.com/artfair.
4-5 — Colonial Trade Faire: Oldham County History Center: 106 N. Second St., Sat.–Sun., 10 a.m.–4 p.m., featuring a celebration of 18th century Kentucky culture, oldhamcountyhistoricalsociety.org.
11 — Craft Beer Fest: Jeffersontown (10434 Watterson Trail), 2–6 p.m., 50+ beer, wine and cider tastings. live music, food trucks, jtownchamber.com
11–12 — 10th Annual Art on the Parish Green Festival: Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun., 12–5 p.m., featuring over 90 juried fine arts and crafts vendors, a food court, a beer/wine garden, live music, artontheparishgreen.org.
16 — Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s “The Winter’s Tale”: Central Park, 8 p.m., June 16–19, June 21–26, July 14, 17, 19, 22, 23, features live performances of Shakespeare’s plays for free, kyshakespeare.com.
17–18 — Lyndon Summer Festival: Robison Park (behind the Lyndon Post Office), Fri. 4–10 p.m., Sat. noon–10 p.m., features rides, fireworks, arts and crafts, live music and more, cityoflyndon.org.
17-18 — Kentuckiana Pride Festival: Belvedere, Fri. 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.–Sat. 12 p.m.–12 a.m., features parades, a beer garden, live music and more, kypride.com.
18 — Family Farm & Forage Day: Farnsley-Moremen Landing, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., featuring wagon rides, petting zoo, music, children’s activities, riverside-landing.org.
18-19 — 9th Annual Louisville Festival of Arts with Craft Marketplace: Paddock Shops, Sat.–Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; artfestival.com/festivals/louisville-festival-arts-craft-marketplace-paddock-shops-kentucky.
25 — George Rogers Clark Days: Clarksville, Falls of the Ohio State Park, Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., reenactors, guest speakers, guided cabin tours, pioneer activities, fallsoftheohio.org.
JULY
1 — Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s “Romeo & Juliet”: Central Park, 8 p.m., July 1–3, 5-10, 12, 15, 20, 23, 24, features live performances of Shakespeare’s plays for free, kyshakespeare.com.
3–4 — Crescent Hill Fourth of July Festival: Peterson–Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Ave., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., pet show, silent auction, antique car parade down Frankfort Avenue, fireworks and more, crescenthill.us.
8–9 — 15th Annual Lebowski Fest: Executive Lawn/Executive Strike & Spare, 911 Phillips Lane, Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., featuring live music by Black Bear Combo, bowling and a film screening, lebowskifest.com.
15–17 — Forecastle Fest: Waterfront Park, 129 River Road, annual music, art, activist festival, featuring more than 65 bands, artists and organizations, forecastlefest.com.
16 — Brightside/Coca–Cola Volleyball Classic: Seneca Park and Baxter Jack’s, annual volleyball tournament, louisvilleky.gov/brightside.
22-24 — Blues ’n’ Barbecue Festival: Water Tower, with live music, barbecue and more, louisvillebluesandbbqfestival.com
23 — Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s Bard-A-Thon: 4:30 p.m., “The Winter’s Tale”; 7:30 p.m., “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”; 10:30 p.m., “Romeo and Juliet.”
27-30 — Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s Globe Players Professional Training Program student production of “As You Like It”: Central Park, 8 p.m., features live performances of Shakespeare’s plays for free; kyshakespeare.com.
AUGUST
12–13 — St. Joseph Orphans Picnic: St. Joseph’s Children Home, 2823 Frankfort Ave., more than 60 booths with games, food, raffles and more, sjkids.org.
18–28 — Kentucky State Fair: Kentucky Expo Center, 937 Phillips Lane, featuring exhibits, concerts, agricultural and commercial displays and more, kystatefair.org.
25–27 — Sellersburg Celebrates: Sellersburg, Ind., Silver Creek Township Park, with food and specialty booths, balloon glow, car show and more.
SEPTEMBER
3-4 — Kentucky Bluegrass Music & Burgoo Festival: Louisville Water Tower, 3005 River Road, featuring live music, local beers, food, children’s activities and more, kentuckybluegrassfestival.com.
11–18 — Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival: Gaslight Square, Taylorsville Road/Watterson Trail, with arts and crafts, parade, balloon glow (dusk Friday), music and more, jtownchamber.com.
24–25 — Louisville Irish Fest: Bellarmine University, Fri. 7–10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.–6 p.m., celebrates Irish heritage with music, cultural exhibits, vendors, food and more, louisvilleirishfest.com.
27 — Seven Sense Festival: 2100 – 2300 S. Preston St., featuring live music, craft beer, spirits, local food & arts/crafts. A benefit for the boys & girls haven, facebook.com/sevensensefestival
BEYOND LOUISVILLE
JUNE
2–5 — Great American Brass Band Festival: Danville, Ky., Centre College, featuring world–renowned brass bands, parade, balloon race, picnic, food and more, gabbf.org.
2–5 — 400 Mile Sale: From Maysville to Paducah, Ky., follow U.S. Hwy. 68 for 4 days of antiques, collectibles; 400mile.com.
2–4 — Poke Sallet Festival: Harlan, Ky., features children’s rides, arts and crafts, beauty pageant, dinner, trail rides and more, pokesalletfestival.com.
3-4 — Bardstown Bluegrass Festival: Bardstown, Ky., live music by Bluegrass 101 and more, visitbardstown.com.
3–4 — Seedtime on the Cumberland: Whitesburg, Ky., Appalshop Center, featuring screenings of Appalshop films, traditional mountain arts and crafts, food and more, with music by Jericho Woods, Lee Sexton and more, seedtimefestival.org.
4 — A Day in the Country: Morehead, Ky., Kentucky Folk Art Center, 50 of America’s finest folk artists, kyfolkart.org.
4-5 — Arts on the Green: La Grange, Ky., Courthouse Square, with 120+ artists, music, drinks and Colonial Trade Faire, AAOOC.org.
4 – July 10 — Highland Renaissance Faire: Eminence, Ky., with jousting, mud show, jugglers, musicians, crafts, period food and more, kyrenfaire.com.
9-12 — Newport Italianfest: Newport, Ky., riverfront, celebrates Italian heritage with food, art, games, music, newportky.gov.
11— Outdoor Women at Big Oaks: Madison, Ind., Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, encourages fun and success in outdoors for women, fws.gov/midwest/bigoaks.
11–18 — Bill Monroe’s Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival: Bean Blossom, Ind., Bill Monroe Memorial Park, with live music, beanblossom.us.
13–18 — Bullitt County Fair: Shepherdsville, Ky., Bullitt County Fairgrounds, 245 at I–65, with rides, fair food and more, thebullittcountyfair.com.
15–18 — W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival: Henderson, Ky., Audubon Mill Park, festival honors father of blues, W.C. Handy, with music, food, arts and more, handyblues.org.
18 — Taste of Bloomington: Bloomington, Ind., Showers Commons, featuring samples from local restaurants, art, music and more, visitbloomington.com/taste.
18-19 — Dayton Air Show: Dayton, Ohio, Dayton International Airport, featuring live air shows, parade, daytonairshow.com.
22–25 — ROMP: International Bluegrass Music MuseumFestival: Owensboro, Ky., Yellow Creek Park, live music by Old Crow Medicine Show, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and 25+ more, rompfest.com.
JULY
1-3 — Madison Regatta: Madison, Ind., riverfront, hydroplane races, parade, fireworks and more, madisonregatta.com.
4-7 — Jasper Strassenfest: Jasper, Ind., German heritage fest with food, music, carnival rides, arts and crafts, fireworks and more, jasperstrassenfest.org.
7–17 — Summer Celebration: Indianapolis, Ind., Convention Center, heritage festival with national and regional performers, juried art competitions, minority health fair and more, indianablackexpo.com.
8–10 — Berea Craft Festival: Berea, Ky., Indian Fort Theater, with arts and crafts, demonstrations and more, bereacraftfestival.com.
16 — Oldham County Day: La Grange, Ky., downtown, with 5K run/walk, parade, arts/crafts, games and more, oldhamcountyday.org.
16–23 — Harrison County Fair: Corydon, Ind., Harrison County Fairgrounds, Indiana’s oldest continuous running fair, harrisoncountyfair.com.
27–Aug. 7 — Ohio State Fair: Columbus, Ohio, Expo Center, featuring midway, live music, games, food, demonstrations and more, ohiostatefair.com.
AUGUST
4-7 — Goettafest: Newport, Ky., Newport on the Levee, celebrating goetta, a German-American breakfast sausage that is unique to the N. Ky./Cincinnati area. goettafest.com
5–21 — Indiana State Fair: Indianapolis, Ind., Indiana State Fairgrounds, agricultural and commercial displays, livestock exhibits, performances and more, in.gov/statefair.
6-7 — Shaker Village Craft Fair: Harrodsburg, Ky., Shaker Village, juried arts and crafts and demonstrations, shakervillageky.org/event/craft-fair-2.
11–18 — Henry County Fair: New Castle, Ky., country fair with locally grown foods, hayrides, crafts, music and more, henrycountyfair.org.
12–13 — Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival: Henderson, Ky., Audubon Mill Park, with demonstrations, children’s activities, folk–type crafts, music and more, bluegrassinthepark.com
20-21 — Woodland Arts Fair: Lexington, Ky., Woodland Park, arts and crafts, demonstrations, music and food, woodlandparkfineartsandcraftsfair.com.
26-27 — Hot August Blues Festival: Aurora, Ky., Kenlake State Park, with national, regional and local blues bands, hotaugustbluesfestival.com.
SEPTEMBER
3-4 — Fourth Street Festival of Arts and Crafts: Bloomington, Ind., arts and crafts, music and more, 4thstreet.org.
8-11 — Lanesville Heritage Festival: Lanesville, Ind., featuring tractor pulls and displays, food, entertainment and more, lanesvilleheritageweekend.org.
13–18 — Kentucky Bourbon Festival: Bardstown, Ky., with bourbon tastings, gala, distillery tours, balloon glow, barbecue and more, kybourbonfestival.com.