Greater Louisville
JUNE
7-8 Summer Festival of the Arts: Paddock Shops (formerly The Summit), Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., featuring more than 100 artists and crafters, artfestival.com.
11-July 26 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals A Midsummer Nights Dream: Central Park, Tue.-Sun., 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
13-14 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.
13-14 Smokin on the River BBQ, Blues and Brew Festival: Jeffersonville, Ind. (corner of Spring Street and Riverside Drive), Fri. 4-11 p.m., Sat. noon-11 p.m., features live music, beer tent and barbecue competition, smokinontheriverbbq.com.
13-15 Louisvilles Greek Festival: Belvedere, Fri. 4-10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m., celebrates Greek culture with music, arts and crafts, food and more, louisvillegreekfest.com.
20-21 Kentuckiana Pride Festival: Belvedere, features parade on Friday, beer garden, live music and more, kypride.com.
28-29 George Rogers Clark Days: Clarksville, Falls of the Ohio State Park, Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., re-enactors, guest speakers, guided cabin tours, pioneer activities, 812-280-9970, fallsoftheohio.org.
29 Riverside Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social: 7410 Moorman Road, 1-5 p.m., featuring ice-cream-eating contest, games, childrens activities and music, 935-6809.
JULY
4-5 Crescent Hill Fourth of July Festival: Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Ave., Thu.-Fri. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., pet show, silent auction, antique car parade down Frankfort Avenue, fireworks and more, 897-7819.
11-27 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals Hamlet: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
11-12 Lebowski Fest: Executive Lawn/Executive Strike & Spare, 911 Phillips Lane, Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 4 p.m., featuring live music by Those Darlins, The Features, Bobby Bare Jr. and more with special guest Jim Hoosier, plus bowling and a film screening, lebowskifest.com.
11-13 Blues n Barbecue Festival: Water Tower, Fri. 5-11:30 p.m., Sat. 4-11:30 p.m., Sun. 1-7 p.m. with live music, barbecue and more, louisvillebluesandbbqfestival.com
18-20 Forecastle Fest: Waterfront Park, annual music, art, activist festival, featuring more than 65 bands, artists and organizations, forecastlefest.com.
19-20 Brightside/Coca-Cola Volleyball Classic: Seneca Park and Baxter Jacks, annual volleyball tournament, louisvilleky.gov/brightside.
27 LEO & Thorntons Tap That Craft: Beer Crawl to four local breweries, 1-6 p.m., $30, leoweekly.com/events.
31-Aug. 3 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals Love Labours Lost: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
31-Aug. 3 Street Rod Nationals: Kentucky Expo Center, hot rod show with demonstrations, games and more, nrsa-usa.com.
AUGUST
1 Brew at the Zoo and Wine Too!: Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevillian Way, 4-9 p.m., features beer and wine samples and live music, louisvillezoo.org.
5-9 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals As You Like It: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
6-10 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals Pericles: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
9 St. Joseph Orphans Picnic: 2823 Frankfort Ave., more than 60 booths with games, food, raffles and more, sjkids.org.
12-16 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals Women of Will: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
13-17 Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals King Lear: Central Park, 8 p.m., kyshakespeare.org.
14-24 Kentucky State Fair: Kentucky Expo Center, featuring exhibits, concerts, agricultural and commercial displays and more, kystatefair.org.
21-23 Sellersburg Celebrates: Sellersburg, Ind., Silver Creek Township Park, with food and specialty booths, balloon glow, car show and more, sellersburgcelebrates.com.
30-Sept. 1 Kentucky Bluegrass Music & Burgoo Festival: Water Tower, featuring live music, local beers, food, childrens activities and more, Sat.-Sun. 5-11 p.m., bisig.com.
SEPTEMBER
13 Gettin Drunky in KY Pub Crawl: Baxter Avenue, LEO Bar Belles annual pub crawl, 7 p.m. at Outlook Inn, shavens@leoweekly.com.
14-21 Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival: Taylorsville Rd./Watterson Tr., with arts and crafts, parade, balloon glow (dusk Friday), music and more, jtownchamber.com.
27-28 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.
Beyond Louisville …
JUNE
1-July 6 Highland Renaissance Faire: Eminence, Ky., with jousting, mud show, jugglers, musicians, crafts, period food and more, $5-75, kyrenfaire.com.
5-8 Great American Brass Band Festival: Danville, Ky., Centre College, featuring world-renowned brass bands, parade, balloon race, picnic, food and more, 800-755-0076.
5-8 400 Mile Sale: From Maysville to Paducah, Ky., follow US Hwy 68 for 4 days of antiques, collectibles, 859-491-0458.
6-7 Poke Sallet Festival: Harlan, Ky., features childrens rides, arts and crafts, beauty pageant, dinner, trail rides and more, 606-573-4717.
6-7 Bardstown Bluegrass Festival: Bardstown, Ky., live music by Bluegrass 101 and more, bluegrass101.com.
6-7 Seedtime on the Cumberland: Whitesburg, Ky., Appalshop Center, featuring screenings of Appalshop films, traditional mountain arts and crafts, food and more, with music by Randy Wilson, Lee Sexton and more, 606-633-0108.
7 Outdoor Women at Big Oaks: Madison, Ind., Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, encourages fun and success in outdoors for women, fws.gov/midwest/bigoaks.
7 A Day in the Country: Morehead, Ky., 50 of Americas finest folk artists, kyfolkart.org.
7-8 Arts on the Green: Courthouse Square, La Grange , with 120+ artists, music, drinks and Colonial Trade Faire, AAOOC.org.
7-14 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.
12-21 Bill Monroes Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival: Bean Blossom, Ind., Bill Monroe Memorial Park, with live music, beanblossom.com.
12-15 Newport Italianfest: Newport, Ky., riverfront, celebrates Italian heritage with food, art, games, music, newportky.gov.
16-21 Bullitt County Fair: Shepherdsville, Ky., Bullitt County Fairgrounds, 245 at I-65, with rides, fair food and more, 502-543-4855.
21 Taste of Bloomington: Bloomington, Ind., Showers Commons, featuring samples from local restaurants, art, music and more, visitbloomington.com/taste.
28-29 Dayton Air Show: Dayton, Ohio, Dayton International Airport, featuring live air shows, parade, daytonairshow.com.
27-28 ROMP: Bluegrass and Roots and Branches Festival: Owensboro, Ky., Yellow Creek Park, live music by Railroad Earth, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush Band and more, rompfest.org.
JULY
3-5 Renfro Valley Bluegrass Festival: Renfro Valley, Ky., annual event featuring bluegrass music and other festivities, camping available, 800-765-7464.
4 Celebration of the American Spirit: Owensboro, Ky., English Park, with fireworks at dusk, rides, games and more, (270) 687-8700.
4-5 Freedom Fest: Murray, Ky., features barbecue, drinks, paintball, music and more, 800-715-5004.
4-6 Madison Regatta: Madison, Ind., riverfront, hydroplane races, parade, fireworks and more, madisonregatta.com.
8-14 Henry County Fair: New Castle, Ky., country fair with locally grown foods, hayrides, crafts, music and more, 502-845-5707.
10-20 Summer Celebration: Indianapolis, Ind., Convention Center, heritage festival with national and regional performers, juried art competitions, minority health fair and more, indianablackexpo.com.
11-13 Berea Craft Festival: Berea, Ky., Indian Fort Theater, with arts and crafts, demonstrations and more, bereacraftfestival.com.
11-20 Master Musicians Festival: Somerset, Ky., Somerset Community College, live music by local and national artists and more, mastermusiciansfestival.com.
12 Duncan Hines Festival: Bowling Green, Ky., downtown, honors Kentuckian who made cake mixes famous with recipe contests, games, music and more, 800-326-7465.
13-19 Harrison County Fair: Corydon, Ind., Harrison County Fairgrounds, Indianas oldest continuous running fair, 888-738-2137.
19 Oldham County Day: La Grange, Ky., downtown, with 5K run/walk, parade, arts/crafts, games and more, 502-222-1731.
23-Aug. 3 Ohio State Fair: Columbus, Ohio, Expo Center, featuring midway, live music, games, food, demonstrations and more, ohiostatefair.com.
25-27 Kentucky Art Outpost: Newport, Ky., World Peace Bell Park, featuring dozens of regional artists, newportky.gov.
31-Aug. 3 Jasper Strassenfest: Jasper, Ind., German heritage fest with food, music, carnival rides, arts and crafts, fireworks and more, jasperstrassenfest.org.
AUGUST
1-17 Indiana State Fair: Indianapolis, Ind., Indiana State Fairgrounds, agricultural and commercial displays, livestock exhibits, performances and more, in.gov/statefair.
2 Shaker Village Craft Fair: Harrodsburg, Ky., Shaker Village, juried arts and crafts and demonstrations, shakervillageky.org.
7-9 Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival: Henderson, Ky., Audubon Mill Park, with demonstrations, childrens activities, folk-type crafts, music and more, bluegrassinthepark.com
14-17 Great Inland Seafood Festival: Newport and Cincinnati, riverfront, celebrates seafood from local restaurants, cincinnatiusa.com
16-17 Woodland Arts Fair: Lexington, Ky., Woodland Park, arts and crafts, demonstrations, music and food, woodlandparkfineartsandcraftsfair.com.
22-23 Heartland Festival in The Park: Elizabethtown, Ky., Freeman Lake Park, features arts and crafts, balloon race, fireworks, parade and more, heartlandfestivalinthepark.com.
22-23 Hot August Blues Festival: Aurora, Ky., Kenlake State Park, with national, regional and local blues bands, (270) 293-6641.
30-31 Fourth Street Festival of Arts and Crafts: Bloomington, Ind., arts and crafts, music and more, 812-575-0484.
SEPTEMBER
12-14 Lanesville Heritage Festival: Lanesville, Ind., featuring tractor pulls and displays, food, entertainment and more, lanesvilleheritageweekend.org.
16-21 Kentucky Bourbon Festival: Bardstown, Ky., with bourbon tastings, gala, distillery tours, balloon glow, barbecue and more, kybourbonfestival.com.
12-21 Indy Jazz Fest: Indianapolis, Ind., Military Park, featuring national, regional and local jazz and blues musicians, indyjazzfest.net.
This article appears in June 3, 2014.