FRIDAY
Butchertown Race Days Copper & Kings No cover | 11 a.m. Forget horse racing — Copper & Kings is hosting tricycle races for adults. We shouldn’t have to say any more to convince you, but, just in case, the distillery is also hosting a Kentucky Artisan Market with local artists, food trucks and music by Curio Key Club.Barnstable Brown Party / Sherby Sherby — Sherwood Ave. | $5 donation | 3 p.m. Barnstable Brown — 1700 Spring Drive | Cost: Being rich and/or famous | 8 p.m. The night before Derby, in the same stretch of The Highlands, there are two very different parties. You already know if you’re going to the elite Barnstable Brown gala, where rich and famous people do rich and famous people things, but you can still stand outside and idol worship if that’s your thing — waiting for Sammy Hagar or Katie Couric or whoever to walk in. I guess last year the NFL’s cartoonish, shirtless, beer chugger Rob Gronkowski showed up. But, anyway, a few blocks over is Sherby, a street party on Sherwood Avenue with bands, food trucks, a cash bar and much less stuffiness. Gronk, if you’re reading this, stop by Sherby this year. It’s more your scene.
SATURDAY
Free Comic Book Day Various Locations Free | All day If you consider yourself a geek or a nerd, you probably aren’t interested in drinking yourself silly and betting on horse races. But, luckily for you, Free Comic Book Day falls on the same date. All comic book stores worth their salt are handing out 50 comic books, and three stores are hosting specials on the rest of their inventory. The Great Escape is offering five free comic books to everyone and 25 percent off all back issue comics and secondhand graphic novels (Saturday and Sunday); The Destination is offering anywhere from 5 percent to half off a variety of its inventory, with a guest appearance by comic book artist Terry Huddleston; and The Zone Comic Shop is bringing out its backroom stock for a blowout sale as well.Silent Party Louisville – Derby Edition Headliners Music Hall $25 day of; $30 after midnight | 10 p.m. This silent party isn’t as quiet as you’d think, with music being pumped into wireless headphones that are provided for everyone at the venue. DJs Kaos, Always and Equip will provide the tunes, and you can choose between them by flipping through three color-coded channels on your headphones. The result is a lot of people, dancing to a lot of different songs and, as the promoters put it, “one crazy vibe!”
