5 Things To Do This Weekend In Louisville (9/17)

FRIDAY, Sept. 17

Gaslight Festival Jeffersontown, Kentucky Free  |  6-10 p.m. Jeffersontown’s Gaslight Festival is the suburb’s biggest week of the year. Named after the town’s quaint Gaslight Square, the weekend celebration features over 135 arts and crafts vendors, food and carnival rides. This Friday’s festivities kick off with a hot air balloon glow at Skyview Park fro 6 to 9 p.m.. Shopping and fun at the Square lasts from 7 to 10 p.m.. 

SATURDAY, Sept. 18

Plant 5K Run & Walk 100 W. Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana $30-$35  |  9 a.m. Cultivate your health and the planet’s at this 5K in support of Louisville Grows. The organization hopes to plant 5k (aka 5,000) trees by 2025, so this race is the perfect distance. In keeping with the nature of the event, the race will give away “sustainable swag” and be zero waste, with recycling and compost bins provided. The overall winners will receive a professional tree planting on their property. Participants are encouraged to bring used shoes to donate to Water Step.

The Monarch Festival at MountFest Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality Free  |  Noon-8 p.m. Float like a butterfly over to Southern Indiana for a free festival celebrating art and nature. The gorgeous grounds of Southern Indiana’s Mount Saint Francis friary will be the perfect backdrop to enjoy live music, local food and drinks and activities for kids — plus, of course, plenty of live butterflies. This event is rain or shine, but capacity may be limited. 

Venus vs. Mars Poetry Slam fifteenTWELVE Creative Compound $20 in advance, $25 day-of  |  7-10 p.m. In this Venus vs. Mars poetry slam, you’ll see three female poets going to head to head against a trio of male wordsmiths. The first two bouts feature Louisville rhyme-makers Gwen Cee against Deep Sea Rice and Lipstick Wars’ Rheonna Nicole versus Mr.Spreadlove (aka Lance G. Newman II.) This battle of the planets ends with Nashville’s Alexis Wolfe facing off with LA’s Ed Mabrey.

SUNDAY, Sept. 19

Kentucky Bat Festival Robards Barn and Venue, Fox Chase, Kentucky $15  |  4-7 p.m. Bats, bluegrass, barbecue and beer — it’s the perfect recipe for an awesome event that  benefits rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife. This festival, previously called Bourbon and Bats, will be educational and entertaining: you’ll get to meet bats up close, learn about nature and meet children’s character Stellaluna.