The suns out, the days are longer, its time to do all those Louisville things you can only do in the summer. OK, some of these require a trip past the county line, but trust us, theyre worth it. If you havent done at least a few of these things by the end of September, consider it a summer wasted. Danielle Grady
facebook.com/FRPLaGrangeQuarryLavender picking at Lavender In Bloom
426 McClelland Circle, Georgetown, Kentucky
About an hour outside of Louisville, there’s a place where lavender fields bloom, and you can pick your own bundle. There’s also lavender oils, candles and bath salts for sale — and photography sessions ready to book. The farm opens in June for lavender picking and turns into a sunflower farm in late August. You can also visit Little Mount Lavender in nearby Simpsonville, Kentucky, which doesn’t have u-pick lavender just yet but does sell lavender pastries, cocktails and other products.
Photo via facebook.com/UPickLavenderGeorgetownfacebook.com/canoekyStaycation at Progress Park Airstream Resort
4501 Progress Blvd.
At Progress Park, Louisville residents can get away from the hustle and bustle of city life without even having to leave. Situated just 11 miles from downtown in the Buechel neighborhood, Progress Park Airstream resort has something for everyone and is the perfect spot for an all-inclusive glamping experience with its five vintage Airstream trailers, two houses and a bunkhouse. It all sits on a sprawling 12 acres with tetherball, four beaches, a playground, hiking trails, a volleyball net and canoes, kayaks and paddle boards for the two acre pond. — Kathryn Harrington
Photo by Kathryn HarringtonA day of Luxury at the Omni Louisville Rooftop Pool
400 S. Second St.
We might not be able to afford a night in one of the Omni’s luxury rooms, but we can swing a day feeling on top of the world at the Omni’s rooftop pool. The pool is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Check with the Omni for prices.
Photo viaPlay a round of beach volleyball
J-Town Beach, 10315 Watterson Trail, Jeffersontown, Kentucky
Besides being located, oh, approximately 629 miles from the ocean, J-Town Beach, based in Jeffersontown’s historic Gaslight district, is a lot like your favorite seaside vacation spot. Anchored by two sand volleyball courts, the quaint bar serves alcoholic slushies and authentic Jamaican food out the back. Most evenings are dedicated to team games, but on Saturdays the beach is available for open play.
Photo by Danielle GradyYurt it up at Red River Gorge
Campton, Kentucky
In Red River Gorge, you can rough it, glamp, sleep up high in a luxury tree house — or, you can book a yurt for $150 a night. These insulated vacation homes available for booking through Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals have different rooms, furnishings, round skylights, porches with hot tubs and fire pits.
Photo via facebook.com/RedRiverGorgeCabinRentalsfacebook.com/coatcheckeventsHang with the Bard at Shakespeare in the Park
Central Park, 616 Myrtle St.
Summers mean evenings in Old Louisville with The Bard and his conduits, Kentucky Shakespeare. The troupe performs free renditions of Shakespeare through August on their outdoor stage, whimsically built around the trunk of a giant tree. There are always food trucks about, too, if you hath a craving for some sustenance.
Photo via facebook.com/KentuckyShakespeareTake in a Drive-In Movie
Multiple Locations: Georgetown Drive-In, 8200 Highway 64, Georgetown, Indiana; Sauerbeck Family Drive In, 3210 D.W. Griffith Lane, La Grange, Kentucky
Those folks in the ‘50s had something right: Drive-in movies are way cool, Daddy-O. Luckily for us, Louisville never caught on to the death of the drive-in, and there are two options for outdoor movie lovers: Georgetown Drive-In across the bridge in Southern Indiana and the Sauerbeck Family Drive only 30 minutes away in La Grange.
Photo via Sauerbeck Family Drive-InTest your balance with Stand-up Paddle Boarding
Endless Summer Paddle and Coffee, 1301 Frankfort Ave.
Whatever kind of stand-up paddle boarding you’re into, Endless Summer Paddle has got you. They teach lessons for beginners in the Ohio River or at Taylorsville Lake, hold SUP yoga and other fitness classes and offer river tours.
Photo via facebook.com/endlesssummerpaddleStrawberry Picking at Berry Best Farm
26011 Highway 62, Nabb, Indiana
At Berry Best Farm “strawberry fields forever” is kind of the name of the game. The Southern Indiana farm has been family-owned and operated since 1975. Starting around June, you can head to the country to pick a basket of juicy strawberries yourself.
Photo via acebook.com/BerryBestFarmIndianaWork your mind with a fantastical outdoor escape “room”
Pope Lick Park, 4002 S. Pope Lick Road
Here’s something truly unique to add to your bucket list: An outdoor, scavenger-hunt style escape room. The owners of the city-wide scavenger hunt Danger Run bring you Operation Mindfall and Magic Portal. In these games, you and your group of two to six are given a GPS device to help you find puzzles throughout Pope Lick Park, which you can solve to escape the game. In Operation Mindfall, your team is trying to destroy top-secret research to control the human mind. In Magic Portal, you’re a set of adventurers attempting to return mythical beasts who are running amok in the human world back to their fantastical home.
Photo via facebook.com/DangerRunDisc Golf
Iroquois Disc Golf Course, 2120 Rundill Road
Try your hand at disc golf, a simple, accessible sport that only requires you to invest in a few frisbees. Iroquois Park has a free course that winds through the woods. There are sign posts to guide you.
Photo via facebook.com/loukyparksfacebook.com/HuberWineryAttend every major music festival in Louisville
Various locations
Summer is festival season, and Louisville has several big ones: Namely, Forecastle Festival in May (where you can see the latest big names in hip-hop and alternative music), Louder than Life in September (hard rock) and Bourbon & Beyond the week after (featuring Jack White, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam and Chris Stapleton in 2022).
Photo by Nik VecheryBecome a Pickleball Champ
EP “Tom” Sawyer State Park, 3000 Freys Hill Road
With 16 courts, Louisville’s “Tom” Sawyer State Park is home to the largest outdoor pickleball complex in Kentucky. The sport is described as a combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong and is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. This is the summer you find out what all the hype is about.
Photo via facebook.com/EpTomSawyerStatePark
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