NuLu’s most delightfully bizarre custom has returned. The NuLu Business Association has announced the return of NuLu Bock Fest, marking its ninth year of goat racing, bock beer, bratwurst, and neighborhood-wide celebration on Saturday, March 28, from noon to 6 p.m. The public is welcome and admission is free.
NuLu Bock Fest, which has its roots in a mid-19th-century German custom honoring the release of bock beer following winter aging, has developed into one of Louisville’s most notable spring celebrations. NuLu continues to be the only sensible location for a festival that incorporates live music, food trucks, local vendors, adult and baby goat racing, and the neighborhood’s appropriately named Nanny Goat Strut and Billy Goat Strut.
The Louisville Aggies, a local 4-H organization, will once again assist in leading the goats down the track at the beloved Jefferson County Farm Bureau Goat Races, sponsored by Sunny Acres Farm. With 12 races planned throughout the day, starting at noon with the National Anthem and a flyover and ending at 6 p.m., grandstands will line the course for better viewing.
The featured race is the News Flash Dash Baby Goat Race, which occurs at 3:30 p.m., where local TV anchors, reporters, and meteorologists pick a baby goat to race for a charity.
The winning goat receives a $500 donation for the charity of “its choice,” according to a release from NuLu Bock Fest.
Confirmed NuLu Bock Fest Pre-Parties:
- Saturday, February 21: Baby Goat Pre-Party, Noon–4 p.m., Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.
- Saturday, March 7: Tailspin Ale Fest, 2–7 p.m., Bowman Field
- Saturday, March 14: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Noon–2 p.m., Bardstown Road
- Saturday, March 21: Baby Goat Yoga, 10–11 a.m., Taj 811
- Saturday, March 21: Paddock Party, Noon–5 p.m., Garage Bar
- Tuesday, March 24: Wurst Fest, 6–8 p.m., Copper & Kings
- Friday, March 27: The NuLu 502 Packet Pick-Up, 4–7 p.m., Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.
- Friday, March 27: Goat Calling Contest, 6–8 p.m., High Horse
For full details, visit nulu.org/BockFest and follow @nuluofficial on Instagram and Facebook.
See more of the goats here:
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.