Plan to stop by the Louisville Free Public Library Downtown, 301 York Street, to view a photography exhibit by D9 resident John Nation. The exhibit is titled Beargrass: The Creek in Our Backyard and includes 40 photographs. The exhibit runs through August 30. A reception will be held tonight, Thursday, August 24, at 6:00 p.m. and will include a viewing of Morgan Atkinson’s documentary, Beargrass: The Creek in Our Backyard.

Click here to read the full Insider Louisville article by Kevin Gibson. 

Please join the League of Women Voters in celebrating Women’s Equality Day, honoring the 97th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, when women won the right to vote. On Saturday, August 26, networking begins at 9:30 a.m. and the session runs from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at the Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main Street. The special event guest is Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 895-5218 or email info@lwvlouisville.org. 

MSD has closed one lane of Story Avenue until the end of December 2017. The contractor will be reducing traffic lanes on Story Avenue to one lane, from the intersection of Story/Frankfort to Story/Cabel. These are 24 hour/7day a week closures. The first phase of lane closures will be from the intersection of Story/Frankfort to Story/Spring. 

Shopping locally at farmers markets is a great sustainability practice and we have several in District 9.  This year, Louisville also has a new Farmers Market Association (LFMA).  The purpose of the new association is to support farmers markets, farmers and local food producers to promote access to a healthy and sustainable food system. LFMA does this by providing assistance such as marketing, financial advisement, vendor and volunteer recruitment to increase the capacity of farmers markets.  It also helps to facilitate better access to healthy fruits and vegetables for everyone by helping the markets support SNAP (food stamps) participants through the Double Dollars Program and Free EBT Equipment and seniors through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. 

There is also now a new Guide to Local Food Resources that provides a map and list of all of Louisville’s farmers markets, Fresh Stop markets and Healthy Corner Stores. Here’s a link to the guide.  (One correction, though.  The Crescent Hill market at 201 South Peterson Avenue is on Mondays and Fridays from 7:00 am to roughly 11:00 am).   

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

Household Hazardous Materials drop-off collection, or HAZ BIN, is available to all residents of Louisville/Jefferson County. It provides a safe and convenient way to dispose of unwanted household hazardous materials which are not accepted by household garbage collection or recycling centers. See what's accepted.

Location: HAZ BIN
7501 Grade Lane, Louisville, KY 40219

Hours: 
Wednesdays & Saturdays - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation is seeking fourteen AmeriCorps members for the following positions:

1. Land Management Technician
2. Education Program Assistant
3. Volunteer Program Assistant

These positions are year-long, full-time commitments from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018. For more information about the position, please click here.  

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Ryan at laura.ryan@louisvilleky.gov.

The Louisville Water Company has launched a monthly consumer focused e-newsletter. This month’s newsletter includes tips on cleaning reusable water bottles, upcoming events, water news, infused water recipe ideas, and much more. Click here to sign up. 

WorldFest, one of the region’s largest international festivals, will take place Labor Day weekend for its 15th year, with four days of international food, music, dance and culture starting September 1 at the downtown Belvedere.

70 local and regional entertainers will offer a variety of music, dance styles and beats, ranging from African drumming to reggae to Indian, Celtic, Arabic, Latin, Caribbean music and more. More than 100 vendors will participate, with 30-plus food vendors serving a global sampling of cuisine and culture.

 In addition to music, food and dancing, other highlights include:

• The Global Village – A kaleidoscope of Louisville’s culture, where you can interact with representatives of more than 20 nations. All nine of Louisville’s Sister Cities will be represented again this year.
• The WorldFest Children’s Area – Will feature activities from WKU’s Confucius Institute, as well as Home Depot.
• Parade of Cultures – Will showcase the multicultural diversity of our unique city.
• Chinese Cultural Experience – Mobile Unit in front of The Kentucky Center.

The festival includes a naturalization ceremony at 1 p.m. Friday, where more than 300 immigrants will become full U.S. citizens and a colorful Parade of Cultures at noon on Saturday.

New this year, the children’s activities have expanded to include more than 20 interactive activities highlighting specific aspects of the Chinese culture like calligraphy lessons, fan painting and Tai Chi demonstrations. In addition, the Confucius Institute will have its Chinese Cultural Experience mobile unit on display in front of the Kentucky Center for the Arts. This 40-foot RV is retrofitted to serve as a Chinese museum on wheels.

For more information about WorldFest, visit www.worldfestlouisville.com. Let them know if you plan to attend, via the Facebook event page. And don’t forget to follow WorldFest on Twitter and Instagram @AroundLou! A You Tube Video about WorldFest is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCB8oEAXHBQ

Thousands of cyclists, walkers, canoeists and kayakers will hit the streets and the Ohio River on Labor Day, September 4, for the 26th Subway Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle at Waterfront Park.

SUBWAY Restaurants are proud to once again be the title sponsor of the SUBWAY Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle events.  They will be distributing $2.50 gift cards to participants that can be used on their next visit to SUBWAY. 

Paddlers will begin their adventurous five-mile course at 10 a.m., taking their canoes and kayaks through the McAlpine Locks and Dam to the Jaycees Boat Ramp in New Albany. Participants will launch their canoes or kayaks at the ramp located at the Harbor Lawn of Waterfront Park. Paddlers can drop their boats off at the “Green” parking lot near River Road and Witherspoon Street from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. Police and safety boats will be nearby during the paddling activity, and all participants will have assistance if needed in launching their canoe or kayak. Paddle participants must wear a life jacket and carry a noise making device. After the event, TARC will offer a shuttle service for paddlers to retrieve their vehicles at the launch site.

For cyclists, a 9.5-mile route will leave Waterfront Park and go west through the Portland Stroll District and head back to Waterfront Park. Turnoffs will provide cycling routes as short as two miles.

The hiking route, which is wheelchair-accessible, will take walkers west along the waterfront, along portions of the Riverwalk and wharf to 10th Street and back. Walkers can bring their dogs on the hike, but must keep them on a leash and pick up waste, as required by law.

More than 50 vendors and information booths will open at 8:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park.  Again, patrons will have the opportunity to try their hand at stand-up paddle boarding until 1 p.m.

Yoga, Tai Chi and Zumba demonstrations will be offered, along with group participation. 

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. there will be 3,000 free T-shirts for those who arrive early and complete a brief survey. The Brain Injury Association will distribute 500 helmets to riders who don’t have one. Neil Huffman Subaru will be giving away a free bicycle and kayak at the event.  Participants are encouraged to be “green” and bring their own water bottles which they will be able to fill at Waterfront Park and at various water stations along the routes, as part of Louisville Water’s Pure Tap To Go.

To view interactive route maps and for more information, go to hikebikeandpaddle.org.

Already know you’re coming? RSVP on the Facebook event page. And don’t forget to follow the event on Twitter and Instagram @AroundLou! A You Tube video about Hike, Bike and Paddle is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD003JoFDxk