2019 U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest will take place April 26 – 27 at Bowman Field.    Amazon. Admission is free with a 2019 Pegasus Pin. 502-584-3378 or kdf.org.

BB&T Great Balloon Glow.

• Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, (gates open at 6 p.m.),
• Friday, April 26^th 9 p.m. (glow).
• Parking $10.

Great Balloon Race

• Saturday, April 27^th / 7:00AM Launch
• Bowman Field, public entrance off Pee Wee Reese Road

Great Balloon Race Contingency Window (due to inclement weather (high winds, rain, etc.))

• Saturday, April 27^th / 6:00PM (ONLY if NO Race has taken place)
• Sunday, April 28^th / 7:00AM (ONLY if NO Race has taken place)

April 25-May 3 Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront and Kentucky Derby Festival Chow Wagon.

• Waterfront, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. April 25-27, 29, 30, May 1-3; noon to 10 p.m. April 28.
• Concerts, food, kids’ inflatable playground, midway rides and more.
• Admission is free with a 2019 Pegasus Pin. (food, drink and pets are not allowed.

April 29 Kentucky Derby Festival Great Bed Races.

• Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane
• Monday, April 29. Tailgating 4 p.m.; parade of beds 6 p.m.; racing 7 p.m.
• Free for spectators with a 2019 Pegasus Pin.
• Entry fee $150.
• Parking $10. www.kdf.org.

Click Here for Downtown Traffic Information

Do you have suggestions for how the city can address its budget shortfall? If so, we would like your input.

Click HERE to submit your ideas. The city's 2018 Progress Report and 2018-19 budget materials are included as well to help guide your recommendations.

Thank you for sharing with us your ideas

The annual blitz to rid Louisville Metro streets of the parting pothole gifts of winter is underway. We’re moving across the city in a grid pattern to patch all the potholes we can find. Of course, we respond to reports and patch potholes year round, but we especially want the public's help though the blitz that ends on April 30. Here's how you can report a pothole:

• On Twitter use the hashtag 502pothole. Just include the address or intersection where the pothole is located along with the hashtag in a tweet, and you’re done.
• The pothole reporting form that you can find at the top of the city’s webpage,Louisvilleky.gov. Just click on the “Report a pothole” link and fill in the location information.
• Contact Metro311 in one of these ways
• Call them at 311 or 574-5000
• Download the Metro311 app on your smartphone and use it to report a pothole

Email them at metro.311@louisvilleky.gov

The Southwest Dream Team is excited to unveil our pilot "Future Dreamers" Civic Leadership Academy. Participants will graduate from the Future Dreamers program with increased knowledge of community assets and opportunities, and will have the resources and connections necessary to help address these challenges. Our goal is for graduates to become lifelong advocates and ambassadors to improve quality of life for residents in south and southwest Louisville.

The Future Dreamers program is a series of 5 workshops taking place on

Tuesdays from 6-8pm from May 7 to June 4. 

Register to Participate

Nominate a Participant

Sponsor a Participant

Learn more about Future Dreamers and support the inaugural class here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/future-dreamers-civic-leadership-program-tickets-58642180340

A new option to report illegal dumping is the new online form

Report:

• where it happened
• describe the vehicle(s) involved
• include license plate number(s) if available
• upload pictures if available

For more information about illegal dumping, including a link to the reporting form visit our illegal dumping webpage.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. We encourage everyone to look through their home for any unused prescription medications. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure they do not end up in the wrong hands.

For more information, please visit takebackday.gov

• Date:          Saturday, April 27th
• Time:          10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Locations:  Walgreens; 10201 Dixie Hwy 

                    City of Lynnview Office 1241 Gilmore Ln, Louisville, KY 40213

Are you or someone you know in need of services but don't know where to look?

LouieCONNECT.com  is a mobile optimized website that pulls together the services is our community that provide support for people experiencing a difficult time. It includes only those services that are free and provides all of the information needed to know what they offer, where they are located, when they are open, and any requirements to receive help.

#DareTo Defeat Epilepsy

is the largest awareness building and fundraising event of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana and we invite you to lace up your shoes and join in this fight!  Your involvement will provide much needed help, hope, and support to the over 153,000 children, adults, and veterans living with epilepsy and their loved ones in Kentucky and southern Indiana. Its simple - register to participate, set your personal fundraising goal, recruit team members to do the same, and work together to successfully achieve your mission!  Create a cool team name to honor a loved one impacted by or who lost their life to epilepsy or a seizure disorder.   Your involvement will have a real impact as we work together to defeat epilepsy!  

The annual program that helps prevent low income residents of Louisville from being disconnected from utility services began on Monday.

LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is administered by Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. The Crisis Component of LIHEAP will run through March 29, or until available funds have been expended, whichever comes first.

This year’s Crisis Program once again features expanded eligibility allowing residents who received a utility bill with a past due amount to apply, in addition to continuing to serve those who received a disconnect notice.

Residents wishing to apply must make an appointment in advance utilizing the automated appointment system. The toll free service is available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.

Applicants must be Jefferson County residents with a household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Read more details here. 

Volunteers of America have recently opened new addiction recovery locations to better serve the community. They have several programs at 1436 South Shelby Street. Freedom House is a residential program for pregnant and parenting women. Shelby Men’s Recovery Center is also located on South Shelby. This is a 90 day residential program for men, where clients are able to work while seeking treatment. They have Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and services for men, women and families. These services are available at 2500 West Broadway and 4303 W Broadway. Transitional Housing will be available in July for homeless women with children who would like to continue their sobriety at 4303 W Broadway

If you are know someone who may be interested in VOA’s programs, please contact the intake office at 502-635-4530. They’re able to do a quick screening, verify their insurance, and set up an intake date and time.

It's time to sign up for a booth at the

2019 Buy Local Fair!

Help us make it local, even cooler, and that good kind of weird.  

They are now accepting booth registrations for the 2019 Buy Local Fair. You can help create the best gathering of our wonderful local Louisville community. With an estimated attendance of over 6000 people, you will be part of something big. Booth space is limited so sign-up today.

• When: Sunday, May 19th; 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
• Where: Louisville Water Tower Park
• Make it a good one, register today!

Free Training and Jobs links for Manufacturing and Construction

To find programs for FREE training and to connect people to jobs in construction and manufacturing, please click one of the following

The Career Calculator is being used in schools, career centers and libraries across the Louisville region.

Links to Workforce Resources

• KentuckianaWorks Homepage
• KY Career Centers  
• KY Health Career Center
• KY Manufacturing Career Center
• Code Louisville
• Mayor's SummerWorks
• KentuckianaWorks College Access Center
• Kentuckiana Builds
• Degrees Work
• Events Calendar 

Due to potential severe weather, the annual Mary M. Miller cruises from Riverview Park have been cancelled for Sunday, April 14^th.

The cruises, sponsored by District 12 and District 14, have been rescheduled for Sunday, June 23, 2019.  

Those who made advanced reservations through the Southwest Community Ministries will be contacted about the cancellation. All advanced reservations will be honored for the rescheduled date.

The Lou Tate Gallery at The Little Loomhouse

Side by Side: An Exhibition of Artistic Collaborations

 April 20 – May 18

Gallery Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-3pm & Sat 11am-4pm

Artist Reception, free and open to the public

Thursday, May 9th 6:30-7:30 pm 

Side by Side exhibition is made up of groups of art – one made by the student artist, one made by the professional artist, and one collaborative piece. Each design represents a lively interaction between youthful spirit and the experience of professional working artists.

Side by Side is an annual program offered by VSA Kentucky in partnership with The Kentucky School for the Blind & The Little Loomhouse.

Additional April Events:

South Points Farmers Market opens May 2^nd

• 3:00pm-6:00pm.
• The market will operate on Thursdays at the
• Taylor Blvd. Save-a-Lot parking lot (4148 Taylor Blvd) and
• will accept SNAP, cash, credit/ debit cards, and senior vouchers. The market will double SNAP purchases (up to $12) and SFMNP voucher purchases (up to $8) with support from CFA’s Kentucky Double Dollars program. 

On May 11 Help support Kenwood Heights Christian Church short-term mission team traveling to the Dominican Republic next summer.

• Saturday MAY 11
• 10:00am - 2:00pm
• Kenwood Heights Christian Church
• 5620 New Cut Road, Louisville, KY 40214

Come and shop our vendors:

Hand Sewn & Crochet items, Baked Goods, Trades of Hope, Scentsy, Thirty-One Gifts, LipSense, Perfectly Posh, Vinyl Apparel, Drinkware and Signs, Hand Painted Gifts, Hair accessories, Baby items, Rodan and Fields, Color Street Nails, Creative Home Art, Jams and Jellies, Damsel in Defense, Hand made Jewelry, Creations, Wreaths and more!

Hugh Indoor Yard Sale Sponsored by the MSGN. McKune Council Ladies Auxiliary #2021

• Saturday May 11th
• 8:00am to 2:00pm
• Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cafeteria
• New Cut Rd. and Southside Drive

Now that Yard Sale Season is back, Organizations and Neighborhoods sponsoring Yard Sales  can send their information to us and we will include in the newsletter.  Email to Barbara.Nichols@LouisvilleKy.gov

Get your garden started with low-cost plant starts from Louisville Grows’ Seeds and Starts Sale. This yearly plant sale helps community members grow and eat fresh produce from their backyards and community gardens.  Proceeds from the sale directly support Louisville Grows’ Community Garden Grant program.

At the Seeds and Starts Sale, you are able to purchase plants for your yard or community garden plots for a lower price than you’ll find in local stores.  Each spring, we use volunteer help to grow thousands of organic plants in our greenhouse to sell at-cost to the community. We offer a wide variety of heirloom and organic vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, berry bushes, soil, compost, and more. The Seeds and Starts sale will be April 20 and May 11, 2019 at the People’s Garden greenhouses (536 N. 44th Street). The Seeds and Starts program simplifies gardening for home growers and increases the number of backyard and community gardeners throughout Louisville Metro. Support local gardeners and organizations at our biggest annual fundraiser for Louisville Grows!

Visit seedsandstarts.org to pre-order plants and gardening supplies!

Click here for a Seeds and Starts Shopping List.

Feeding Stray Cats?  Alley Cat Advocates can help get outdoor cats fixed and vaccinated at NO COST TO YOU!  

 Cat Caretakers living in the following Jefferson County zip codes 40208, 40209, 40213, 40214, 40215, 40216, 40217, 40219, 40258 and 40272 are eligible  for spay/neuter services for unowned community cats,  They will be vaccinated, spayed/neutered, treated for flea and ear-mite medicine, given a great vet visit, ear-tipped (the universal symbol of a neutered cat) and returned.

When there are no more kittens; the number of cats gradually goes down  and annoying behaviors such as yowling, fighting, spraying stop.