5 things to do in the Louisville area the weekend of Sept. 12 to 14

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The weekend is upon us, and there are plenty of things to do and see across Kentuckiana.

Here are a selection of events, markets, concerts and more happening the weekend of Friday, Sept. 12 to Sunday, Sept. 14.

Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival

Thousands of people will visit Jeffersontown during the 56th annual Gaslight Festival this weekend.

The festival started Friday, Sept. 5 and runs through this Sunday, Sept. 14.

What started as a small street party in 1969 has grown to become one of the area's largest festivals.

Hosted by The Chamber Jeffersontown, the Gaslight Festival has events each day. Events include a bowling event, golf scramble, 5k run/walk, local shopping and eating, a parade, a balloon glow and a car show.

Gaslight Festival Weekend runs from Sept. 12-14

Over 135 arts & crafts vendors will travel from across the country to showcase their talents. Additionally, more than 130 area business, civic and nonprofit organizations spread awareness during the 3-day event.

Centered in the small-town ambiance of Gaslight Square, the festival has evolved into a time-honored tradition of Jeffersontown.

For more information, including a full schedule of events, click here.

Lanesville Heritage Weekend

The 50th annual Lanesville Heritage Weekend Festival runs Sept. 11-14, where the southern Indiana town celebrates small town life in a big way.

Attendees can see how farmers lived 100 or more years ago with vintage farm machinery and techniques of farm life.

The festival showcases the history and heritage of small towns, beginning annually on the second Thursday in September.

More than 75,000 people will visit Lanesville over the festive weekend.

The weekend includes a family friendly street dance, fireworks show, truck and tractor pulls, amusement rides, helicopter rides, food and craft booths, live entertainment, antique and modern machinery exhibitions and more.

Lanesville Heritage Weekend was first celebrated in 1976 and originally founded as the Lanesville Bicentennial Celebration for the nation's Bicentennial year.

To learn more about the festival, click here.

For directions to Lanesville, just 25 minutes west of downtown Louisville, click here.

September Meet at Churchill Downs

The Road to the Kentucky Derby series is set to begin this weekend at Churchill Downs as part of the 14-day September Meet.

It starts Saturday, Sept. 13, with the 44th running of the $300,000 Grade III Iroquois for 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby series debuted in 2013. It's a sliding scale of points awarded to the top five finishing positions in select qualifying races.

At the end of the 36-race series, the leaderboard determines the preference list for entries into the 152nd Kentucky Derby, which is Saturday, May 2, 2026.

The 33-race Road to the Kentucky Oaks series is also scheduled to start Saturday with the $300,000 Pocahontas (GII) race at one mile. The Oaks series awards points to fillies to qualify for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks, which is Friday, May 1, 2026.

The series are part of the 14-date September Meet at the track that starts this Thursday, Sept. 11, and runs through Sept. 28.

Tickets are also now available for the the 26-day Fall Meet, that includes the popular Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The Fall Meet starts Oct. 26 and continues through Nov. 30.

To learn more about the series, and links to schedules for the races, click here.

For more information about the September Meet and links to buy tickets, click here. For additional ticketing information, click here.

September Meet highlights include:

Twilight Thursdays featuring $2 select domestic beer, live music, and food trucks (Thursdays, Sept. 11, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25).
First Responders Day (Thursday, Sept. 11)
- Churchill Downs will honor firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics and emergency dispatchers with discounted tickets and more. First responders will receive free general admission with valid ID.
Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Kickoff (Saturday, Sept. 13)
College Day (Saturday, Sept. 13)
Stakes Room Brunch (Sundays, Sept. 14, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28)
Senior Day (Friday, Sept. 19)
Family Adventure Day in partnership with Louisville City FC, Racing Louisville and Blessings in a Backpack (Sunday, Sept. 21)
Thoroughbred Aftercare Day (Saturday, Sept. 27)
Ford Day at the Track (Sunday, Sept. 28)

Bourbon & Beyond

One of the nation's biggest music music festivals kicked off Thursday in Louisville, and this year, it's bigger than ever.

Bourbon & Beyond has taken over the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville through Sunday.

The music and bourbon festival has doubled in size to 2.4 million-square-feet, with expanded grounds that now include Kentucky Kingdom and two entrances for easier access. More than 110 bands will perform, including Phish, Noah Kahan, Sturgill Simpson, The Lumineers and Jack White, on bigger stages.

This year's edition of the four-day music festival also comes with extra shade, a second entrance, stages spread further apart, and an indoor merch area inside the Expo Center. Also this year, festivalgoers have Kentucky Kingdom all to themselves, included in the ticket price, for experiences like night rides on the Big Wheel with sky-high views of the festival.

Foodies can also get their fix at Fork & Flask, the culinary arts experience with celebrity chefs and master distillers showing off Kentucky flavor.

Parking runs $40 per day on-site, but you can skip the hassle by taking a taxi. Taxis stay surge-free in Lot G of the Expo Center, and TARC shuttles run from downtown to the festival grounds.

Local News

Bourbon & Beyond | What to know before you go to one of Louisville's biggest music festivals

Adi Schanie

To look at schedules for each day of the festival, click here.

Some 4-day and single-day passes are still on sale, and can be purchased by clicking here.

For parking information and transportation FAQs, click here.

To look at the full list of road closures and no parking zones provided by LMPD, click here.

For information about camping, click here.

Homearama

Homearama showcases the latest in building trends, technology and interior design.

Since 1968, the Building Industry of Greater Louisville (BIA) has been producing Homearama.

Instead of being held in one community, explore a mix of 27 new, custom, and model homes scattered throughout the region - including Louisville, Crestwood, Floyds Knobs, Mt. Washington, Prospect, Shelbyville, Fisherville and Finchville.

The event showcases unique home designs over three weekends, Sept. 5-21.