Back on the Blacktop: The Dirt Bowl continues its Louisville legacy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — An iconic staple of summer in Louisville, the Dirt Bowl is back at Shawnee Park.

Founded in 1969 during a time of civil unrest, the grassroots tournament organized by Metro Parks workers has grown into a summer tradition that blends high-level basketball with family cookouts, neighborhood pride, and West End history.

Over the years, legends like Darrell Griffith, Butch Beard, Artis Gilmore and Rajon Rondo have played on its courts. So have hundreds of kids chasing dreams and representing their neighborhoods. It's one of the longest-running outdoor basketball tournaments in the country.

This year’s event, which runs through Aug. 3, features dozens of youth and adult teams.

Earlier this week, vandals damaged the court. Surveillance video shows a black Dodge Challenger doing burnouts on the playing surface around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. The vehicle had been reported stolen earlier that morning, according to police.

Still, the games continued.

“I am glad to see that even though there was damage done to the court, it wasn't so much that the show couldn't keep going,” spectator Jason Hatcher said. “That should be, if nothing else, a blatant smack to whoever did it — that you didn't stop nothing.”

The Dirt Bowl is free to attend and runs every weekend through the championship. For many, it remains a living legacy — where generations gather to celebrate basketball, community, and culture.

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Back on the Blacktop: The Dirt Bowl continues its Louisville legacy