Changes coming to Waterfront Wednesday as Louisville Public Media grapples with funding cuts

The first WFPK Waterfront Wednesday of the year is less than a month away, but some things will look a little different.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The first WFPK Waterfront Wednesday of the year is less than a month away, but some things will look a little different.

A stage, vendors and music lovers will soon fill Waterfront Park for the popular free concert series. But last summer, public media groups found out they'll have federal funding cuts. That includes Louisville Public Media and WFPK, which puts on Waterfront Wednesday.

Going into this season, WFPK Promotions Director Stacy Owen posed the question: "How do we stay in budget and still make it a wonderful experience?"

Last summer, President Donald Trump's administration cut $9 billion in funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid, with $1.1 billion of those cuts coming from public media, including LPM and WFPK.

"Losing 5% of our budget had a big effect, and we do have to think about a lot of things in every decision we're making now," Owen said.

That decision includes the WFPK Waterfront Wednesday series, which brings thousands of people to Waterfront Park in the spring and summer.

"We did take a hard look at the event when we first started planning," said Owen. "Waterfront Wednesday is just one of those beloved events that we are committed to."

When federal funding cuts were announced, LPM got $400,000 in donations in just 24 hours from supporters, surpassing that federal funding hole.

For reference, it costs about $400,000 to put on the concert series.

"Having that kind of support in the community makes us really confident moving forward that we can sustain the event," Owen said.

However, some changes are coming this year. In the past, the event had three acts per day. But this year, there will be two acts per day and the concert will start 30 minutes later.

The headliner's performance has also been extended to 90 minutes and there will be a separate stage where local artists will perform from 5-6:15 p.m.

While this year is safe, WFPK still needs donations to continue the concert series for years to come.

"Last year was covered in one day, but now we're working toward making sure that's covered every year so that we can keep growing and bringing you things like Waterfront Wednesday," said Owen.

The first WFPK Waterfront Wednesday of 2026 is scheduled for April 22 with Deep Blue Something and Small Time Napoleon.