What To Do This Weekend

Do you have what it takes to be a Kentuckiana Idol? You can audition Saturday for a panel of judges at 4th Street Live!, where they will select the top five singers — four finalists who will get the chance to skip to the head of the line when the American Idol bus tour auditions come to Louisville on August 30, and one finalist who will go directly to the second round of American Idol auditions. If singing is not your strong suit, then from galas and concerts to fair rides and partying on the street, there's plenty of fun to be had by you and your family.

Check below for our weekend picks:

• Frankfort Avenue between Lexington Road and Bauer Avenue will be transformed for the St. Matthews Street Festival, featuring bands, food, vendors, and activities for both adults and children. Family fun and activities include the free Kids Zone, Fun Zone, and Wellness Fair.

• Make a big splash to help kids cared for at Norton Children’s Hospital in the Splash 'n' Dash 5k Walk/Run at Louisville Waterfront Park. Runners and walkers can choose to splash their way through a 5k course or a 1k Family Fun Run. After the race, enjoy the "Just for Kids" Zone, featuring a rock wall, water slides, inflatables, and more.

• Brightly colored street rods and vintage automobiles will roar back into town for The National Street Rod Association’s (NSRA) Annual Street Rod Nationals at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Up to 15,000 street rods, classics, and muscle cars from the 50s, 60s, and 70s will be on display at the 4-day event.

• Check out Kiss Me Kate, directed by John Leffert, the next offering of the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival.

• What causes a solar eclipse and what’s the best way to safely watch it, whether you are able to drive to see its totality or have to stay here and watch a partial (96% in Louisville area)? As the total solar eclipse draws near on August 21, volunteer Tom Bibb will answer this question and more at The Great American Solar Eclipse at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

• The Kentucky Humane Society's 24th annual Tuxes & Tails Gala is sold out, but you can still purchase tickets for the Emerald City Lounge, where you can arrive after the gala dinner and enjoy appetizers, desserts, drinks, silent auction bidding, and adoptable pets.

• Depending on your musical tastes, check out James Taylor & His All-Star Band with special guest Bonnie Raitt at the KFC Yum! Center, singer Idina Menzel at the Louisville Palace, or Lyle Lovett at Iroquois Amphitheater. If dancing is your thing, see Bring It! LIVE, featuring dancing from the world of hip-hop majorette competitions. The TV show, Bring It!, now in its third season on Lifetime, focuses on the Dancing Dolls of Jackson, Mississippi, a group founded in 2001 by Dianna Williams, or "Miss D." 

• Enjoy the sights and sounds of a galaxy far, far away at Star Wars Night at Slugger Field. There will be special Star Wars themed jerseys and the opportunity to meet your favorite characters during the game.

• Make wishes come true by attending the Louisville BIG Wish Gala at the Seelbach Hilton Louisville. All donations from this event will help grant the wishes of local kids.

• The 2017 Oldham County Fair is expected to be the largest fair in county history. Come for a full rodeo, truck and tractor pull​, lots of midway rides, pageants, food, and more.

• Spend an evening under the stars and enjoy the Disney movie Moana, playing at the Jeffersonville RiverStage, Free Dive-In Movie Night at Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center,
  and Clarksville's Gateway Park. Before the movie at Gateway Park, your kids can get up close and personal with the cool trucks and construction equipment they see on the road every day at the annual Touch-A-Truck event. Vehicles include police cruisers, fire trucks, construction equipment, limousines, box trucks, and more.

Have a great weekend!