Forecastle 2016. Photo by Willie MacLean.
Louisville's annual Forecastle Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary at Waterfront Park July 14-16, 2017, and the festival is filled to the brim with other delicious and uniquely Kentucky elements (in addition to the great under-the-radar Kentucky acts performing at the festival that we outlined here). Whether you're a proud Kentuckian or outsider to the state, we've outlined a handful of fun and unique ways to celebrate the Commonwealth at this year's festival!
EXPERIENCE THE BOURBON LODGE
Now in its fifth year, Forecastle’s Bourbon Lodge is a 16,000 square-foot air-conditioned(!) haven for lovers of Kentucky’s native spirit. Featuring a diverse collection of popular bourbons as well as a selection of rare bottles, private barrel selections and even a handful of one-of-a-kind blends co-crafted by Forecastle founder J.K. McKnight and Liquor Barn director of category management Brad Williams, the Bourbon Lodge is essentially a festival-within-a-festival geared toward bourbon aficionados and casual enjoyers of Kentucky brown water alike.
In addition to air-conditioning and full-service restrooms (which are incentive enough for many festival-goers) the Bourbon Lodge offers a bevy of drool-worthy bourbon-themed features, from signature cocktails and a mixology station, to intimate demos and educational sessions by a heavy-hitting line-up of bourbon experts. The Lodge also features a private courtyard and a culinary oasis offering a bourbon-centric food menu headed up by Jason Brauner, chef of Louisville’s Frankfort Avenue restaurant Bourbons Bistro.
Access to the Bourbon Lodge is included with Forecastle VIP admission (sans drink tickets), and “membership” – which includes a special commemorative cup and 15 drink tickets – is also available to order in advance online, either as a festival ticket purchase add-on or an a la carte option for folks who already bought their festival passes. On-site entry to the Lodge is also available, ranging from $10-35 which also includes drink tickets. More details about pricing, links to pre-sale tickets and a full list of bourbons available here.
HELP SUPPORT KENTUCKY'S WILDLANDS
Whether or not they realize it, all Forecastle ticket purchasers are helping support endangered wildlands in Kentucky and abroad, with a portion of each ticket purchase (as well as other festival revenue streams) benefitting the Forecastle Foundation. An organization with the tagline "protecting the world's natural awesome," the Foundation was established in 2011 to support the "activism" caveat that is integral to the festival's mission. According to festival and Forecastle Foundation founder JK McNight, "The activism component is firmly embedded into the DNA – every part of the festival has a non-profit touch point, whether consumers are aware of it or not." Since 2011 the Foundation has donated more than $250,000 to the following environmental partners: The Guayaki Foundation, a Brazilian-based organization which works to educate local farmers, businesses, and communities in Atlantic Rainforest areas; The Nature Conservancy, the world's leading conversation organization (Foundation efforts have a special focus on protecting The Green River in Central Kentucky as well as other projects); and Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, a state organization that oversees the largest conservation project in Kentucky's history: the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor, a 125-mile forested refuge and migratory path for hundreds of rare species in Eastern Kentucky. Each of these organizations will have an on-site presence at the festival on the Great Lawn (where the festival's primary stage is located), providing opportunities to learn more about their work and get involved. Learn more here.
EAT, DRINK AND SHOP LOCAL
KENTUCKY LANDING
Showcasing handcrafted gifts, a Kentucky craft beer tent, local food trucks and more, the "Kentucky Landing" area is the festival's avenue for eating, drinking and shopping local. Among the vendors and artisans featured at this year’s "Buy Local Boulevard" are Dot Fox, Mama’s Hip – Parent Comfort Tent, Regalo, Revelry Boutique, and Sober Voyager; featured food trucks include Longshot Lobsta, Louisville Sushi Truck and Holy Mole.
KENTUCKY BREWS
Louisville's Against the Grain Brewery, Goodwood Brewing Company and Great Flood Brewing Company and Lexington's West Sixth Brewing and Kentucky Ale will each have a presence at this year's festival in a Kentucky craft beer tent located at the Kentucky Landing area (historically near the festival's West Entrance, though at the time this article was published this year's map had not yet been released). The diverse Kentucky brew selection ranges from a hemp-infused gosè to a peach-flavored wheat ale to more straightforward lagers, IPAs and American Pale Ales. Click here for more information on this year's local beer offerings.
THE GONZO BAR
For the fourth year, Forecastle’s Great Lawn (the lawn where the festival’s primary stage is located) will host The Gonzo Bar, an artistic cocktail bar experience commemorating the legacy of late Gonzo journalist and Kentucky bourbon aficionado Hunter S. Thompson. Not requiring special tickets like the Bourbon Lodge, the accessible cocktail tent will feature a variety of bourbons and specialty cocktails, as well as new film and art components, all inspired by the iconic Louisville writer.
PARTY ON A HISTORIC STEAMBOAT
Anyone who has ever had the privilege to attend one of Forecastle's Belle of Louisville after-parties is familiar with that special feeling that only partying till 2 a.m. on a 100-plus-year-old steamboat can provide. The city's 3-story boat traditionally remains docked within walking distance to the festival grounds while hosting a separately ticketed after-party that gets started at midnight Friday and Saturday nights following the festival's main line-up. This year, on Friday the boat will (appropriately) host Yacht Rock Revue, a yacht rock cover band that dresses in full 70s leisure wear and specializes in favorite soft hits from the '70s and '80s from the likes of Hall & Oates, Toto and Kenny Loggins. Saturday, the Belle will turn into Louisville's own French Quarter with a performance from high energy New Orleans jazz band Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who have performed at the festival in the past and have a strong collaborative relationship with Louisville's My Morning Jacket.
PARTICIPATE IN KENTUCKY FOR KENTUCKY'S "FORECASTLE DERBY"
Kentucky for Kentucky – a Lexington-based institution that specializes in irreverent Kentucky-themed merchandise, manages the wacky and wild Kentucky Fun Mall, and keeps track of these and other endeavors on its popular website – hosts the annual Forecastle Derby, where participants have the compete via racing on stuffed horses for the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to next year's fest.