There are people in the world whose favorite season is winter, spring, or fall. I am not one of those people. I love summer, especially a Louisville summer. It may be humid and muggy out, but there are so many great things to do that you’ll soon get over being out of your cool home.
One of a local's favorite things to do during the summer is visit the Catholic Church picnics. Picnics are best known for good food, cheap beer, carnival games and rides, and pull tabs. Church picnics are a lot of fun for both kids and adults alike, and they come with the added benefit of knowing that all of the money you spend goes to benefit the church. It's not often that having fun supports a good cause.
A romantic, unique thing to do on a date during the summer might be to rent a bike at Waterfront Park and spend an hour or two leisurely pedaling along our beautiful riverfront. Several different styles of bike are available, and it's possible for a couple or even a family to fit on one bike together.
Buffalo Trace Park is located in Palmyra, Indiana, about an hour outside of the city. However, if you're looking for a good way to get out of the house for a day and enjoy the warmth of the summer, you can head up to Buffalo Trace and rent a paddle boat to take out on the lake for 30 minutes to an hour. The boat is easy to maneuver and offers visitors the chance to enjoy some quiet time out on the water. Visitors to Buffalo Trace can also swim in the lake from the beach or visit the free petting zoo.
Go Horseback Riding
There are several places to go horseback riding in Louisville. Horse enthusiasts, amateurs, and kids alike can take a ride on a horse on special trails in
Iroquois Park, can take horseback riding lessons or ride to Jefferson Memorial Forest from
Bannon Woods Farm, or can enjoy a week of riding lessons at camp or ride for up to two hours any day of the year at
McNeely Lake Park.
When I was growing up in Louisville we had three drive-in movie theaters. Unfortunately over the years two of those have closed, but we are lucky enough to still have the Georgetown Drive-In in Georgetown, Indiana. Just outside of New Albany, the Georgetown Drive-In has two theater screens, a kid's playground, and a concession booth. In general, each night the drive-in runs two movies for kids on one of its screens and two movies for adults on the other. The drive-in is only open during the warmer months, and it's a great way to spend a summer evening on a date or with the kids.
If you mention the words "good" and "fish" together in the same sentence around Louisville, you'll hear a resounding "Mike Linnig's" in return. Mike Linnig's is a fish restaurant located in Louisville's South End that is open seasonally during the warmer months. During the summer, visitors to Mike Linnig's can enjoy their fried fish outside on picnic tables while their kids play on the nearby swing sets. It's like having a picnic in Cherokee Park except you don't have to make the food yourself.
If you spend your workweek daydreaming about playing volleyball on the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, then you need to spend some of your summer nights at Baxter Jack's. Baxter Jacks sports three sand volleyball courts where sporty locals can form teams and compete in tournaments. The venue is open from April to October. No alcohol is allowed on the premises, however, so don't get your hopes up for playing drunken volleyball.
During June and July, Louisville residents can watch Shakespeare's plays reenacted in Louisville's Central Park. Shakespeare in the Park is an annual, free event that features a few William Shakespeare plays that vary from year to year. The plays occur in the evenings during the summer and are a great way to get the family out for a cost-friendly local arts experience.
Henry's Ark Petting Zoo
Henry's Ark Petting Zoo is an exotic animal petting zoo in Prospect, Kentucky. The petting zoo features animals such as water buffalos, capabras, emu, llamas, zebras, yaks, camels, ostriches, and an albino peacock, among others. Visitors can feed the animals but must bring their own food. Admission to Henry's Ark Petting Zoo is free, but donations are gladly accepted. Henry's Ark Petting Zoo is 12 miles east of Downtown Louisville off of U.S. 42 on Rose Island Rd. They do not currently have a website, but can be reached by phone at (502) 228-0746.
