Louisville, KY – Mayor Greg Fischer, together with Metro Council President David Yates, Thorntons CEO Matt Thornton, Waterfront Development Corporation President David Karem, Louisville Orchestra Executive Director Andrew Kipe, Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams, and Chief Gregory Frederick of the Louisville Metro Fire Department announced plans today for the return of the Louisville Orchestra Waterfront 3 rd … fueled by Thorntons. The event is free and open to the public.
LOWF3rd will feature a full Louisville Orchestra concert on the Great Lawn conducted by Teddy Abrams, the Fifth Third Family Fun Zone, and food and fireworks over the Ohio River. The concert will include patriotic favorites, as well as a special guest performance by garage rockers Houndmouth, a nationally acclaimed act with local roots in New Albany, Indiana, and soulful singer Callie Day. Also featured will be two original scores by the #SingfortheCity contest winners. A fireworks display will top off the evening, accompanied by the Louisville Orchestra. The event will take place on Sunday July 3rd as the anchor for a busy weekend of activities in the Louisville Waterfront neighborhood.
“Thorntons is proud to call Louisville home, and is committed to supporting great, local events like the Independence Day celebration, held this year on July 3rd,” said Matt Thornton, CEO, Thorntons Inc. “We are honored to partner with the Louisville Orchestra, Waterfront Park and many other local businesses to bring our community together to celebrate.”
Mayor Greg Fischer thanked Matt Thornton for his leadership in making the event possible, “We have a wonderful corporate partner in Thorntons to thank for all of this. Matt Thornton stepped up and said, “Let’s have this event for the community, and let’s feature the Louisville Orchestra on our waterfront.”
“I want to also thank Matt Thornton for his leadership, and highlight the remarkable public-private partnership that this event exemplifies. Every council district is positively impacted by this event, and it brings us all together at the community gathering space, the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park,” said Metro Council President David Yates.
The family-friendly event will open at 5pm with a variety of activities produced by popular arts and cultural attractions in the Fifth Third Family Fun Zone. Families are encouraged to bring one recyclable item from home (example: a plastic water bottle), which will be transformed into a keepsake musical instrument. Children will later be invited to use their newly-made musical instruments to join in with the Louisville Orchestra creating a unique Fifth Third Landfill Orchestra experience. Other family activities will be provided by the Kentucky Science Center, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Friends of the Waterfront, WUOL’s Summer Listening Program, The Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana, and the Jug Band Jubilee, among others. These activities will occur from 5-8pm.
“One of the most powerful moments for me in my time at the Waterfront was the opening of the concert in 2015,” said David Karem. “Teddy Abrams led the Louisville Orchestra performance of the National Anthem, and it gave me chills. This is precisely the experience that our community deserves to enjoy at our Waterfront, and we are incredibly grateful to the more than 25 organizations that have followed Matt’s leadership by offering their financial and in-kind support to provide this great event for Louisville and the Commonwealth.”
Elsewhere in the Waterfront neighborhood, the Louisville Bats have a game at Slugger Field on July 3rd , and they are joining LOWF3rd as the sponsor of that evening’s fireworks show. Louisville City FC will sponsor fireworks after their game on Monday, July 4 th . The Belle of Louisville has cruises on both the 3rd and 4th, which offer the opportunity to enjoy both nights’ fireworks from the deck of the oldest operating Steamboat in the country. On Saturday, July 2, the Vintage Urban Flea Market will bring its Fleur de Flea back to the Festival Plaza, free and open to the public.
“This will be one of the busiest weekends of the year at Waterfront Park,” said Karem. “The Waterfront neighborhood will be alive with activity.”
“I am very excited to be able to bring a new element to this celebration,” said Teddy Abrams. “We had a wonderful amount of talent apply for the #SingForTheCity contest, and on July 3rd, the Louisville Orchestra will perform the original music of Carly Johnson and Justin Lewis. These two local musicians put their music to the test and succeeded! We are at this moment working with the professional arranger, Brad Ritchie, to orchestrate these two songs and the city will hear them for the first time on July 3rd .”
Visitors to the LOWF3rd will also enjoy ongoing live music on the main stage beginning at 5:00 p.m., upscale festival food by Festival Cuisine, the Leinenkugal Summer Shandy Beer Garden, and the Old Forester Red, White & Blue Bourbon Bar. The festival menu will include offerings to appeal to the discriminating foodie, including beef brisket, Kimchi tacos, bbq ribs, and vegetarian Greek salads, as well as traditional festival favorites like corn dogs and funnel cakes.
At 8:30 p.m., the Louisville Orchestra will take the stage with patriotic favorites, classics and new works for Orchestra and a brand new musical finale to accompany the fireworks display at approximately 10pm.
Colonel Gregory W. Frederick, Louisville Division of Fire Chief touts LOWF3rd as a safe place to view fireworks. “Whether you are enjoying the fireworks from the Great Lawn to the sounds of the Orchestra on July 3rd after the Bats Game, or from Slugger Field on Monday, July 4th after the Louisville City FC Match, or even while cruising on the Belle of Louisville either night, the beauty of this offering is that the fireworks will be shot by the professionals.” Frederick added, “There are hundreds of annual emergency room visits nationwide due to fireworks injuries, including significant numbers of documented structural and property damage. This is a safe option for families to enjoy fireworks this Independence Day.”
Additional LOWF3rd amenities will include a modern photo booth sponsored by Thorntons and free ice cold Louisville Pure Tap water provided by the Louisville Water Company. Visitors can bring their own re-fillable container or purchase a B.P.A free refillable container from Louisville Water Step and receive free water. Bicycling to the event is encouraged and there will be ample bicycle parking. Visitors with mobility issues and an appropriate hang tag can be dropped off curbside at the dancing waters along Witherspoon Street.
