http://brokensidewalk.com/2009/03/04/striking-visions-of-louisvilles-future-within-our-grasp/
Waterfront Park- Lousiville, KY
The
weekend of July 14, some friends and I traveled to Louisville, KY for a music
festival called Forecastle. The festival took place in Waterfront Park, located
in downtown Louisville. To put in into an Austinite’s terms, it is their Zilker
Park. Set on the Southern Shore of the Ohio River, the park offers a place in
which visitors can enjoy the beautiful aspects of nature without leaving the
urban environment of downtown Louisville. The park works as an extension of
downtown into the river, or alternatively, integrating the river with downtown.
There
are three sections to the park: one section consisting of large open lawns and
sparsely decorated with trees, a second section with smaller open areas where one can feel completely separate from the city, and the third section which connects
the first two, contains restrooms, a picnic area and other amenities.
Arriving
to out hotel on Thursday afternoon, we did not see the festival grounds on the
way in. We left the Courtyard Marriot, walked two blocks north and the Ohio
River was in sight. As we walked east and approached a line, I wondered where
they would be able to fit a festival of this size. Immediately passing through
the security gates, one could see a series of stands, an overpass from the
highway above, and finally an amazing canvas of blue and green providing a
break from urbanization, kind of. Given that this was a music festival, there
were many stands, stages, and people so I was not able to see the park in its
true form. Nonetheless, the park holds a striking view of downtown Louisville
to the rear, green grass and trees, followed by a broad river, and the state of
Indiana in the distance (which Louisville locals were not too fond of).
louisvilleky.gov
Like
Zilker, this natural environment is a great venue to hold large events such as
ACL or Forecastle. What better place to enjoy music than in an oasis in the
midst of the bustling metropolitan environment. When an event isn’t held there,
the park is still an ideal place to enjoy the nature and escape city life, and
from speaking to locals from the area, it is a very popular location for those
who appreciate nature. Whether one wishes to kayak, ride their bicycle, jog, rinse
off in the waterplay area, attend a concert or simply enjoy the outdoors,
Lousiville Waterfront Park is an outstanding place to enjoy the natural
environment.
Which music festival were you at? I go to the Winfield festival in Winfield, Kansas. It is always interesting to observe the interactions between the locals and the festival goers. The Winfield locals usually have fairs and garage sales to capitalize on outside money entering the city.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the city do for park management? I know that ACL for example pays a lot if money to put in new grass after the festival each year. Does the grass get destroyed in a similar manner to your knowledge?
The festival was called Forecastle, which was kind of organized by My Morning Jacket, who are Louisville natives. The festival is nowhere near as big as ACL, but I am assuming they do the same to keep the park in the condition it was before the festival. The damage is considerably less than at ACL, given that there is no rain/mud.
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