Louisville’s Fall Festivals, September 2025....Something for Everyone
- Carey Fieldhouse
- Aug 21
- 4 min read
Louisville has been recognized as one of the top Fall travel destinations by both Travel + Leisure and Hotels Above Par. The city offers an exceptional array of seasonal attractions, including Bourbon-themed events, guided ghost tours, and major music festivals. These features make Louisville an outstanding choice for a weekend getaway during the autumn season and provide compelling reasons to consider planning your visit to Bourbon City in 2025.
According to GoToLouisville, these are the festivals you’ll want to attend...
WorldFest | Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 | FREE
Louisville’s WorldFest is one of the region’s largest international festivals, with nearly 150 international-themed arts, crafts, merchandise, and food booths along with three entertainment stages. Taking place every Labor Day Weekend in Downtown Louisville on the Belvedere, this four-day festival has celebrated cultures from around the world for more than two decades.
Kentucky Bourbon Festival | September 5-7
Located just 45 minutes south of downtown Louisville in Bardstown, KY, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival has been celebrating America's native spirit for over 30 years. Both single-day and three-day passes are available for this annual Bourbon Heritage Month festival, which with experiential tastings, dinners, auctions, and the World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay. Bourbon enthusiasts can sip their favorite hard-to-find bourbons or get signature cocktails prepared by pro mixologists. VIP-level experiences are already sold out so be sure to purchase tickets in advance.
Gaslight Festival Week | September 5-14
Centered around the small-town ambiance of Gaslight Square, the Gaslight Festival has evolved into an eight-day extravaganza that has become a time-honored tradition of East Louisville's Jeffersontown (J-Town) community. Celebrating its 56th year in 2025, the festival's signature events include a car show, golf scramble, 5K run, parade, balloon glow, motorcycle rally, live entertainment, and over 200 arts, crafts, and commercial booths.
Louisville Pride Festival | September 6 | FREE
Held every September in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood, this annual block party has become a staple end-of-summer event. Celebrating 10 years in 2025, past headliners have included Vincint, Todrick Hall, and other nationally known artists, along with a variety of drag performers across two stages. The day-long festival is held across multiple blocks on Bardstown Road, which is also home to some of the city’s most popular LGBTQ bars, including Chill Bar, The Pink Lounge, and Big Bar, which stay open late after the festival ends.
Big Four Arts Festival | September 6 & 7
The 9th annual Big Four Bridge Arts Festival will be held on Waterfront Park’s Big Four Lawn at the base of the popular Big Four Walking Bridge. Over 150 juried artists will set up shop along the Ohio River during the two-day event, featuring paintings, jewelry, sculptures, photography, and live music. Tickets for the event are just $5 and can be purchased online or at the entrance to the festival.
PNC Broadway presents: MJ The Musical | September 9 - 14
A Broadway sensation highlighting one of the greatest entertainers of all time will be coming to the Kentucky Center in downtown Louisville this Fall. With a score that includes global hits like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “I'll Be There,” this multiple Tony Award®-winning musical will have you dancing in your seats.
Bourbon & Beyond | September 11-14
The World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival is returning to the Highland Festival Grounds after a record-breaking 2024 crowd. This star-studded event brings together the best in Classic Rock, Alt Rock, Country, and Bluegrass music with 100 artists across five stages, alongside hands-on bourbon workshops, tastings, and culinary programming with celebrity chefs. This year's festival includes headliners Phish, Noah Kahan, Sturgill Simpson, The Lumineers, and Jack White.
Louder Than Life | September 18-21
Louder Than Life will wrap up an incredible summer of music in Louisville with a four-day rock festival just south of downtown at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center. Headliners for the festival include Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Rob Zombie, and the return of Slayer. Local food and drink culture will also be incorporated into the festival’s culinary scene with pop-ups from popular Kentucky Bourbon brands and local Louisville restaurants. Weekend General Admission, VIP and Top Shelf passes are currently on sale.
Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom | Fri - Sun, September 26 - October 26
Back for its fourth year, discover more than 1,000 illuminated pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. By day, fly through the crisp fall air on world-class rides, savor tasty autumn treats and discover new seasonal fun around every corner. Wait until night falls to see expertly carved towering pumpkin sculptures that light up the night with special effects and pops of color, in addition to family-friendly entertainment, mazes, special fall photo opportunities, trick-or-treating, and limited-time seasonal bites.
NuLu Fest | September 27 | FREE
Once named "One of the Coolest Neighborhoods in North America," Louisville's East Market District, or NuLu, will have its annual neighborhood street fest on the last Saturday in September. Known for its art galleries, unique retail stores, and some of the most popular restaurants in the city, the neighborhood block party will feature live music, regional micro-brewed beers, Bourbon, and numerous food and retail booths by local vendors.
If you think these festivals sound exciting, wait to hear what October has to offer...check back soon!
Source: GoToLouisville.com.
Note: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not represent any endorsement by Pegasus.
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