With the first snow of the fall and the looming colder temperatures, Louisvillians are beginning to show enthusiasm for the approaching winter season. The metro-city has numerous seasonal activities to offer, including various Christmas lights, sledding and even ice skating. Locals who are finding themselves trapped indoors during the colder months — without a cup of hot chocolate or a holiday movie to watch — can entertain themselves easily by going to one of these events.
Let’s Get Sleddy
Louisville’s sledding scene is one for avid sledders and amateurs alike. Although the city is not known for snow, when a blanket of white does cover the ground, hills from all over the city are transformed into epicenters for sledding. Louisville Metro Parks hosts many popular sledding areas: Seneca, Cherokee, Joe Creason, George Rogers Clark Park, McKneely Lake Park, Charlie Vettiner Park, and Tyler Park, according to WHAS 11. Some of the less crowded locations to sled include Historic Locust Grove and the Crescent Hill Golf Course.
Under The Lights
Nonetheless, no matter the weather, during the winter, there are a variety of Christmas light attractions throughout the city. Running from November through January, Mega Cavern’s annual Lights Under Louisville is a drive-through holiday light show and the world’s only to be hosted underground. Gardens Aglimmer at the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, Light Up St. Matthews at Brown Park, and Lights on Main are a few other popular attractions where one can immerse themselves in the holiday spirit. The annual Festival of Trees and Lights at Louisville Slugger Field offers a walkthrough of hundreds of decorated Christmas trees and holiday-themed lights, all while raising money for Norton Children’s Hospital.
Run (Or Freeze) Your Legs Off
Louisville also hosts its assortment of niche winter-related activities. For a shock to the system, on February 21, Louisville Polar Plunge invites the kind-hearted and brave to jump into the mid-winter Ohio River, doubling as a fundraiser for the Kentucky Special Olympics. In addition, Fête de Noël — Festival of the Christmas — running from November to January in Paristown, opens the city’s only outdoor ice-skating rink to the public with multiple local and regional vendors selling concessions.
As is obvious, boredom is an absurdity when it comes to enjoying the winter in the Louisville area. Whether it be traversing the city to find a good place to sled, ambling through a winter wonderland of holiday lights, or sipping a cup of hot cacao at home, the metro-city is a fantastic place to appreciate the shorter days of the year.
