A CHRISTMAS ROOTED IN TRADITION: Louisville in December

By Jeanni Ritchie

Louisville knows how to celebrate December. Historic landmarks, creative neighborhoods, and long-standing traditions set the stage, while the city’s holiday events bring the energy. December here carries a sense of continuity: past and present moving side by side, softened by lights, seasonal events, and—during my trip—enough snowfall to turn Louisville into a full-on winter playground.

A City Built on Legacy

No visit to Louisville is complete without experiencing the legacy of the Kentucky Derby, whether you are in town for one of the nearly 150 races held each year at Churchill Downs or exploring the Kentucky Derby Museum and track during the off-season.

The Kentucky Derby is the longest continually run sporting event in the United States, held every year since 1875—through wars, depressions, and national upheaval. Inside the museum, that legacy comes alive through immersive exhibits and a 360-degree film experience, The Greatest Race, which captures the emotion, anticipation, and once-in-a-lifetime reality faced by every three-year-old horse that ever enters the gate.

It’s impossible to leave without feeling the weight of the moment—not just as a sporting event, but as a shared cultural milestone that generations return to year after year. The Derby is known as the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”

Louisville’s historic depth continues along Museum Row on Main Street, where institutions like the Frazier History Museum tell Kentucky’s story through bourbon, bluegrass, craftsmanship, and community pride. The Ashley Judd-narrated KentuckyShow! offers an engaging overview of the state’s historical and cultural roots.

Neighborhoods with Personality

Louisville’s creative heart beats strongly in NuLu (New Louisville), a district filled with independent boutiques, galleries, murals, and restaurants that balance trendiness with approachability.

It’s the kind of neighborhood where nationally recognized spots sit comfortably side by side—I had breakfast at Biscuit Belly one day, dinner at Emmy Squared Pizza another, and picked up cookies from Please & Thank You. I shopped in popular stores Lou-A-Bull and Red Tree, and enjoyed a mocktail at Miracle on Market—a full-blown holiday magic pop-up.

Another popular neighborhood—Fourth Street Live—was a short walk from my hotel and felt like a village within a city! This downtown Louisville entertainment district features shops, restaurants, bars, and live music, including Howl at the Moon’s Dueling Piano Bar where this Louisiana girl had to represent by requesting Calling Baton Rouge.

I spent an evening at the Holiday Pop-Up at Tinsel Tavern inside Fourth Street Live’s Pizza Bar, roasting table-side s’mores and painting my own ornaments inside a buzzing holiday hot spot.

Another festive Louisville neighborhood is Paristown, which offers an additional celebratory layer to Louisville’s cultural offerings. Fête de Noël transforms Paristown into a European-style holiday village, complete with chalet booths, local artisans, seasonal treats, and an outdoor ice rink.

I spent time in Stoneware & Co., leaving with a made-on-site stoneware holiday mug, and had a donut at Jeff’s Donuts, inside the Village Market, Louisville’s first collective food hall. I took a tour of Uncle Boojie’s Distillery, noting the different flavor profiles of the whiskey barrels. I was surprised to discover I loved the smell of white pepper and accidentally created a marketing tagline when I proclaimed that Barrel #2 smelled like my divorce!

Public art plays a major role throughout the city, in these neighborhoods as well as their corridors, with bold murals transforming everyday spaces into visual storytelling.

The Signature Dish

While Louisville’s food scene is woven throughout its neighborhoods, no single dish carries more cultural weight than the Hot Brown, and there’s no better place to experience it than The Brown Hotel where it was created in 1926. The open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon and rich mornay sauce remains a signature dish—indulgent, iconic, and deeply tied to Kentucky’s heritage.

Comfortable Elegance Downtown

Staying downtown keeps Louisville’s attractions within easy reach, and the Louisville Marriott Downtown offers an inviting home base with seasonal décor, multiple dining options, and amazing customer service. For the second year in a row, they have hosted Merry at the Marriott, a winter wonderland with a festive holiday menu and pop-up bar.

Icons You Can’t Miss

The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory announces itself long before you reach the door, thanks to the 120-foot bat leaning against the building. Inside, the bat-making process, memorabilia, and hands-on exhibits appeal even to casual sports fans, offering a deeper appreciation for Louisville’s role in American sports culture.

In nearby Old Louisville, the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum provides a step back into Gilded Age elegance. Decorated for a Victorian Christmas, the mansion feels less like a museum and more like a preserved moment in time—ornate, formal, and quietly festive. A grandfather clock stands tall, its hands frozen in time as it mysteriously stopped working the day its caretaker, Gordon Caldwell, died.

There’s nothing quite like standing in the heat of a blown glass studio and helping to craft your own masterpiece. Flame Run offers an interactive experience where patrons get a chance to try their hands in the art of blown glass by creating a piece of their own alongside an artist. I chose to create an ornament—other options are glasses or vases—and selected various shades of blue for my project. It was an incredible experience.

The First Friday Tour at Actors Theatre of Louisville was perfect for this self-proclaimed theatre geek. I’ve been onstage, backstage, or in the audience for hundreds of shows in my lifetime and this historical landmark was my idea of Utopia! With three distinct performance spaces, I learned theatrical history of the venue—it was once a bank!—and saw where stars like Kathy Bates got their start. Bonus: I was there before opening night of A Christmas Carol, a production I once starred in myself!

Seasonal Experiences That Shine

One of Louisville’s most unique holiday experiences takes place underground at Lights Under Louisville. The 1.3-mile drive-through display winds through Louisville Mega Cavern, a former bomb shelter. With 7 million points of light, over 900 holiday light displays, a laser light show, and more, this immersive experience is a treat for all ages.

Above ground, Waterfront Botanical Gardens hosts Gardens Aglimmer, where illuminated flowers, glowing pathways, and sculptural displays turn the gardens into a nighttime wonderland. An unexpected snowfall blanketed the gardens during my visit, making the night sky and light displays shine even brighter and tempting me to stick my tongue to one of the giant candy canes along the path.

Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom was absolutely magical. Billed “The Largest Christmas Event in Kentucky,” they have over 1.5 MILLION lights, 300 Christmas trees, and holiday decor as far as the eye can see. Visitors race down a 175-foot-long snow tubing hill, experience the 5-D Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer film in the Holly Jolly Junction, and watch the dazzling Christmas tree light show. Live music plays while magicians perform on stages throughout the park, immersive photo ops line the walkways, and Rudolph and Bumble host meet-and-greets.

One of my favorite attractions was the Garden Carousel, made up of musical instruments instead of the usual animals. I’d never ridden a giant tuba before!

A City That Stays With You

I didn’t just leave Louisville with a suitcase of souvenirs—I left with stories that linger. I’ll always pull for the horse in Post 17, the only one of 45 posts never to have won a Derby, and I may never eat pepperoni pizza again without hot honey. Some places fade once you’re home; Louisville isn’t one of them. You don’t just visit this Kentucky town—you carry it with you.