Nice place for good food. Service was quick which is nice for lunch. Prices were fair. Restaurant…read morewas clean and the staff was friendly

Or Taste of LouisFULL, as I like to call it!! I've gone to Taste of Louisville this year and last,…read moreand I definitely recommend it. I justify the cost in that a) it's a delicious event, and b) it's benefitting good causes. The air hangar is lined with all types of foods and drinks. The biggest drawback is, unless you buy a table, you will be fighting for one of the few cocktail tables or juggling stuff in your hands. Which isn't bad... it's just a little tricky. I try to eat as little as possible on the day of the event, and it is totally best to pace yourself while here. I always hate to waste food, but I believe it's literally impossible to eat everything here! You could easily get drunk at such an event; in which case, plan appropriately! (I focus on the food at this.) The atmosphere is pretty chill but fun--after all, the people here like to eat and drink too!!! I suggest coming early to maximize the experience and to give yourself some breaks between foods as you make your way around the room! Happy tasting!!

The main appeal of an annual ticketed event like this one is to allow locals to sample from a…read morevariety of businesses in one evening. I tend to shy away from this sort of thing because they tend to be overwhelming, and having so many vendors makes it hard to leave with a clear impression of any in particular. Also, if you're looking to try a new restaurant, why not just read Yelp reviews? That said, I think Taste of 502 makes a good effort. Events like these can be variable, even from year to year. Will it be crowded? Is the price point reasonable? And will I even get enough to eat? Our experience this year was that it's a lot of fun. We were already familiar with most of the restaurants and shops, so we weren't just running around in a fog. And there was no danger of going home hungry. Even as the (reasonable-sized) crowds dissipated, most of the vendors still had plenty of food. Lines weren't much of a problem, and you can walk around without clutching your plate near your chest. And true to the local spirit, more than half the room was dedicated to sugar, fat, and alcohol. In short, it was at least as much fun as a standard night on the town would be, and a fine way to have a good time, all in the good name of community spirit. I may or may not return for this event, but I certainly will return to many of the eateries it showcases.

The 2016 Taste of 502 Event was fantastic! I had a blast. It's been a while since I've enjoyed…read moremyself so much. There were oodles of different food vendors with lots of things to try! An equal amount of food, drinks and desserts samples were present from what I could see. Wild Rita's had one of the tastiest desserts I tried. Shout out to Rye for their pork samples that were fabulous, and Cake flour for the a-mazing bourbon chocolate fudge brownies. There were pasta dishes, tons of savory treats, appetizers, salads, shrimp kaboobs, cookies, pie, cakes, ice cream, and brownie samples! And of course, a large variety of drink samples from wine to vodka mixes to bourbon. After being stuffed from trying all that food, we stopped to take a picture in the complimentary photo booth. Plenty of seating, easy to socialize, leave and join another table. It was crowded but not uncomfortable and vendors not difficult to access. It was a cool local event and fun getting to try out the treats of different businesses around Louisville. I definitely found 3 or 4 that I'm enthused to go visit. I look forward to attending this event again next year.

I was a little skeptical when I saw that this market had an entrance fee (only $5), but this market…read morewas truly spectacular. I would gladly pay it again. Made Market was such a well curated collection of artisans and makers. And I spent more at this market compared to other, larger markets that have also taken place at the Mellwood Art Center. Also not helping my wallet ... the cash bar! I got a bloody mary, and while not large, it was STRONG. I blame it as well as the thoughtful curation for my dwindling funds. Made Market included shops that sold food, drinks, accessories, clothes, plants, art and more. I ended up getting some cute axolotl bookmarks for my kids, a T-shirt for me, a clay bowtie-pasta shaped ornament for my tree (totally a bloody mary-influenced purchase), a candle for my friend and two drink mixes that I've been enjoying so much since. One is a powdered holiday tea mix that I was convinced to buy after trying a sample, and the other was the Golden Milk Paste made by Superfood Veda. I'm glad Superfood Veda is a Louisville company because I know I'll be purchasing this again. The artisans all seemed to be regional, and I liked seeing some local favorites, like Anchal Project, mixed in with other makers who were new to me. Made Market also hosts experiences, like wreath making, for an additional cost. This was such a fun shopping event -- a holiday must-visit!

There are so many markets (with vendors selling their goods) out there, but you will not find one…read moremore highly curated than Made Market. Local and regional makers bring the goods for this market, which has been held at a variety of places. They typically do a summer market for a day and a holiday market for a day, so mark your calendar! Jams, succulents, artwork, greeting cards, jewelry, clothes, candles, housewares, and all sorts of things... Made Market has it. I love buying stuff for myself AND for loved ones. Keep an eye on their social media pages for dates and announcements. (Note: they currently do these in Louisville and in Grand Rapids, MI.)

This was my first year visiting the St. Matthews Street Festival. It's pretty small, but I think…read moreit's intended to be that way, and it's fun to peruse around for a bit. It's mostly just a set up of vendor tents, but also had live music, food from some great local restaurants, beer, a rock climbing wall, and some inflatables for kids. It's a free event, so it won't cost you anything to get in. We parked in the promenade lot and didn't have much of an issue. There were some cool vendors to look through, and some that were a bit gimmicky. They had a great variety of food from Waylon's Feed & Firewater, Lou Lou Food & Drink, SnowWhat, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and a bunch more! It's not really something I would spend all day at, but it's still a nice little summer event.

We attended this event. It was a super hot day and I was pleased with the entertainment. They had…read moretwo stages a Kids stage and a regular stage. Lots of the booths for local business giving away things and booths with games. They had some food options too. We walked through the event very quickly, less than an hour.

This is not for me. I recommend anyone with a disability stay away. Like other festivals, it's a…read morelot for someone that struggles to walk out needs any kind of assistance. The people are nice and will help when they know what you need, but they are overwhelmed by the attendance. The food is surprisingly good for being pre cooked, but not good enough to make we want to return. I will donate to the church instead of attend this event.

What a great event. The food was amazing despite the long line. A great trick is to bring friends…read moreto divide standing in the lines and secure snacks for the main line, which is the Greek restaurant. We tried the lamb shank dinner which was very soft and tender with rice and vegetable. Also, the Greek lasagna was top notch as this is not easily available in restaurants in town. My favorite was the lemonade with mint-this I can drink by the gallon. I also saw people buying bottles of wine. The music were amazing and lively. This was a great community and church event.

So this is going to be a long one…read more..... I was able to purchase VIP tickets from someone that was unable to attend this event. I tried looking at parking options on my phone prior to the event but the map would not load on my phone. When we were driving thru Norton Commons the signage for the event was poor. I wish the signs said 'parking' instead of 'entrance'. So when we found an open parking spot on Meeting street we took it. On our walk to the main entrance we then realized that there was parking located behind the event. The entire staff at this event was so friendly! On arrival we were given our VIP lanyard, Kroger reusable shopping bag and wine glass. Kroger had a huge presence at this event and gave away a ton of great free products to try. I personally loved the photo booth in front of the giant shopping cart. The man running the photo booth even let us take two photos.... one in color and the other in black and white. I loved that the bottom on the photo had the food and wine logo. Each restaurant had their own tent where they were serving their food. Sadly not every restaurant did not have it listed what they were serving. I felt bad asking them what food they had and then not take a sample. Now some of my favorites.... Havana Rumba had a delivious Cuban-style roasted pork with congri rice and sweet plantains. The meatball from Artesano Vino Tapas Y Mas. Couvillion's muffuletta sandwich, made with Italian cured meats and an olive salad. My number one favorite was probably the all spice-braised pork and pickled pear from Jack Fry. Of course I enjoyed all the desserts from the bakeries! My boyfriend was very excited that Buffalo Trace and Woodford were there sampling bourbon. I happily tried a couple red blends, rose, and sparking wines. VIP perks..... Getting in the event one hour early. A trailer with bathrooms. Sadly the paper towel ran out in the bathroom very fast and was not replaced until maybe the last hour of the event. I really enjoyed the VIP area and the 3 booths only in that area. My boyfriend enjoyed the sushi... I don't eat sushi. I liked the shorter lines at the wine tasting table in the VIP area. We both enjoyed the bourbon balls from Art Eatables. We enjoyed every person that did a presentation at The Cellar. Ben Smith with Jackson Family wines did a great presentation and we tasted 5 wines. Up next was surprisingly both my boyfriend and my favorite in The Cellar. I'm not a lover of bourbon quite yet but LOVED this section. Cat Platz with Woodford Reserve did a flavor wheel tasting. We were given a glass of Woodford Reserve and a plate with aged parmesan, toasted hazelnut, cranberry, orange, dark chocolate, and molasses. We were instructed to eat each item and then take a sip of woodford reserve. Everything on the flavor wheel plate opened up my pallet and gave a new outlook on bourbon! We ended our time in The Cellar with Scott from Cuvee. Scott did a guided wine tasting of 4 different Orin Swift wines. Shout out to the amazing staff that made this event possible! Also, special thanks to Cat with Woodford Reserve for giving me an amazing new experience with bourbon.

This event was a blast. I was excited to see familiar chefs and to meet new ones. I also ran into…read moresome foodie friends of mine, that was also enjoying the event. I could see a lot of Kroger sponsorship and inspiration around the event. Kroger really put some cuteness and fun with the plane in the air waving the kroger logo behind it, the kroger labeled wine glasses, to the cool kroger guy at the picture booth, and much more. The location was also perfect, in the beautiful neighborhood of Norton Commons. This event featured restaurants from all over Louisville, which was awesome. I really wish we would also see mini events like this in other parts of Louisville. Like mini events representing each area of louisville and the restaurants located in those areas. Louisville has an abundance of great restaurants all over, so this would definitely be possible. The food showcases were nice, and my sister and I sure had some favorites. For me, Scarlets Bakery had the best fall spiced mini cupcake ever! I'm not sure how something so small could pack so much flavor and yumminess. Bee Boys KY raw honey was also tasty. I've tasted some good raw honey before, but this sure had them beat. The little mini spoon in the honey cup was a cute addition. It helped to get all the honey from the corner of the cup. I didn't want to waste any of that goodness. There was also another restaurant I enjoyed, and shame on me because I didn't view the name. They served mini pita bread and some had cinnamon sugar. The mini pita breads were delicious with a roasted spongy consistency. If anyone knows the name of this restaurant or vendor, send me a message. I really want more of that pita. The chef there was really nice. That's another thing that made this event great, was how friendly chefs were. Each with a fun story and a little history to give. If you are trying to sway towards the drink selection, well they had it here. The wine selections I tried were nice. Full reds with deep flavors, just the way I like. I also enjoyed a taste of Woodford Reserve, and wow was it smooth with a hint of sweetness at the end. Frank at this Brown Forman drink showcase was so much fun. He had us smiling with his conversation, while he poured our drink. It was cool to see some of my favorite Norton Common's restaurants such as Tea Station and Mercato. Also, one of my Louisville hangouts Havana Rumba. My sister hurried and grabbed her Cuban plate from the Rumba. With all said, my favorite part of the whole event was the produce setup of fresh exotic fruits. There you could grab fresh guava and a medley of fruit salad. They would chop the fruit there and make a fruit salad for all to try. The fruit salad was so good and gave me inspiration to try similar ones at home. Their salad had jackfruit and passion fruit. The display was full of brightness and fresh scents. The week was full of rain and coldness, but the event was blessed with beautiful skies and a strong sun that kept us warm. The only thing was a strong wind, but that's better than rain. Overall the event was grand. Thanks Emily and Yelp!

I will be sure to visit every time they have an event like this!! I loved to experience all these…read morebusinesses I had no idea about! These businesses are local and offer products that are right up my alley! Local farms with grass fed beef and options that are better than what we have at those commercial chains. I walked away with 5 different kinds of meat, info on my newest probiotic drink, and lots of vitamin D because it's a perfect day! Yelp was here and with a check in you earn a few reusable grocery bag. This came in great use today! I will keep this bag in my trunk to use when I attend other events like this. This was my first time at this venue and I have to say I love the open are courtyard feel! Looks like a fun place to visit in evenings too! Will be back soon for a tour!

Wow. This was a great local event…read more My fiance and I were wasting time, I mean, spending time together before we had to tend to some wedding planning stuff and we found ourselves at Copper & Kings on a brisk Saturday afternoon. I had never been to Copper & Kings, I only called them once about their venue space and then stared longingly while shopping at Work the metal, so it was a two treats in one! The outside space was filled with booths and vendors, all local and mostly Butchertown based. The Yelp booth was ready to greet visitors handing out much needed gloves and sunglasses in trade for a check-in. You know we did it. There were food trucks and coffee, and ice cream, and beer and soda, and hot sauces & jams, and bacon, and tacos. The list is endless. We tend to 'split' things so we can try more of everything so we went all in. We stopped at Johnny's Diner Car where a friend of ours greeted us with a smile, and pork buns. Can you say OMG?! They were little steam buns packed with pork belly, bacon greens and pork rinds sprinkled on top... my mouth is watering thinking about them. We also got some truffle Parmesan fries which were fantastic as well. Our venturing then took us to the top part of the event where we met several locally owned establishments that were greeting us with samples and pamphlets. We couldn't try everything, but that didn't stop us from trying. We had two handmade sodas, a taco from Decca and we left with 2 scoops of icecream from Louisville Cream #savages, ha. Needless to say the event was fun and filling for a nice Saturday afternoon. We ended up walking off our splurges as we found ourselves at the Flea off Market for a pit stop and walk. But we will be back as long as Butchertown businesses are going, we will be there to support them. You should too!

We hadn't been to the Gaslight Festival in years and decided to make it part of our Saturday…read moremorning. My husband and I went early enough to not be uncomfortably surrounded by people while visiting the vendor booths. Booths were a mixture of local businesses and groups or small business vendors selling earrings, candles, soaps, cookies, clothing and more. The food vendors were similar to being at the state fair, offering lemonade, corn dogs and funnel cakes. My favorite snack was the popcorn. For the kids they offered a variety of activities - bouncy houses and carnival rides. The Gaslight Festival is actually a few days of events. Most popular activities are the 5k, parade and car show. Street parking can be tough to find but some organizations offer their lot for a small parking fee, which raises money for their group. Keep this in mind if you're wanting to visit a restaurant in the area. (You're likely not going to be able to park at their private lot)

The Jtown Gaslight Festival is a relaxed neighborhood affair -- a perfect festival to close out the…read moresummer with. I was impressed with the amount of booths at this festival -- probably two or three blocks' worth. And these booths included a mix of local businesses and nonprofits, artists and cheaper gifts. For example, if you bring a child and want to buy him/her something inexpensive, you can probably find it here. There is also a car show, which is fun to browse, as well as rides, live music and a variety of fair food. The kettle corn stand made the main thoroughfare smell amazing and rightfully so had a decently long line, which included me. A favorite part was that walking the streets of the festival allowed me to slow down enough to really take in the buildings and businesses lining downtown Jtown. I didn't know that Jtown had its on archeological society, for example. It also provided me an opportunity to check out the new Feast BBQ that just opened in downtown Jtown. Parking was decently easy to come by -- an added plus. It seems like Jtown is becoming a more and more popular place to live and do business. It was fun to see all of this on display at the Gaslight Festival.