The River Valley Group Blog

The Pegasus Parade has always been an important and memorable staple of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Large floats and inflatables float through the streets of downtown Louisville and the music of marching bands fill the air. You tend to see both local celebrities (Rick Pitino and Darrel Griffith) as well as celebrities known around the world (Muhammad Ali, Cyndi Lauper, and even Mickey Mouse) serve as Grand Marshalls and make notable appearances. All in all, the 2014 Pegasus Parade taking place this Thursday May 1^st is one that you won’t want to miss!

With only days leading up to the 140^th Kentucky Derby what better way to continue the festivities in Louisville than the 2014 Republic Bank Pegasus Parade! Each year the Pegasus Parade is themed and the 2014 theme is “Call of the Wild”. The parade will head west on Broadway for 17 blocks and will begin at 5pm and last about 2 hours. The event is completely FREE thanks to Republic Bank sponsoring the event. This parade is one of the largest in the area and draws 250,000 attendees each year!

This year marks the 59^th anniversary of the Pegasus Parade and is expected to be bigger and better than ever! After the parade you can head to the Waterfront and enjoy delicious food at the Chow Wagon, Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville, and The Fray at the 2014 Concert Series!

For more information visit the Kentucky Derby Festival website. To learn about more exciting Louisville and Derby events visit the River Valley Group website and like us on Facebook!

The Kentucky Derby season continues to roll in Louisville with Kroger's Fest-A-Ville on the Waterfront, which begins this Thursday April 24th and will continue every night until Derby-eve on May 2nd. The event features a string of concert series and fun events for all ages. The lineup for the event is as follows:

Thursday April 24th

U.S. Bank Balloon Glimmer

Friday April 25th

ACO DerbyHole Classic

Zumba Fitness Party

Saturday April 26th

Saturday Concert - Everclear

Military Day

Sunday April 27th

GospelFest at the Chow Wagon

Adrenaline w/ Kutless, Finding Favour, Shine Bright Baby and Carrollton

Monday April 28th

Discovery Day

HappyTail Hour

Tuesday April 29th

Tuesday Concert- the Ohio Players and Lakeside

Wednesday April 30th

Battle of the Bounce

BeerFest

Great Steamboat Race

Sam Roberts Band w/ LEAGUES

Thursday May 1st

Waterfront Jam- The Fray w/ The Mowgli's

Friday May 2nd

Waterfront Jam- Scotty McCreery w/ Cassadee Pope and Steve Holy

The 2014 Fest-A-Ville will be filled with delicious and unique foods, highlighted by deep fried peanut butter and jelly, turkey legs, and elephant ears. The Pegasus Play-Ville will be returning this year, an inflatable playground area for children to enjoy; this attraction opens at 4pm on week days and 11am on weekends. 

For more exciting events in Louisville or to search Louisville homes visit the River Valley Group website and like our page on Facebook!

Did you know today, April 21, 2014, marks the 25^th anniversary of the original Nintendo Game Boy? That could mean two things: either you suddenly feel a tad older or you have no idea what the Game Boy is or looks like. Either way it was a great milestone in the realm of gaming in our world. In celebration we felt it was only appropriate that we compile a list of the top places in Louisville to play games! That’s right…the best arcades and game rooms in the Louisville area. You can never be too young or old to enjoy a fun night out at an arcade or shooting pool once in a while.

Louisville is an excellent choice when it comes to cities with places to play games. Whether you are looking for putt putt, Dance Dance Revolution, or laser tag you will never have a shortage of fun games to play in this city!

Lazer Blaze | 4121 Shelbyville Road

Games include: Laser tag, cosmic golf, and one of the largest arcades in the Louisville area

Renaissance Fun Park | 201 Park Place Drive

Games include: mini golf, go-karts, laser tag, and extensive arcade

Incredible Dave’s | 9236 Westport Road

Games include: bowling alley, video game room, cosmic bowling, floor-to-ceiling maze, full-sized inflatable bouncies, and a large arcade

Tavern on Fourth | 427 B S. 4^th Street

Games include: corn hole, billiards, beer pong, darts, ping pong, shuffleboard, classic arcade games, and more

Putt Putt Fun Center | 5720 Bardstown Rd

Games include: putt putt and an arcade

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Easter weekend has arrived, which means there are tons of family events in the Louisville area! The Kentucky Derby Festival is also in full swing so there are several Derby-related events taking place as well. With fantastic weather expected this weekend there is no reason you shouldn’t be out having fun! Some of the highlights of this weekend’s events include the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic, the 22^nd annual Easter Parade on Frankfort Avenue, and an opportunity to meet a 2014 Winter Olympian!

Events for the weekend of 4/18/2014:

*Asterisk denotes FREE events!

The Night of Champions Dinner | Friday April 18^th | Loft 123 @ Patrick O’Shea’s

Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic | Friday April 18^th | Freedom Hall

Bead & Jewelry Show | Friday April 19^th – Saturday April 20^th | Ramada Plaza Hotel – Blue Grass Pkwy

Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon/Minimarathon | Saturday April 19^th | Main Street near Slugger Field*

Garlic Day at Bristol East | Saturday April 19^th | Bristol East

2014...

The city of Louisville and surrounding areas offer a plethora of events when holidays roll around (or hop around in this case). Easter is no exception and many events go all out in order to create a fun and memorable experience for children and adults alike. This year we decided to compile a list of Easter events taking place in the Louisville area for your convenience. It is certainly an exciting time in Louisville with the 2014 Kentucky Derby season in full swing…there is certainly no shortage of things to do in Louisville this weekend!

2014 Easter Events in Louisville

22^nd Annual Easter Parade | Saturday April 19^th | Frankfort Avenue, Stilz to Haldeman

Helicopter Easter Egg Drop | Saturday April 19^th | River Valley Christian Church

Egg Hunt | Saturday April 19th | Colgate Park, Clarksville, IN

Easter Egg Hunt | Saturday April 19^th | Douglass Community Center

Jeffersonville Helicopter Easter Egg Drop | Saturday April 19^th | Vissing Park

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The month of April is considered National Lawn and Garden Month all across the United States. Although it’s difficult to tell at the moment with snow falling down here in Louisville April is often a great month to start building your own home garden. There are several wonderful benefits to growing your own home garden, including:

• Better health. Having fresh fruits and vegetables growing right in your backyard increases the likelihood that you eat the foods that you should be putting in your body. According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association preschool children that ate homegrown fruits and vegetables are more than twice as likely to eat their appropriate amount of daily servings of produce.
• Better taste. Many of the fruits and vegetables that you are buying from the grocery store have traveled hundreds of miles from the farm and may not be completely fresh. When it’s grown right in your backyard and brought directly to your kitchen you know you are getting fresh food with the best taste possible.
• Fun outdoor activity. Gardening is a great physical activity that will get you and your family moving. It’s a wonderful way to spend time outdoors, relax, and get a great deal of fresh air.
• Save money! Considering a packet of seeds generally costs a dollar or less you will see a significant decrease in your grocery bill. If you do it the right away you can save many of the seeds and save them for the cold months when growing is over!

If you have your own home and have the space to build your own garden the benefits are tremendous and are very much worth your time. In celebration of National Lawn and Garden Month the National Garden Association (NGA) has recommended a few wonderful ways to celebrate:

1. Plant a Row For the Hungry: This campaign was started by the NGA to encourage others...