Welcome to the 3rd Annual Louisville Love Mountains Day!

Hello, folks!

The 3rd Annual Louisville Loves Mountains event is officially underway! We're at Longest Ave. and Bardstown Road, in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky, celebrating the mountains that make our fair Commonwealth so majestic and special! Though we don't wake up to the same mountainscape as our friends in Appalachia, we do subscribe to the adage that we all live downstream!

Today's event is meant to bring education and awareness to us city folk regarding the devastating effects of mountaintop removal practices on our people, our environment, our culture, and our economy. Through music, spoken word, and literature we'll be spreading the good word that our mountains are precious!

Enjoy a sunny day with food from the Morels Food Truck (all vegan!) and Tony Boombozz, as well as beer provided by the New Albanian Brewing Company!

The music lineup includes:

Beady
River City Drum Corps
Reel World String Band
Relic
Appalatin
Slow Charleston
Justin Lewis,

KEYNOTE: Wendell Berry

Contributing speakers:
Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs
Sally Campbell (Saving Kentucky)

The festival is free and open to the public. There will be food, beer, activities, and music.

Wendell Berry, our key note speaker, will take the stage at 6pm!

It's a full evening of family-friendly entertainment and education... Check back for frequent photo, video, and written updates on today's festivities! Or better yet, come see us... We'd love to have you here!

The crowd is really filling in! We couldn't be more lucky with the beautiful weather this year..

There are lots of curious folks wandering around, asking great questions about mountaintop removal, it's so heartening to see the festival bringing new awareness to people!

Just down the way from me people are perusing the works of Wendell Berry at Carmichael's Books booth, the literature booth is completely crowded with people, and there's a sizable crowd of bobbing heads in front of the stage enjoying some bluegrass tunes! Photos of the scene to follow shortly!

Just 15 minutes or so before Wendell Berry speaks! From my post at the blogger booth I overheard a conversation in which a man visiting Louisville reported incredulously over his cell phone, "I'm staying in this town tonight... It's probably the best city I've been to so far, especially for its size. Dude, I'm at a festival for mountains. This is awesome!!" Yes, it is awesome, just take a look!

A letter to Gov. Beshear outlining the atrocities of  Mountaintop Removal Mining. We deserve better for our state and our people!

6:07pm

This is breathtaking! The River City Drum Corp just rocked this entire block! They have hundreds of heads bobbing, hundreds of tail feathers shaking, and a chorus of cheers and hand claps from the crowd! Iy's literally shoulder to shoulder, all the way around the perimeter of the drummers. Fresh moves, amazing beats, and a truly magnetic performance.... WOW! Surely, all you folks reading this from distant counties can feel the pulse of these guys!

6:53pm

The only way to follow up a powerful musical performance is with meaningful words from Kentucky's own Wendell Berry. Taking a historical perspective, Berry reminded us that our people are not strangers to a forced economy. Harkening back to his grandfather's days as a tobacco farmer, coming up empty handed after growing crops for the government, Berry elucidated the harsh reality of today's coal economy; forced upon people who need work to feed their families, stifling out local economies through purchasing power and industry, and rapidly crippling the biodiversity of the Appalachian region. Berry highlighted the importance of cultivating local food economies and employing smaller operations to sustain industries such as forestry; economies that are both fiscally stable and socially responsible. I'm paraphrasing, but Berry pointed out that people shouldn't have to destroy their own homes in order to live where they are... A point especially important for all of us to remember in Louisville, as we enjoy the luxury of a rich local economy.

Nothin' here to report except a whole lotta fun! There are happy smiles coming from the Morel's food truck, lots of friendly conversation, people taking advantage of the bumper stickers for sale (pass it on my any means!) and several people signing the letter to Gov. Beshear between their comings and goings... One of my favorite sights so far: Two sweet little mountain lovers sharing the day with their new kitty. Kitties love mountains, too....  Take a look!

Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs just took the stage with a little call and response.. Echoing down Bardstown Road were the words, "Louisville Loves Mountains! How Y'all feel?!" "Well allllllll right!"

Bianca Spriggs proclaiming her love for the mountains!

Appalatin and The Slow Charleston have both completed amazing sets. Just an hour left of the street festival, but all the revelry and good mountain vibes will be moving to the Monkey Wrench at 10pm for the after party! In the mean time, enjoy photo updates from Longest!

 Reel Word String Band

 Friendly Commerce

 "Dear Beshear, Save our mountains!"

 Another enthusiastic testimonial for the mountains!

9:51pm

Justin Lewis just finished his set, bringing a close to the 3rd annual Louisville Loves Mountains Day! I can't begin to express how humbling it is to see so many faces crowding a quiet city side street, all congregating in support of this cause, this rally cry to preserve and protect our most precious resource, the Appalachian mountains! Be it the purchase of one of Wendell Berry's fine works from Carmichaels, beer and food sales, KFTC membership sign up and donation, or the many people whose physical presence sent a clear message, we can put this down in the books as a success for our Commonwealth! Thanks to all who worked tirelessly over the months to pull it off, to those who donated their time and proceeds, and to the inquisitive, progressive minds populating this little corner of the world... See ya next year!