As Louisville gears up for 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Free Public Library is busy laying the finishing touches on the 8th annual How-To Festival. Taking place on the second Saturday in May, the Library’s How-To Festival has become an annual tradition for thousands of Louisvillians looking for something entertaining, interactive, and educational to do after Derby is over. The How-To Festival offers attendees the chance to learn how-to-do more than 50 different things in five hours, all for free!
Want to learn how to operate a steamboat? Can vegetables? Keep bees in your backyard? Appreciate modern art? These are just a sampling of the free, interactive learning experiences offered by local experts and small businesses at the How-To Festival. “How-to” sessions last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes and cover a range of activities—from business to fitness to gardening.
This year’s festival is a mix of past favorites—how to do Tai Chi, plant a garden, or Flamenco dance—along with new lessons, such as how to draw on your iPhone, make a sugar scrub, and decorate a cake pop. Kid-friendly activities include how to make slime, draw zentangles, or make a smoothie on a bike. And thanks to a partnership with the Louisville Urban Agriculture Coalition, How-To will feature twenty gardening sessions presented by Urban Ag member groups, including Idlewild Butterfly Farm, Wild Ones, Master Gardeners, and others.
The How-To Festival takes place on Saturday, May 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Main Library, 301 York Street. Sessions will be located in more than 20 areas throughout the building and surrounding grounds, transforming the entire library into a giant classroom. Food trucks will also be available.
