Thursday, May 2

Baxter Avenue Theatres

1250 Bardstown Road

secretariat.com

$50-$100; 6:30 p.m.

Secretariat is arguably the best racehorse of the 20^th century and by far the most popular. Now, on the 40^th anniversary of his Triple Crown win, the Kentucky Derby Museum and Secretariat.com present a documentary about the other half of Secretariat’s team: his jockey, Ron Turcotte. The film’s world premiere, timed perfectly to coincide with Derby week, is a celebration of Turcotte’s career; it will share his memories and tell his stories, including his 16-year career and beyond. During the premiere, the audience at Baxter will be joined by Turcotte himself, and before the movie begins, there will be a cocktail party and the opportunity to meet Turcotte and several other racing celebrities. —Natalie French

Sunday, April 21

Iroquois Park

1080 Amphitheater Road

thezombierun.com

$30+; 12:30 p.m.

Spring is finally in the air! Ready to spend an afternoon with the undead? On Sunday, Iroquois Park will be the site of a unique recreation mash-up: runners on a 5k race will be interrupted by zombies … and you have the opportunity to be among the undead! When the sirens go off and the chopper takes off overhead, who will have the stones to run into that strange part of the racecourse that’s starting to fill with fog? The organizers have brought on a SWAT team of makeup artists to make sure the zombies are “fully fleshed out” on their way to taking down the fleeing humans. Beer and photo-ops are at the finish line. Note: Due to the bombings in Boston, the race will start with a moment of silence for the victims. —T.E. Lyons

•Purling Hiss

Sunday, April 21

Zanzabar

2100 S. Preston St.

zanzabarlouisville.ticketfly.com

$6-$8; 9 p.m.

Philadelphia lo-fi psychedelic rockers Purling Hiss are rolling through Louisville, and you owe it to your inner-slacker, Generation Whatever, early-’90s self to go. To clarify, Purling Hiss self-identify as all of the aforementioned adjectives — all fair descriptors, I might add. The result is a sound not unlike Mudhoney or even the Smashing Pumpkins, albeit sans a bit of the indie-emo posturing of the latter, if both bands subsisted on a steady diet of Alice Cooper songs. Initially the solo venture of guitarist/vocalist Mike Polizze, Purling Hiss has recently grown to include a new drummer and bassist. Touring in support of their Drag City full-length release Water On Mars, Purling Hiss have worked together to refine their sound, which includes comparatively quieter material as an offset from the otherwise consistent haze of distorted tunes. —Syd Bishop 

Saturday, Feb. 9

Champs Rollerdrome
9851 Lagrange Road
derbycityrollergirls.com
$11; 8 p.m.

I once thought about trying out to be a roller girl. I had fond memories of Skateworld as a child, and I’ve always wanted to trip people and knock them against walls. And then someone said of the sport: “It’s not if you get hurt, it’s when.” So I threw myself back into happy hours and morning mimosas. And being a spectator. The Derby City Rollergirls have their first game of the season Saturday against the Glass City Rollers from Toledo, Ohio. If you’ve never been, it’s highly entertaining to watch and cringe as the ladies fly around the track and elbow the competition out of the way. The match starts at 8 p.m., doors open at 7. —Sara Havens

•Harvest Hootenanny

Saturday, Oct. 27

Brown-Forman Amphitheater, Waterfront Park
mightykindness.org
Free; noon-6 p.m.

What happens when the local farmer meets up with the social justice advocate who was hanging with the eco steward and the minister, who had a lunch date with the peace activist and the artist? It’s the ultimate vision of the Mighty Kindness Harvest Hootenanny, which aims to create a commonwealth full of respect, beauty and compassion, and the annual festival is taking place Saturday at Waterfront Park. Expect friendly folks — hippies, hipsters and everything in between — talking about important things like life, love and the pursuit of happiness. There will be two stages of music featuring Blunt Honey, Nick Peay, Andrea Davidson, Leigh Ann Yost, Kathleen Hoye and lots more. Peace and love, my friends, peace and love. —Sara Havens

•David Bell

Saturday, Oct. 27

Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave. • 896-6950
Free; 4 p.m.

Here we are at the time of year when darkness creeps in ever earlier and earlier. So what can you do about that? Maybe find a cozy hiding place? Thriller writer David Bell has just released a new novel entitled “The Hiding Place,” and he’ll be reading and signing at Carmichael’s Saturday afternoon. This story shows the aftermath of a child’s disappearance, with repercussions taking decades to arrive for the victim’s family and others involved. Just as he did with earlier book “Cemetery Girl,” Bell displays an exceptional sense for keeping the procedural details moving forward — but he also keeps them in perspective. This Western Kentucky professor writes about people experiencing a tragedy that may seem to come and go in a single moment but is actually setting a new course for many lives — each of which will now have newly decisive and demanding moments. —T.E. Lyons

•Fall Meet

Oct. 28-Nov. 25

Churchill Downs
636-4400 • churchilldowns.com
$3; 12:40 p.m. (Wed.-Sun.)

Churchill Downs opens Sunday with four weeks of racing through Thanksgiving weekend. The Fall Meet is traditionally strong, with a mix of races for accomplished older horses and tests for 2-year-olds completing their first season of racing. The lone “Downs After Dark” night racing event is Saturday, Nov. 17, with a Roaring ’20s theme: “The Golden Era.” Thanksgiving Day first post time is 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for Thanksgiving Day dinner — and you’d better hurry, as it always sells out early. The Clark Handicap is slated for Nov. 23, with all races Saturday, Nov. 24, carded for 2-year-olds, including the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, which is part of the new qualification prep series for the 2013 Kentucky Derby. —Bill Doolittle

Saturday, Sept. 1

Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St.
zanzabarlouisville.com
$7; 9 p.m.

Being in a band is hard work, especially as a labor of love, so it’s almost poetic that The Fervor are sending off one of their own on Labor Day weekend. Bassist Michael Campbell bids farewell to the group, marking yet another change in the band’s evolution. The Fervor’s sound is fairly elastic and has progressed from their 2005 self-titled EP to their 2011 full-length Arise, Great Warrior, from the simple and airy songs of their earlier work to the guitar-heavy rock of their later material, all while emphasizing harmony and melody. With folk and country music’s affinity for the blue-collared set, it only seems fitting that they will be accompanied by the alt-country act TV Mike and Scarecrows, on tour from the California Bay Area. —Syd Bishop

•Sinjin Hawke

Saturday, Sept. 1

Dish
434 W. Market St.
facebook.com/OKDeejays
$7; 10 p.m.

From Barcelona, Spain, DJ Sinjin Hawke is a Trap Music specialist, and possibly the first to reach Louisville’s shores. OK Deejay Narwhal shared this description of the sub-genre from Urban Dictionary: “Bass music that shares similarities with dubstep. Although they share drum arrangements, it is often accompanied with the (hey) associated with some Southern rap. The builds and drops of the bass are more subtle in trap music than dubstep.” In other words, it is completely possible that this rager will be a rad night of going nuts inside a very nice restaurant space. Fellow DJs AMTRAC, Sleepy T and Goast will offer their more American spins on spinning, and, according to an invite, a “16,000 watt sound system will be there banging for your enjoyment.” —Peter Berkowitz

IIIrd Tyme Out

•Kentucky Bluegrass & Burgoo Fest

Sept. 1-3

Louisville Water Tower
3005 River Road
kentuckybluegrassfestival.com
Various prices and times

Since 2006, the Water Tower has been home to the Bluegrass & Burgoo Festival. This year, organizers have raised the bar, booking as headliners the popular band Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, who recently received nine IBMA nominations. Another musical highlight comes with a salute to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” including two-for-one admission on Saturday to those dressed as characters from the movie. (Louisville music fans love Coen Brothers characters — right, Donny?) There will be crafts to peruse and games for the young ones; additionally, other regional treasures, such as burgoo and BBQ, will be shared, from vendors like FABD and Tony’s BBQ Barn from Lawrenceburg. “This is a true community event, and there is no better way to say goodbye to summer than enjoying bluegrass music, great food and brews,” says event manager Jennifer Washle. —Peter Berkowitz

•Hike Bike & Paddle

Monday, Sept. 3

Waterfront Park Great Lawn
hikebikeandpaddle.org
Free; 9:30 a.m.

Don’t spend another holiday on your couch watching bad TV. On Labor Day, why not break tradition and get your ass in gear to the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown event Hike Bike & Paddle? Featuring a 15-mile bike ride, a 5K walk and 3-mile canoe or kayak paddle, the event will surely give you back those few hours of your life you might have lost tailgating the UK/U of L game the day before. Canoe and kayak rentals are available from River City Canoe, and there will be yoga, tai chi and zumba classes all morning long on the Waterfront if you choose not to hike or bike. Mayor Greg Fischer gives a welcome address at 9:30, and those who finish the course get a free T-shirt. Dig. —Sara Havens

Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Carmichael’s Bookstore (Aug. 29, 7 p.m.)
Slugger Museum (Sept. 1, 10 a.m.)
Slugger Field (Sept. 2, 6 p.m.)
katyacengel.com

In her first book, former C-J reporter Katya Cengel expands on a series of 2009 articles on minor league baseball in Kentucky, following the Lexington Legends, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Florence Freedom, and the Ville’s beloved Bats through the 2010 season. With its focus trained on the uncelebrated lower tiers of the sport, “Bluegrass Baseball” is about a world whose orbit rarely crosses that of the big leagues. Cengel isn’t writing for fans of the corporate teams, or MLB, but lovers of the game itself. “Nine Latin players crammed into a two-bedroom condo. Air mattresses occupy every free space … Three days’ worth of trash is stuffed in several large trash bags in the kitchen.” Who else but a lover would tolerate this heartache? Down in the multi-storied basement of the minor leagues, Cengel writes, “humility … is the rule.” Many are called, but few are called up. —Ben Phelan

Through Aug. 26

Speed Art Museum
2035 S. Third St.
speedmuseum.org
$10 (free for members)

There’s nothing like the Olympic Games to fire up levels of patriotic enthusiasm among devotees and non-sports fans alike. If a ticket to London isn’t in your budget, you can still get a taste of Olympic fever at the Speed Museum’s latest exhibit, “Going for the Gold.” Featuring nearly a century of Olympic memorabilia from the private collection of U of L professor Robert Kebric, the exhibit includes posters, banners and 27 Olympic torches. Kim Spence, the museum’s curator of Collection Research, says, “The bold graphics and iconic images of Olympic posters are readily associated with the games, but people are often surprised to learn that the designs of the torches also change every four years. Few of us ever have the opportunity to attend an Olympic event in person, but this exhibition offers viewers the rare opportunity to examine these fascinating objects up close.” —Jennifer Harlan

Through Aug. 12

Louisville Slugger Museum
800 W. Main St. • 588-7228
sluggermuseum.org

Some of the most magical things about baseball are the stadiums in which the game is played; history is made at these places, as generations of fans move through the gates each summer, sharing experiences, making memories and enjoying the storied game. The Louisville Slugger Museum hopes to recapture some of those legendary ballparks with the exhibit “Ballparks: From Classic Cathedrals to Concrete Donuts.” The works of renowned sports photographer Jim Dow anchor the exhibit, with items from the National Baseball Hall of Fame also on display, vintage pennants, and a bat used by Roger Maris during his historic 1961 season with the New York Yankees. It’s summertime — what else would you be doing besides thinking about baseball? —Kevin Gibson

May 4-5

Churchill Downs
700 Central Ave. · 636-4400
churchilldowns.com

Virginia-based artist Robert Joyner created the expressive new watercolor-and-charcoal logo for the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Oaks, and he will be signing the official prints of his work at the races. You’ll have to stick to a very specific schedule if you want to catch him: On Oaks Day (May 4), he’ll be in the Kentucky Derby Museum lobby from 11 a.m.-noon. From 2-3 p.m., he’ll sign at Gate 18 inside Churchill Downs. From there, he’ll move to Millionaires Row at 3:30 p.m. On Derby Day (May 5), he will return to the Derby Museum at 11 a.m., and from 2-4 p.m. he’ll finish up the day signing at Gate 18. To those of you who still want one after reading all that, we salute your chutzpah. —Simon Isham

Wednesday, May 2

Buffalo Wild Wings
1055 Bardstown Road • 454-3635
Free; 7 p.m.

As if fried chicken wings and cold beer aren’t enough of a reason to go to a charity function at Buffalo Wild Wings in the Highlands, they’ve decided to go one better — you can meet Jean Cruguet, the now-retired jockey who rode Seattle Slew to a sweep in the 1976 Triple Crown. Cruguet will be signing photos (in exchange for a donation), and proceeds will go to Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund, a charity that provides much-needed financial assistance to disabled jockeys. In addition to Cruguet’s signing, photographs of Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Barbaro and more will be raffled, plus there will be a silent auction and drink specials. Ready to get your Derby week out of the starting gate? This is the place. And they’re off. —Kevin Gibson