Address: Market Street at Clay Street
Hours: first Friday of the month, 5 p.m.-11 p.m., rain or shine
Parking:free at Slugger Field and at 4th St. Live after 6
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First Friday Trolley Hop: See downtown Louisville in style on the Toonerville Trolley
Mar 25, 2010
Equal parts street party,
art show
and night on the town, the First Friday Trolley Hop shows off downtown Louisville to its best advantage. Visitors ride the Toonerville Trolley on any first Friday of the month and stop along the way to shop, dine or just have fun. It's not unusual for 3,000 and more to partake on any particular Friday.
The First Friday
Trolley Hop
got its start in 2001 when a group of artists and art gallery owners on Main and Market streets came up with the idea of using TARC's (Transit Authority of River City) historic trolleys to connect the increasing number of galleries downtown. The idea later spawned the F.A.T. Friday Trolley Hop that cruises the Frankfort Avenue corridor before heading to the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center and then looping back.
Stroll down Market and Main streets, browsing the exquisite paintings, sculptures and watercolors at the various galleries. Drop in at the
Louisville Science Center
, which stays open late on Friday nights; sometimes, the Frazier International History Museum also stays open until 9 p.m. Browse for clothing, jewelry or even antiques and consignment items. Dine at one of the many eateries that line Main and Market streets. After sunset, visit one of the many night spots that make downtown Louisville so vibrant. Or maybe you and a friend want to curl up for a quiet drink somewhere. The Trolly Hop offers so many options!
The
Trolley Hop
lasts from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., rain or shine. The route heads east from 10th Street on Market Street loops on Campbell Street and then continues west on Market Street before turning on to 10th Street and starting its route all over again. You can view the trolley route online. Most galleries close at 9 p.m., but the restaurants, clubs, boutiques and shops keep much later hours. Trolleys run until 11 p.m.
Trolley Hop rides are free, and there's free parking at
Louisville Slugger Field
on Main Street at Jackson Street, and in the 4th Street Live garage after 6 p.m. Free parking is also available on the street after 6 p.m.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro
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Ivonne RoviraA graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.
