Thunder Over Louisville is just days away and with it will come road closures, limited parking spaces, police ready to confiscate your skateboards and hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Downtown Louisville.
So it’s no secret that planning your Thunder Over Louisville game plan can be hectic and downright confusing. That’s why we’ve compiled this collection of Thunder facts and tips. If you have any of your own tips, please share them with us in the comments below!
Where You Should Park:
Image: Wikipedia
If you have a bike, ride it! Louisville Metro will be providing free valet bicycle parking from noon – 11pm on Saturday near Slugger Field where Witherspoon Street meets Preston Street.
If you don’t have a bike but are trying to avoid parking your car, ride TARC! There will be extra busses servicing the average Saturday downtown routes and they will all be running on an extended schedule.
If you’re traveling to Louisville for Thunder and must park your car downtown, there are nearly 52,000 off-street parking spaces available within a 10-block radius from Waterfront Park in pay lots and garages. If you wish to park in one of these spots, we recommend arriving as early as possible, as these spots will be the first to fill.
In addition to these spaces downtown, street parking will also be available in Old Louisville on the streets that will not be closed off that day. Parking in Old Louisville means you’ll have to trek 2-4 miles to Waterfront Park. Though Saturday’s forecast calls for beautiful walking weather, if you’re unable to walk this far to the event, there are several TARC stops in Old Louisville. There’s nothing wrong with parking as close as you can – even if it’s a few miles away – and taking the bus the rest of the way there.
Which Streets Will Be Closed:
Image: Carolinaasthma.com
The Louisville Metro Police has a full list of street closures for the entire weekend of Thunder available on their website. Here are the closures to look out for on Saturday:
Streets Closed All Day Saturday:
Clark Memorial Bridge
River Road from Bingham Way to 6th Street
Bingham Way from Witherspoon Street to River Road
Witherspoon Street from Preston Street to Brook Street
River Road from Preston Street to Witherspoon Street
North Floyd Street (open to residents only)
North Washington Street (open to residents only)
2nd Street north of Main Street
Interstate Exits Closed All Day Saturday:
Ramp from Westbound I-64 to 3rd Street
Ramp from 2nd Street Eastbound I-64
Interstate Exits Closed from 6pm – 11:30pm Saturday:
Ramp from Muhammad Ali Blvd to I-65 Northbound
Interstates Closed 8:30pm – 11:30pm Saturday:
I-65 Northbound from the Watterson to I-64
I-65 Southbound from I-265 (Indiana) to I-64
I-64 Westbound from the Watterson to 22nd Street
I-64 Eastbound from the Shawnee Expressway to I-65
I-71 Southbound from the Watterson to I-65
What You Can’t Bring:
Image: WDRB
The following items are prohibited throughout the official downtown Thunder Over Louisville viewing area which spans from the Ohio River to Main Street between Clay and 10th Streets.
-tents and canopies of any kind
-ground stakes of any kind
-tape, rope or pennant lines
-glass bottles
-no alcoholic beverages
-bikes, skateboards or skates
-pets (except for service animals)
What You Should Bring:
-Lawn chairs, a picnic blanket or tarp to sit on
-Plastic bottles of soda and water along with a pre-packed lunch and dinner (there will be food and drink vendors for those who forget)
-Comfortable shoes
-Sunblock
Image: Terry Fultineer
