Bourbon & Belonging, Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week, has announced its Louisville lineup of events taking place October 3–5, 2025. Now in its second year, the statewide festival celebrates Bourbon culture through a queer lens, with fun, and often exclusive, experiences spanning Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky, and Paducah.
Louisville’s offerings include a mix of food tours, drag performances, silent disco, and community gatherings designed to highlight both the city’s bourbon heritage and its queer history:
- Pride Plates: Kentucky’s Queer History Food Tour, takes guests on walking journey through the city’s Highlands neigbhorhood, blending iconic Kentucky dishes with untold queer stories — from Prohibition-era drag queens to local authors and activists. (October 3)
- Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Tasting Experience invites you to a 30 minute tasting at its downtown distillery. (October 3)
- Beyond the Barrel: Bourbon Food Tour in NuLu, uncovers bourbon’s hidden histories with creative cocktails and small plates in one of the country’s hottest foodie neighborhoods. (October 3)
- The Old Forester x Bourbon & Belonging Fall Garden Party will be hosted by festival sponsor Old Forester for the second year in a row. The event is free to attend on the distillery’s rooftop terrace on famed Whiskey Row and includes light bites, a DJ, and of course, Kentucky bourbon. (October 3)
- Neat Beats, presented by Evan Williams, will offer a silent disco with wireless headphones, three DJ channels, and bourbon poured neat. Funk, disco, house, and pop music will collide on the dance floor at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. (October 4)
- Le Moo Drag Brunch has been lauded nationally and will produce a Taylor Swift–themed drag brunch hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Dusty Ray Bottoms. Two seatings (10:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.) will feature buffet-style seasonal dishes and high-glam performances.(October 5)
- Paws & Pride, presented by Hop Atomica & Jefferson’s Bourbon, will feature an outdoor patio party with cocktails, pups, and a “Cutest Pup on the Patio” contest benefiting Bourbon & Belonging and Queer Kentucky. (October 5)
“Louisville has always been the heart of Kentucky’s Bourbon story and the beating heart of its queer community,” said Missy Spears, Executive Director of Queer Kentucky. “With Bourbon & Belonging, we’re weaving those traditions together — from Bardstown Road’s history to NuLu’s innovation — and showing the world that Louisville leads with hospitality, heritage, and belonging.”
Bourbon & Belonging builds on the resounding success of its inaugural year, which drew visitors from around the world to 60 events across eight Kentucky cities. The 2025 series continues statewide with events in Lexington, Northern Kentucky, and Paducah, all which can be found at www.bourbonandbelonging.com.
