Photo gallery: Collaborative community

The cover image shows a twilight view of Louisville’s stunning downtown lights and The Crescent Centre, a 209-unit apartment complex built in 1989. Photo by Steve Grider Photography | stevegrider.com

More than 1,300 businesses—with a total of more than 61,000 employees—are located in Louisville's Central Business District. Photo by Steve Grider Photography | stevegrider.com

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, in the foreground, is a six-lane, single deck cantilever bridge that carries southbound Interstate 65 traffic over the Ohio River and into Louisville from Southern Indiana.

Set on 100 acres in the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown Bourbon Co. offers a Napa Valley-style experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Built in 1914, the Belle of Louisville is the oldest operating steamboat in the United States.

The Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Ky., is a must-see fall foliage destination.

The Big Four Bridge offers a close-up view of the annual Thunder Over Louisville fireworks presentation.

Thunder Over Louisville is a brilliant fireworks extravaganza that kicks off the Kentucky Derby Festival each year.

The Louisville Pride Festival and Kentuckiana Pride Festival are colorful celebrations of equality that feature family-friendly entertainment and vendors.

LaVon and the Vonnettes perform at Unity in the Community, an Arts in Neighborhoods event by Fund for the Arts, which has supported artists and arts organizations in Louisville and eight surrounding counties for 73 years.

People from every corner of the city and beyond either work in the downtown area or visit attractions, go to restaurants, or attend events and festivals. (Photo by Justin Dahline/Precision Focus Photography)

Downtown is Louisville’s cultural center. In 2019, before the pandemic, there were more than 10 million visits to downtown attractions and nearly 740,000 convention and event attendees, according to the Louisville Downtown Partnership’s economic impact report.

The Jim Beam American Outpost in Bullitt County, a revamped visitors center, was unveiled in 2021.

hree “Forest Giants” sculpted by Danish artist Thomas Danbo out of reclaimed wood are a big attraction at the 16,137-acre Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Bullitt County.

Bardstown has been named the Most Beautiful Small Town in America by USA Today and Rand McNally and the Best Small Town in the South by Southern Living magazine.

Kismet Farm is one of 90 horse farms located in Shelby County, the heart of American Saddlebred country.

Downtown represents 0.34% of Jefferson County’s land area, but its output includes 13.2% of all workers, 63% of all visitors, 60% of museums, 43% of leasable office and 36% of hotel rooms.

Home to more than 35,000 residents, New Albany is a rising community with a walkable downtown that features one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops.

La Grange, known for the active train tracks running through the middle of Main Street, recently was featured in HGTV’s “Home Town Kickstart” television show. The episode was titled “Love for La Grange.”

Home to 90-plus Saddlebred horse farms and breeding and training facilities, Shelby County is the American Saddlebred Capital of the World.

Jeffersonville, Ind., the county seat of Clark County, is home to Big Four Station Park, which accesses the Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that connects Jeffersonville to Louisville.

There are 11 local and regional distillery experiences in Bardstown, including Barton’s 1792, the city’s oldest fully operating distillery.

Elizabethtown is decorated with many beautiful murals that are popular spots for photos among visitors and residents alike.

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) celebrated its busiest time of the year as thousands of visitors flew into Louisville for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, one of the stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, has 10 barrel warehouses and a 43-foot custom copper still. A $4 million expansion set to be completed in late 2022 will allow the distillery to operate 24 hours a day and increase its capacity by 75%.

Black Americans in Bourbon is part of the Unfiltered Truth Collection of Multicultural Experiences at Frazier History Museum in downtown Louisville.

Nestled in the heart of Bardstown, bourbon fans will find much to love at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience. It has three tasting rooms, an interactive exhibit gallery, the Five Brothers Bar and a newly expanded gift shop. Heaven Hill is building a new, $135 million, state-of-the-art distillery in Bardstown, set to open in 2024.

Forecastle Festival is a three-day music, art, activism festival held annually at Waterfront Park in Louisville.

Louisville residents and visitors take to the streets for CycLOUvia. During the 2022 event, performances were offered in front of the Kentucky Performing Arts.

Waterfront Park has been called Louisville’s “front yard” by Mayor Greg Fischer. The stunning space hosts dozens of special events throughout the year.

Cherokee Park

The Jeffersonville Overlook has views of the Ohio River, Big Four pedestrian bridge and the Louisville skyline.

Churchill Downs

Crescent hill water reservoir, Louisville, Kentucky ï¿¼

This mural of Muhammad Ali by social change artist and muralist Ashley Cathey is located across the street from the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville. It is one of the city’s many murals of the heavyweight champion who grew up in Louisville’s West End.

The Louisville Fire Department hosted a remembrance ceremony at its headquarters on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Guests of the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site in New Albany can take a guided tour of William Culbertson’s luxurious mansion to learn about his family, life and philanthropy.

Over 10,000 visitors converge on the courthouse square in Bedford each year for the The Trimble County Apple Festival.

Nucor’s steel plate manufacturing mill in Brandenburg will employ 400 when it is fully operational. It is scheduled to start up in the fourth quarter of 2022.