Happy November, y’all!

To be post-Halloween, beyond Daylight Saving Time, and already prepping the Frazier for our annual Lights on Main exhibition has my brain doing somersaults.

In the chaos of tomorrow’s challenges, I fear the present sometimes eludes me.

This time of year is always a reminder to slow down, settle in, and spend quality time with the people who make my life worthwhile.

With that, I plan to invite some of those people, and all of you, to a fantastic Frazier Field Trip scheduled for Tuesday, December 8. Our You Pick ’Em Barrel Selection with Copper & Kings is the first ever Frazier Bourbon program hosted off site, at Copper & Kings.

We’ll kick things off with a welcome cocktail, passed appetizers, and mingling in Copper & Kings’ historic Butchertown distillery. Then, we’ll put your palate to the test with Bourbon and brandy pairings featuring curated selections from Cultured Cheese Shop. Owner Rob Bourdon will then invite guests to the rooftop bar for live music, cocktails, and spirited discussion. Space is limited, so reserve your seat today!

Also, this election week issue of Frazier Weekly, inspired by our I Too Am a Kentuckian exhibition, Amanda Briede encourages all of us to rock the vote! Rachel Platt offers a little preview of our Veterans Day program with Captain Billie Farrell, and our 120 on the Road team is heading to Bernheim for the annual ColorFest.

Enjoy!

This Week in the Museum

Curator’s Corner: Don’t Forget to Vote Tomorrow!

One of my favorite parts of our temporary exhibition I Too Am a Kentuckian is that we have been able to weave information about our civic duties throughout it. These are small actions that we can all take to help make a difference in our Commonwealth and our communities. They are ways for us to be more like the many admirable Kentuckians featured in the exhibition. These civic duties include using your political voice to contact your elected representatives, running for local office, serving on a jury, protesting, and being an active community member. One of the easiest and most important of our civic duties is voting—a right that you have a chance to exercise tomorrow!

At the time of our country’s founding, voting was limited to white men over twenty-one, and in most states, they were required to own property as well. Still, the Founding Fathers thought it was important to extend the right of choosing who will represent citizens beyond an elite few. Further extending the right to vote to all American citizens was a long hard battle. The right to vote was extended to African American men with the ratification of the15th Amendment in 1870. Women won the vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Native Americans were granted citizenship and thus the right to vote in the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. Asian Americans were able to vote with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Acts of 1952 and 1965. And finally, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited racial discrimination in voting, allowing more African, Asian, and Native Americans to exercise their right without impediment.

The act of voting honors the battle fought by those before us to earn that right—after all, there are women in my family line that did not have such a privilege! By being informed voters, we choose representatives who we believe will act in our best interests and who most closely align with our political views. Though we typically think about voting in the presidential election, I’d argue that a midterm year such is this one can be even more important. The people we choose to represent us during local elections can often have a huge impact on our day-to-day lives.

So, if you have not already, I encourage you to do your homework about the candidates up for election, and head to the polls to perform your civic duty tomorrow. Then come on over to the Frazier to check out I Too Am a Kentuckian to feel even more proud and to be inspired by Kentuckians who truly helped to make a difference in their communities, their Commonwealth, and their country.

Join Us November 8 to Salute Captain Billie Farrell and all Veterans

If you haven’t visited our I Too Am a Kentuckian exhibition, the week of Veterans Day would be a great time. Each branch of the military is represented, along with stories of Kentuckians who have served our country.

I’ll make it even easier: how about joining us on Sunday, November 8, for our program Saluting Commander Billie Farrell at 2:30. You’ll get to see the exhibition and meet Captain Farrell, who has generously loaned us items for I Too.

Captain Farrell, who hails from Paducah, was the first woman to command the USS Constitution. It’s the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. You’ll see her nameplate that was made from reclaimed wood from the ship, nicknamed “Old Ironsides,” as well as an oil painting of her on the deck of the ship.

We salute so many veterans who generously loaned us items for our exhibition and share their stories of service to our country.

It’s not too late to get tickets to our program. Members of the military receive a discount to the Frazier. The price of admission to the museum includes your ticket to our Saluting Commander Billie Farrell program on November 8. We hope you’ll join us as we thank all members of the military for their service.

Cool Kentucky Shop: Military Lapel Pins for Veterans Day

Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. Honor a loved one’s service or wear your own with pride! These handcrafted lapel pins represent the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Made in Kentucky from reclaimed Bourbon barrels by a small, veteran-founded and -operated business, each pin is a meaningful tribute to those who serve. Find yours in the Cool Kentucky Shop at the Frazier and online!

Citywide Observance for One-Year Anniversary of UPS Flight 2976 Crash

It’s being called Louisville Remembers Together. It’s the citywide observance marking the one-year anniversary of the crash of UPS Flight 2976.

So many of us remember seeing that massive plume of smoke on November 4 last year as we were driving home from work, with the terrible sinking feeling something awful had happened. And it did. Fifteen people lost their lives in that tragedy.

This Wednesday, November 4, at 5:14 p.m., churches, places of worship, and other institutions across the city are encouraged to ring bells and carillons for one minute. At 5:15, the entire community is invited to observe a minute of silence.

The Mayor’s office has also announced that monuments around Metro Hall, the Big Four Bridge, and the spires of Churchill Downs will be lit yellow that same evening. The community is also invited to wear yellow or light their building yellow.

Let’s remember together.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission

Frazier to Host Lights on Main: Winterfest Homeschool Day on December 10

One of my favorite things about living in Kentucky is having four distinct seasons. One minute you’re eating popsicles at a Fourth of July party and the next you’re making chili and catching a football game or taking a hike to enjoy the fall colors.

The winter months seem to sneak up on me every time, but I know the shift is in the air when we start planning our yearly Lights on Main programming. It’s so much fun to be at the museum at that time of year, surrounded by holiday trees on all three floors.

In the spirit of the upcoming season, I’m pleased to announce that our Lights on Main: Winterfest Homeschool Day is officially open for reservations!

Lights on Main: Winterfest Homeschool Day
Thursday, December 10, 2026
11 a.m.–3 p.m. (drop-in style)
Cost: $11 per child (1 free adult per family) (children 0–4 get in free)

Step into a magical winter wonderland with your family that brings together history, community, and holiday fun!

During this engaging experience, students will enjoy a tree scavenger hunt, a selection of craft and activity tables, prize drawings, holiday games, face painting, live presentations in the museum theatre, and more! Families will also enjoy access to engage and learn in all Frazier Museum exhibitions, including Pursuit of Happiness, I Too am a Kentuckian, the Lewis & Clark Experience, and others.

New this year: We are looking for several homeschool choirs or instrumentalists interested in performing in the museum’s Great Hall for 20- to 30-minute rotations during the event. If you are interested in learning more, please email education@fraziermuseum.org.

To learn more about the December homeschool day, or purchase tickets, click here!

Fragrance Sold at the Frazier Featured in the Courier Journal

It’s a unique story that led to a one-of-a-kind fragrance sold in our Cool Kentucky Shop at the Frazier. Of course it has some history behind it. It’s called Grassland Opera, a fragrance inspired by a flower that once grew on a lost island on the Ohio River. It’s recreated from the scent of the extinct Falls of the Ohio Scurfpea last seen in 1881. How is that for one of a kind? Reporter Maggie Menderski from the Courier Journal reached out and asked if it could be featured in their Courier Journal 2026 Holiday Gift Guide. Yes, please. Here is the link to see everything that is featured.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission

Frazier’s 120 on the Road Heads to Bullitt County’s Bernheim ColorFest this Week!

Find us as we hit the road visiting all 120 counties in our Commonwealth! Our next stop will be:

· Bernheim Forest ColorFest. Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. Clermont, Bullitt County, Kentucky. Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Eastern). Activities include 120 exhibit, What the What? game, and fall-themed craft activity.

Look for our 120: Cool KY Counties on the Road exhibit as we share stories and songs from each county—and listen to your stories, too! Come greet 120 on the Road managers Jason Berkowitz and Megan Sleeper.

Michter’s Spookeasy at the Frazier was the (Black) Cat’s Meow

Thanks to everyone who made our first Michter’s SPOOKeasy a rousing success! Each year the Frazier and Michter’s team up to a host a Roaring Twenties–themed speakeasy event. But this year’s event added a Halloween twist! Check out a selection of photos here.

History All Around Us

Louisville Water Company to Host Community Fall Open House Sunday

We are so thankful for our partners at Louisville Water and always want to help amplify their events. The Louisville Water Company is hosting its FREE community open house at the Louisville Water Tower on November 8 from 12 to 5 p.m. It should be a fun and educational day!

You Pick ’Em at Copper & Kings, Saluting Captain Billie Farrell and all Veterans, Winterfest Homeschool Day, and More

Last Call for Michter’s Spookeasy, 1948 UFO Chase over Simpson County, Election Day Pop-Up Camps, and More