If you’re driving along South Preston Street between Zanzabar + St. Stephen Cemetery, three buffalo might stop you dead in your tracks.

Okay, so they’re not real buffalo, but the blue-hued buffalo family made of wood and wire are a representation of the 2,000-pound herbivores — also called bison — that used to walk there.

DYK: Bison are the largest mammal in North America?

The art pieces hanging on a privacy fence at the intersection of Preston and Brandeis are part of a larger, ongoing project dubbed “Follow the Buffalo.”

A subcommittee of the Saint Joseph Area Association started the cause + look to raise funds to commission a public buffalo sculpture on the Parkway Village median.

The art piece aims to beautify the area, as well as commemorate the natural history of Wilderness Road — a trail that ran through the area in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Wilderness Road was stamped out by migrating animals centuries ago, leading the way for human movement from as far East as New Jersey to Kentucky and beyond.

Thousands of pioneers traveled the trail from 1775-1811 + it was also the lifeline for George Rogers Clark’s army at the Falls of the Ohio during the Revolutionary War.

The buffalo at Preston + Brandeis are made from wood and wire. | Photo by @theloutoday

Other Louisville-area communities have honored the historic road and paid homage to the bison that once roamed here — like Buffalo Trace Park in Palmyra, IN.

Donations to help commemorate our stretch of trail — today known as Preston Highway + Preston Street — can be made here.

EVENTS

Today

Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical | Fri., Jan. 7-Sat., Jan. 15 | 8 p.m. | Art Sanctuary, 1433 S. Shelby St. | $24 | See this musical based on the 1999 American teen romantic drama film.

Saturday

Salsa Night | Sat., Jan. 9 | 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Hotel Louisville, 120 W. Broadway | $10 | All levels of Bachata dancers are welcome to salsa the night away with lead instructor Terri Ann, DJ Robertón + a full bar.

Sunday

Trail Discovery Hike: Pond Ridge Loop | Sun., Jan. 9 | 1-4 p.m. | Bernheim Forest | $12+ | Discover this moderately difficult trail with the help of Bernheim’s experienced naturalists. 🥾

Tuesday

Dry January Dried Floral Wreath Class | Tues., Jan. 11 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Forage Old Lou, 1217 S. 4th St. | $95 | Create a dried floral wreath + discuss techniques with an expert with supplies and drinks included.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE JANUARY EVENTS

NEWS NOTES

Weather

25º | Partly cloudy | 3% chance of rain

Opening

The 1920s-inspired bourbon bar and bottle shop, Neat, will open on Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. Located along one of the most popular sections of Bardstown Road in the Highlands, the whiskey biz will buy, sell + trade bourbons — thanks to the vintage spirits law — and offer tasting experiences. 🥃

Eat

K8 fans rejoice, Vietnam Kitchen isn’t going anywhere. After the Vietnamese restaurant was listed for sale in June, Louisville cried a single avocado milkshake tear, but after the outpour of love for the South End restaurant, owner Alex Lam’s son has decided to carry on the legacy. 🍜 (Louisville Business First)

Biz

A Park Hill industrial site — which includes a 91,852-sqft warehouse + office building on 3-acres of land — was sold to Anderson Hardwood Pellets LLC for over $1 million. The family-owned lumber business has no plans for the property yet, but we don’t think it's a stretch to think it might include wood. (Louisville Business First)

Development

Louisville Water Tower Park announced it is renovating the historical water tower + venue — popular for weddings, group tours, and field trips — in 2022. The venue will continue to make bookings for 2023 and beyond. See progress photos by following its social channels.

Health

A new, six-lane COVID-19 testing site will open on Mon., Jan. 10 at Churchill Downs. Testing is free + will be available Mon.-Sat. from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required and can be booked here. (WHAS11)

Arts

A new exhibit at the KMAC museum has brought a Louisville native back home to show his work. Nate Watson, the executive director of a San Francisco arts nonprofit, is just one of the featured artists in the “Crafting the Vernacular” glass art exhibition running through April 3. (WFPL)
Norton Commons’ 2022 Art Festival — scheduled for May 21-22 — is now accepting applications for vendors. The booth fee is $250 for new artists + $200 for returning ones. The deadline to apply is April 1. 🖼️

Outdoors

It may seem unseasonable to start thinking about spring, but Louisville Grows never goes dormant. The Portland neighborhood-based environmental nonprofit has already scheduled its Seeds & Starts Sale to begin on March 19. Get your hands green early this month at one of its Orchard Care Workshops. 🌱

Asked

Reader Steven S. wrote to us asking where to find the best ribs in the West Louisville and or Buechel areas. We know we got some BBQ experts out there, so tell us where baby got back here.

📸 @kyshakespeare

William Shakespeare’s 1623 rom-com, “The Winter’s Tale,” is upon Derby City or should we say Frosty City?

While, the poetic snow has most of the city shut-down or delayed — a perfect time to hit Cherokee Park’s hill for a sledding adventure — we can’t wait for warmer spring days in Central Park for the 2022 season of Shakespeare in the Park featuring “Twelfth Night,” “Richard II” + “Much Ado About Nothing.”

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THE WRAP

Editor's Pick: I do love a snow day. Last year I caught some major sledding speed at the Crescent Hill Reservoir. Pro tip: Snag a sled from locally-owned Bargain Supply. You might get more than you bargained for.

Missed yesterday's newsletter? Tell us what you want to read about in 2022 here.