Gazebo Festival, Jack Harlow, and Louisville Belong Together

I gotta be honest, I am (very) intrigued by Louisville, KY. As someone who has completed their first trip here and only knew about the 502 because of its iconic figures and places such as Muhammad Ali, The Kentucky Derby, and the University of Louisville (handshakes and hugs to the Cardinals btw), I entered Louisville with little expectations of what it could be. But just like it was nearly seven years ago, when I first listened to Jack Harlow, I immediately became a fan and hopped on the bandwagon.

Last Memorial Day Weekend, I was in Louisville to cover the first-ever Gazebo Festival. Held at Waterfront Park, the two-day event (May 25th + 26th) curated by Harlow — a proud Louisville, KY native + one of rap’s rising stars — featured a solid balance of star power (Harlow, SZA, and Vince Staples), respected vets (Larry June, James Blake, and Rich Homie Quan), and the next wave of talent (Karrahboo, Jordan Ward, and Ravyn Lenae). And, while the second day of the festival was unfortunately canceled due to weather, it didn’t completely take away the success they saw on opening day.

There was a lot of great energy on Saturday as fans walked upon festival grounds. Attendees of various backgrounds quickly made their way to either stage and enjoyed the offerings brought to them by the festival. As an experienced festival goer, I think Gazebo’s location is pretty good. Waterfront Park is minutes (heck, a couple of minutes) away from downtown Louisville. The park presents a good view of the Ohio River. And lastly, you can’t go wrong with having a huge area for shade with two bridges occupying the park's center.

Throughout the day, I stared into the crowd and was amazed at what I saw. Surprisingly, Louisville is a very young and diverse city, despite its Midwest roots, with several interracial couples and friend groups out and about. There was a wide of fashion displayed, and for the most part, folks showed up and showed out with their fits. It also became common to watch Harlow appear on the side of the stage and watch his peers perform, take pictures, and move around the crowd in a golf cart.

PHOTO BELONGS TO MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY

As crazy as this might sound, I wouldn't have guessed the ‘Lovin On Me’ hitmaker was famous if I didn’t know who he was. He genuinely looked like everyone else at the Gazebo Festival -- an excited fan of live music. The city’s entire personality is Jack. A city that balances its storied history while embracing its future is Jack. I can’t express enough the importance of an artist having a hometown they’re proud of and vice versa.

I don’t know when I’ll return to the 502, but I want to return one day! Once again, congratulations to Harlow and his squad for making history in their city last weekend. It is only the beginning, and I hope they continue to build Gazebo Festival. I’ll pop out again but, let me secure that nice AirBNB, I stayed in, first.

-Arden AKA isthatarden (Finished at 2:11 AM at June 1st, 2024)