Jeffersonville approves Shakespeare in the Park, other events

Aprile Rickert, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Mar. 3—JEFFERSONVILLE — The Jeffersonville Board of Public Works has approved four special events this year — three in early spring — which could signal a return to a measure of normalcy after a year of shuttered activities due to COVID-19.

The board on Wednesday approved permits for three run/walk events and Shakespeare in the Park. All passed the city events planning board Tuesday, Parks director Paul Northam said during the meeting.

—April 22-25: The Kentucky Derby Festival mini-marathon will for the first time cross over into Southern Indiana, taking advantage of the recently completed Ohio River Greenway. Runners will cross the Big 4 Bridge into Jeffersonville, take the Greenway to New Albany and turn around, the course culminating at the soccer stadium in downtown Louisville.

The event will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. over the four days, with groups staggered to help maintain social distancing and safety. Neither the Big 4 Bridge nor any Jeffersonville roads will be closed during the run. New Albany approved its portion last week. For more information, visit www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com.

—April 24: Shakespeare in the Park will be staged at 7 p.m. at the Big 4 Park Pavilion

—May 15: The 22challenge.org 10K Ruck March will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon, starting at the Jeffersonville Overlook at Riverside Drive and including the Big 4 Bridge and Falls of the Ohio.

22challenge.org seeks to support all veterans, with a focus on mental health and suicide prevention. For more information, visit www.22.challenge.org.

—Sept. 8: Louisville Grows 5K Run/Walk will start at 8 a.m. at the Jeffersonville River Stage area on Riverside Drive and continue to the Falls of the Ohio.

This inaugural event will help raise funds to support greener, healthier neighborhoods in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area for tree planting to reduce the urban heat island effect. Registration is $30. For more information, visit https://louisvillegrows.org/calendar/plant-5k-run-walk/.

"I'm very excited to [be] opening Jeffersonville back up to everyone," Mayor Mike Moore said following the meeting. "We are gearing up for a very special year."