Week of June 23-29, 2008:
Answering the Call: Evansville and the LST
June 25. Willard Library. Historian Tom Lonnberg shares his research into one of Evansville’s major contributions to the war effort. A 45-acre area on Evansville’s riverfront became a production yard for the LST (Land Ship, Tanks), which employed 19,200 workers and produced two ships a week at its peak. Now, this history is celebrated with a permanent docking of an LST on Evansville’s riverfront. 7 p.m. Free. (812) 425-5309.
ROMP River of Music Party
June 26-28. Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, Ky. The seeds for bluegrass music were sewn when various cultures began migrating to the Americas in the 1600’s. Now, it has evolved to become an international pastime, celebrated in Owensboro with the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s ROMP River of Music Party. The Legends concert will headline Thursday night’s entertainment with The Sullivans, The Lewis Family, and The Isaacs performing and culminate Saturday with more than 12 hours of wonderful music. Thursday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 7-10 p.m.; Friday, noon-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Daily advance tickets, $20 adults, $10 seniors and students, 12-years-old and younger, free. 1-888-MY-BANJO or www.riverofmusic.org.
Evansville Freedom Festival
June 26-29, July 4. Evansville Riverfront. A long-running Evansville tradition, the Freedom Festival boasts days chock full of festival food, music, sock hops, amazing air shows, and the highlight, the unlimited hydroplane racing on the river. Fireworks on the riverfront for Fourth of July mark the end of the festival. (812) 421-2200 or www.evansvillfreedomfestival.org.
Rolex Tournament of the Champions
June 30-July 4. Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh. The public is invited to watch some of the best junior players from around the world as they compete in the Rolex Tournament of Champions – the flagship event of the American Junior Golf Association – played on the Tom Fazio-designed course laid out over 418 acres of reclaimed mining land. Victoria National’s course was recently ranked No. 22 on Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses list. (812) 858-8230.
