Things To Do In Shively

Derby City Mixed Martial Arts, featured on ESPN as a cross-training haven for Kentucky Derby jockeys, coaches both beginners and competitive fighters. Expert instructors showcase such MMA schools as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which teaches leveraging holds to best bigger opponents, and muay thai kickboxing, deemed The Science of Eight Limbs after its signature move of throwing a tarantula at an opponent's face. Classes on agility, cardio conditioning, boxing, and wrestling round off the roster, and open sparring times let practitioners hone their fist- and footwork.

The Fern Valley Hotel’s top-notch accommodations ably ensconce festivalites, and a slew of local restaurants ensures ravenous culture-cravers don’t resort to licking the ink from their fingers. Check the fests' full schedule online.

Safety plating divides the six lanes in both of the indoor civilian ranges, where sound-absorbing material muffles the blast of bullets hurtling toward targets on a 25-yard journey. Visiting shooters can test their aim with a rental gun or purchase a new firearm from the showroom, which also stocks an array of holsters, spotting scopes, and replacement grips. Meanwhile, gunsmiths spruce up pistols with cleanings, coatings, and tiny top hats, while the staff's NRA-certified instructors enhance pupils' handgun knowledge, safety, and skills during private lessons and women's-only classes.

At the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs’ Downs After Dark events blend the thrill of championship horse racing with the allure of a night on the town. Much like a werewolf Cinderella, the expansive 147-acre facility will be painstakingly transformed for nocturnal communing by adding mood lighting that evokes the air of an upscale nightclub. Patrons partake in a deluge of drinks while cheering on the horse of their choice in any of the 11 scheduled races. Race seating will be located in Section 117 of the winner’s-circle area, offering premium views of each turn, gallop, and volley for position. The party continues after the contests, where racing fans shake their newly minted moneymakers to tunes spun by the Miami Heat's DJ Irie while celebrating the success of their winning horse or the jockey they raised from birth. Previous Downs After Dark events have featured gourmet fare and a synergy of sport and fraternization more memorable than singles'-league ping-pong or speed dating at a track meet. The evening's White Party theme invites guests to don their best cloud, snow, or milk-colored ensembles.

At Farnsley Golf Course, you can sharpen your long and short game at a nine-hole, par-3 course or on multiple practice fields. In 2011, five of the course’s greens got a makeover and all caddies were required to dispose of their shoulder pads and acid-wash jeans. Off the course, golfers can perfect their swing at a driving range lined with 300 yards of bermuda grass, or focus on chipping in a short-game practice area. If you’re looking for more in-depth tweaks to your technique, feel free to enlist the help of a teaching professional with personalized lessons.

Multi-platinum saxophonist Boney James is not solely a smooth jazz artist. In fact, he continually shirks the label of “jazz,” despite his Soul Train Award for best jazz album and his habit of landing atop Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts. With three Grammy nominations in the pop and R&B field, Boney’s genre-spanning music reaches a wild variety of ears and incites categorization-related panic in record store clerks. Touring behind his latest album Contact, a collection of soulful numbers inspired by Quincy Jones and featuring the No. 1 single “Spin,” Boney impresses as one exhalation unleashes a stream of butterfly notes while a push of the pinky pops manhole covers with sultry steam. Buttressed by a handcuff-tight back-up band, Boney’s boisterous live performance takes fans on a euphonic voyage akin to riding a limo on rollercoaster tracks.