City of Louisville Makes New Partnership with the Cultural Caravan

After a successful collaboration in June 2022, the Louisville Cultural Council and the Cultural Caravan are making plans to bring three events to the Louisville community in the 2023 season.

Cultural Caravan artistic director Josh Halpern poses with members of the Louisville Fire Department during the Caravan's event at Louisville Fire Station 2 in June 2021

Following a successful event presented at Louisville Fire Station 2 in June 2022 with the cooperation of local Louisville restaurants Moxie Bread Co., Lulu's BBQ, and Pica's Taqueria, the City of Louisville has invited the Cultural Caravan to be an active partner in the conception and production of its community programming for 2023.

Through this partnership, the Cultural Caravan will realize a major goal for future sustainability: building a blueprint by which municipalities can lean on the Caravan's administrative infrastructure, artist roster, and financial backing to enhance its communal cultural programs, while the Caravan leverages the municipality's communication platforms to broaden community awareness of other Caravan activities.

This is a big step for the Cultural Caravan, adding yet another element to the intersectionality of its programming. The Caravan began in 2021 by bringing together artists with local businesses. In 2022, social-service nonprofits including Boulder Food Rescue and El Centro Amistad were added, in an effort to reach underserved communities within Boulder County. For 2023, the addition of municipal partnerships means not only important new community connections, but also another revenue stream.

Per the agreement with the City of Louisville, the Cultural Caravan will deliver three separate events over the course of its 2023 season:

1. One local business Social Music pop-up concert

2. One community block party-style event at Fire Station 1

3. The opening concert of the Louisville Community Parks Concerts series (June 15)

This agreement will be finalized in early 2023.