Kentucky Exposition Center — Attraction in Louisville

Attended louder then life the last weekend. Handicap toilets by center stage used by everyone and full after the first concert. Mulch was put down in front of bathrooms to cover mud. Im sure they had the best of intentions but those of us in wheelchairs would of probably preferred not to have muddy wood chips flying into our ankles and getting stuck in that. A solid piece of wood or even gravel would have been much better. Handicap toilets had no toilet paper two days. The staff going up the ramp tried to be accommodating but very clear they are volunteers with absolutely no ADA training. Often walking into wheelchair users and putting electric wheelchairs trapped between chairs instead of asking those who could stand to move to one area or another. Again some were very kind and friendly like Diamond but most lacked basic knowledge and empathy. Handicap parking and accessibility into venue did not have section reserved for wheelchairs and allowed many walking people into spots that should have been reserved for handicap with wheelchairs. There was no designated wheelchair access at any gate. They just failed horribly to accommodate those with wheels on uneven ground. There was no way to purchase handicap seating so first come first serve with many many wheelchairs not able to avoid crowds and sit in a safe place not amongst drunk concertgoers who blindly walked right into the wheelchair, rollators and electric wheelchairs users. All in all two stars for the kind people but they're the only reason you earned it. Horrible planning and execution over all four days no improvement, just crumbling conditions with no safety oversight of any kind. Will not be returning ever. Rain and mud couldn't be helped. I would like to see more consideration for those pushing those with wheels by having specific path for wheelchairs use and access to more then 3 bathrooms at each designated seating area. Toilet paper available everyday. Wheelchair entry point that's way easier to access then standing in walking line. Selling wheelchair tickets online and actually knowing how many wheelchairs are estimated to be on premises would...

A great exposition facility that can accommodate nearly any type of convention, performance, rodeo, flea market... the list goes on and on. The facility's original focus was the state fair. Though the state fair is still probably the biggest event, especially for those 11 days in August, the focus has shifted to the convention and exposition business. For the state fair, is provides more indoor, air-conditioned square footage than any other state fair in the country (as of this writing). It's a huge place providing a lot of Class A expo space (bright lights, high ceilings, and few columns). There also a lot of older spaces at the facility which provides areas where an expo can get a little dirty if it needs to. There are three stadiums here as well. This place can handle it all. The places was built in the 50s with major renovations and expansions in nearly each decade. It has kept up with the times, but navigating can be a little convoluted as the layout was obviously not a single vision when originally designed. They have done a decent job, though. THE BAD Parking can be a nightmare. Different traffic flows and patterns have been used over the years. None have really worked that well. If you are going to an all-day event, it's usually not an issue. If you are going to an event that starts at a certain time (show, concert, etc.)... go VERY early... get there HOURS early! It is common for traffic to quickly back up onto interstate ramps and move less than a snail's pace. Getting out can be almost as bad, though maybe a little faster. Parking lots are scattered all over. Most of the time, I usually end up in a lot that is nowhere near the part of the facility where I want to go. Sometimes, I have dished out the parking fee and ended up in a muddy, grassy, auxiliary lot... never happy about that. The parking is not always this bad, but be warned... it can easily be. Check their website to see if you are visiting on a day with multiple events... this may help to decide when to arrive. In summary, other than the parking, I really do consider this place to be a world class...

I am handicap. I was attending Bourbon & Beyond with my daughter 2024. We went in here so that I could use restroom before entering concert. As one of my last requests as I am terminal was to go to this festival. This was hands down one of the worst experiences of my life. This lady sitting at table told me she was the manager and that I could absolutely not use the restroom. I begged her calmly & politely. Not sure how she couldn’t tell by my multiple braces. She started yelling at me and told me I had to go into festival. Whelp after peeing myself in the middle of the lobby we had to pack up and leave & not even concert. $450 down the drain my teenage daughter worked all summer to buy to treat me for one day. I’m writing this review so that this may help other handicap patrons. No one should be treated this way. She was an older black lady in case upper management is interested to know who it is. I worked in the music industry for a very long time and put on the first several Bonnaroo’s. I live in Nashville, TN & have traveled all over the country going to music festivals my whole life. This lady had no grace or mercy on me. I’ve never been treated this way. She could have asked one of the few employees to walk me to the bathroom and make sure i get back out. My daughter would have stayed with her. Nobody was really even in the lobby. Maybe some people at ATM so it’s not like she was being watched. I just had to share my experience here bc it was a very sad day and i wld not recommend ever attending a concert...