This narrated cruise will present the history of Louisville and Southern Indiana through a unique perspective – the Ohio River.

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage joins the Belle of Louisville’s Our River City cruise to highlight African American Heritage on the Ohio River, the intersection between art, culture, and the environment – so important to the River City. The River City owes much of its authentic culture to the many African American men and women who labored to make it so.

Join us on a heritage cruise as we take a journey back in time to explore the stories of some extraordinary people who built the River City experience as we know it today.

The cruise experiences will include staffed information tables, live presentations, and a performance.

Friday, June 7th, 2024, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm

• A narrated presentation about the history of Louisville and Southern Indiana.
• A vignette performance of “Songbird of the South: The Real Mary Ann Fisher Story,” a one-woman performance by Marjorie Marshall. This brief evocative account is part of Louisville Tourism’s Unfiltered Truth Collection produced and performed at KCAAH. The performance chronicles Fisher’s life from her tragic and traumatic childhood in Henderson, Kentucky, to her ascension to be one of the first talented singers whose life and art became professionally and personally intertwined with the legendary Ray Charles.
• An exhibition showcasing award-winning photographs from the annual Ripple Effects: Exploring Water in Louisville Photo Contest, by K-12 students who captured images of what water means to them. Water is a vital element to life on Earth, and our city is fortunate to be nestled along the mighty Ohio River.

Friday, June 14th, 2024, from 1:00-3:00 pm

• A narrated presentation about the history of Louisville and Southern Indiana.
• Jug Band Music in the River City, a presentation by Michael L. Jones, Louisville journalist and author of “Louisville Jug Music: From Earl McDonald to National Jubilee”. Jones will be on deck to discuss how Jug Band music was forged on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers during the nineteenth century. Jug band music was the early soundtrack for a new nation, and the River City was at the heart of it all.
• An exhibition showcasing award-winning photographs from the annual Ripple Effects: Exploring Water in Louisville Photo Contest, by K-12 students who captured images of what water means to them. Water is a vital element to life on Earth, and our city is fortunate to be nestled along the mighty Ohio River.