Kentucky Bat Festival

Join Second Chances Wildlife Center at Louisville Slugger Field, as we celebrate and raise funds to continue our efforts to rescue wildlife and bring engaging environmental education to Kentuckians.

Last year's Kentucky Bat Festival was held at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and was a great time! This year we are keeping the Louisville Slugger but moving to the Field!

This is a family-friendly event with activities for all ages.

• Meet different species of live bats (including Slugger, one of our life-time sanctuary animals and an endangered Indiana bat)
• Vendor fair
• Live music by Dean Heckel
• Silent auction
• Local Brews
• Educational tables and children's crafts
• Second Chances merch
• Meet popular children's storybook character Stellaluna
• Appearance by Buddy Bat

Ticket prices are: $15 general admission, $10 for children (ages 3-10), ages 2 and under are free.

If your business is interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Brittany Goode-Roberts at [email protected] for more information.

Kentucky is home to 16 species of bats, including 4 endangered species. They are critical members of our ecosystem - providing us with natural pest and disease control.

However, they face serious threats from human encroachment. Second Chances Wildlife Center specializes in bat rehabilitation and aims to change the way we perceive these incredible members of our natural community.

Please join us and learn more about these fascinating creatures!

About Second Chances Wildlife Center:

With the continued degradation of the world’s ecosystems, the need to raise future conservationists and environmental advocates is more urgent than ever before. Our wildlife rescue and environmental education programs provide those we serve with engaging, memorable opportunities to connect with and develop an affinity for the natural world. In addition, a large body of research demonstrates the positive impact of environmental education on student outcomes. Considering Kentucky’s recent ranking as 45th in the nation for high school graduation rates, we see a special need and take pride in delivering programs that help students in both educational and character development.

Through in-school programs, library visits, and partnerships with other nonprofits, we bring people face-to-face with wildlife they may otherwise never have the chance to experience. The ambassador animals that program participants meet offer a personal connection to nature, one that textbooks and videos cannot replicate. For some students that we reach, particularly in urban areas of Louisville, our visit to their classroom may be the only encounter they have with wildlife – their only opportunity to experience nature from inside of the city.

Second Chances Wildlife Center has 15 years of experience rescuing wildlife and spreading environmental stewardship in our community. Executive Director Brigette Brouillard is a certified Master Environmental Educator who taught in classrooms and at the Louisville Zoo for over 20 years and was awarded Kentucky Conservation Teacher of the Year in 2010. Each year, our Animal Care Team rescues and rehabilitates over 300 animals, including federally endangered bat species. Our environmental education programs reach over 2,500 students each year. We also care for 43 animals granted lifetime sanctuary at our Center in Mt. Washington, KY. We were awarded the BBB Ethics in Marketplace in 2019 and the CFNE Art of Governance in 2018. We have been featured on National Geographic, Disney+, PBS, The Today Show, The Dodo, and People Magazine.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Louisville Slugger Field, 401 East Main Street, Louisville, United States