On the first weekend of October, Louisville residents in search of a good time had the choice of several 
popular fairs to visit, including the the St. James Fair in Old Louisville.
Since 1957, when the neighborhood was in shambles, the fair has attracted visitors to a humble celebration of the neighborhood, where art was displayed on clotheslines that ran for tree to tree. Now the fair has been considered the best art show in the nation by Sunshine Magazine in recent years and draws 750 artists and 300,000 people. Over the years, proceeds from the fair have aided neighborhood restoration.
For the past 13 years, a competing event, the Unfair, has been held in the parking lot of the Magnolia Bar. The artists are local and more avant guard. About 20 "starving artists" who cannot or do not want to pay the steep $450 entrance fee at the St. James Fair offer affordable art to a loyal, but smaller crowd. Prior to last year when the city imposed $85 fees on artists who wish to exhibit, artists sold their wares in the bar parking lot or outside the St. James fair.
This drama comes to life every October and is an interesting commentary on the dynamics of modern Louisville. As Louisville become more upscale with developments like NuLu and gentrification projects around the city, the reality is that Louisville has working class roots. A strong contingent of locals who love their neighborhoods also love the fact that the area is being restored, but are often less than thrilled that development may leave them behind. Developers and merchants aim to bring new money into the neighborhood, and pitch to outsiders not locals.
Old Louisville, the scene of the dueling fairs, was once an area for the wealthy, but deteriorated badly over the years. Stately brick Victorian buildings with elegant stained glass windows fell into disrepair. Homes were subdivided into apartments. The area, though near the University of Louisville, was a haven for drugs and crimes. In 1960, activists spearheaded by Courier-Journal writer J. Douglass Nunn started Restoration, Inc. which restored 10 home in St. James Court. The effort spread. Ultimately, by 1975, the area was named a historic preservation district. Each passing decade has bought new developments to restore the unique architecture of the neighborhoods, though large sections still need renovation.
Currently, the population of the neighborhood is a diverse mix of students, young professionals, and hipsters who come to soak up the neighborhood culture. Property values are up, crime is down, and exciting new restaurants and shops draw in traffic to an area once again known for its beautiful architecture the "largest collection of pedestrian-only streets of any U.S. neighborhood."
There is hint of protest to all this represented by the Unfair. However, the future of Old Louisville lies in the wave of development still in full force. At the same time, there is always room for an alternative voice. As is true in Butchertown and other parts of Louisville, different views will continue to coexist and make their mark on neighborhood history.
At the moment, there are some amazing housing values in Old Louisville. Make sure to ask Mollie of Younger Group Real Estate how you can be part to the emerging history of an up and coming neighborhood. We know Louisville!!
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