Dawn’s Early Light Campout
with Black Azz Camping
Event Details
Spend the night of Friday, July 3rd, camping at Historic Locust Grove with Black Azz Camping! We invite the entire community to join us for an evening of community-centered experiences, including hikes, storytelling, games, and meaningful connection to the land.
This event is FREE, but registration is REQUIRED.
Dawn’s Early Light–the sunrise gathering and community breakfast that kicks off Louisville’s official America250 programming on July 4th–begins the night before on Friday, July 3rd, with a new partnership between Historic Locust Grove and Black Azz Camping (BAC). BAC is a local, community-driven outdoor initiative dedicated to increasing access, representation, and cultural connection to nature for Black communities.
BAC program elements include guided reflection walks. At Locust Grove, the facilitated storytelling will be about land, enslavement, and reclamation, while integrating Louisville’s historical context. There is also a Youth Engagement portion with interactive learning and youth-led reflections on land and identity. This collaboration creates space to engage with history honestly and intentionally, reconnect communities with land in meaningful ways, provide youth with transformative outdoor experiences, and build a model for culturally responsive programming.
Setup will begin at 3 PM. You will provide your own camping equipment, including tent(s)/sleeping bag(s)/etc. Locust Grove and BAC will provide a fire pit, bathroom facilities, food trucks, guided hikes of Locust Grove’s 55 acres of historic farm and woodlands, and fireside storytelling, as well as guidance, assistance, and supervision for camping setup and all activities.
Space is limited, so register today!
What To Bring:
Tent, sleeping bag, (air mattress, cot), pillow, camping chair
Cover Headlamp/flashlight + extra batteries
Layers for warm days/cool nights; waterproof/water-resistant shoes
Toiletries
Good energy
Hiking boots
Trekking pole
Great attitude
Trash Bags
Change of clothes
Refillable water bottle; small cooler/snacks (optional)
Yoga mat (for morning sessions)
Cash/card for food trucks and merch
Reminders: respect the land; rain or shine; leave no trace.