Originally seen here on WLKY, Joyce Ogirri, 23.FEB.2026
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A festival in west Louisville brought the community together for a good cause on Sunday.
The Groove and Grow Fest blended live music, yoga, and local vendors at Portal in the Portland neighborhood, raising money to support Arthur’s Earth Sanctuary, a planned community garden and yoga pavilion on Vermont Avenue.
Organizer Dre Smith hopes to transform vacant space into a place of fresh food, healing, and connection for the neighborhood.
His vision includes building 28 raised garden beds capable of producing more than 700 pounds of fresh produce each year, helping address food access challenges in the area.
All proceeds from the festival will go directly toward developing Arthur’s Earth Sanctuary.
So far, Smith has raised about 30 percent of his $45,000 goal through private donations and fundraising efforts.
One vendor said supporting the project has been meaningful.
“It’s hard to get good produce at some of the grocery stores. So we are in a place where we’re trying to teach people to invest in themselves by investing in their neighborhood,” said Albert Schumake owner of Love Always.
“We don’t have flower shops and donut shops and coffee shops in the West End. So we are at a place where we’re trying to reclaim our neighborhood and show pride in it,” he said.
He also said helping bring Smith’s idea to life has been fulfilling.
“A lot of times, people who want to make change don’t get the support they need. So for me to be fuel for his fire has been very fulfilling, seeing him come to me with an idea and helping to execute it,” Shumake said.
Organizers hope the sanctuary will serve as a lasting space where residents of West Louisville can grow food, gather, and contribute to the health of their own community.
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