LOUISVILLE, KY – The 2023 Festival of Faiths will celebrate the power of love to cultivate meaningful connections, strengthen communities and transform lives. Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love — Nov. 15-18, 2023, at the Kentucky Center — will explore contemporary concerns through the lens of faith and tap into our unique capacity for love and compassion.

Adria Johnson

New this year: Metro United Way President and CEO Adria Johnson will join Owsley Brown III to serve as co-chair of the Festival of Faiths, now in its 27th year.

“I want to be intentional with how I spend my time and to channel my energy to be a force for good. The Festival of Faiths is a force for good, and the opportunity to serve as co-chair is truly a gift,” said Adria.

“The community surrounded me with the embodiment of love during the most difficult time in my life,” she added, referring to the loss of her son, Kenneth, in a car crash last fall. “That has inspired me to explore new avenues for care and compassion that will uplift and heal. I am moved by what the festival can do for the community, and I believe it can have a strong catalyzing effect.”

Owsley Brown III

Longtime Festival of Faiths Chair Owsley Brown III said: “We are immensely grateful that Adria has agreed to join us on this journey and look forward to co-creating a moving and unforgettable experience that folks won’t want to miss.”

As festival co-chair, Adria is helping curate the inaugural Festival of Faiths Plaza, which will be FREE and open to the public. This new offering will span the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts lobby, featuring dynamic exhibits, spiritual practices, movement opportunities and hands-on activities

“Since its inception, the festival has sought to exemplify community at its best, providing a welcoming space for all to celebrate our differences as well as our connection as one human family,” said Sarah Riggs Reed, managing director of the Center for Interfaith Relations, host of the annual festival. “It is our hope that the Festival of Faiths Plaza will encourage even more community members to experience this world-renowned interfaith gathering — the first of its kind — right here in Louisville.”

FOR A LIMITED TIME: BOGO TICKETS

To further the goal of expanding the Festival of Faiths’ reach, individual session tickets are currently BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE! That means attendees can bring a friend at no extra cost or attend two sessions for the price of one. See the full schedule of events and buy tickets. All-access festival passes are also available, offering admission to every session and workshop.

2023 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

SESSIONS & PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE:

Embodying Self-Love: Freeing Ourselves from Prisons of Our Own Making
Featuring the Enneagram Prison Project

A Love Letter to Louisville’s Gospel Heritage
Samplings from the “Gospel Music Restoration Project,” curated by Louisville Story Program

Creating Loving Communities: Bridging Divides
Featuring Charles Booker (Hood to the Holler founder), Kiana Del (WUOL host and musician)

Everyday Love Stories: An evening of storytelling and original music
Curated by Tara Anderson (Ten Percent Happier podcast and Moth StorySLAM Louisville)

Is Love a Privilege? Gen Z and Civic Leaders in Conversation
Moderated by Stephen George (Louisville Public Media), Josh Moss (Louisville Magazine)

DIVERSE SPIRITUAL PRACTITIONERS INCLUDE:

  • Dr. Omid Safi – Sufi scholar and Duke University professor of Islamic Studies
  • Thupten Jinpa Langri – Buddhist scholar, author and translator for the Dalai Lama
  • Dr. Lyla June Johnston – Indigenous scholar, musician and community organizer
  • Rabbi Ben Freed – Rabbi at Keneseth Israel Congregation
  • Drepung Gomang Sacred Arts Tour – Tibetan monks, creators of sacred sand mandala

This diverse lineup of participants will inspire us to open our hearts and minds as we envision a more loving future. Through dialogue, music, art, workshops and exhibits, this interfaith celebration will reignite a love of self, of our neighbors, and of the world we share. See the full schedule here.

“The Festival of Faiths provides common ground to have deep, often difficult conversations,” said Owsley Brown III. “We find insight and inspiration in the journey of asking significant questions, regardless of the answers. But perhaps most importantly, it’s a point of departure for meaningful dialogue and actions beyond the festival.”

Visit FestivalofFaiths.org for more details about Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love.

Media Inquiries:
Sarah Kelley, Festival Communications Director
sarahkelley@interfaithrelations.org | 502-544-0112