The Woman’s Club of Louisville Hosts Bourbon & Bites

By Kelsey Knott Photos By Kathryn Harrington Sponsored

Bourbon & Bites is back! On November 7th, The Woman’s Club of Louisville invites you to sip, savor, and support.

The charity fundraiser funds their small community grants. Ann Pavon, chair of the Bourbon & Bites event and Interest Groups Coordinator, states, “Last year, we were able to give away $45,000–all local! I feel so good about that for an organization with under 500 members.” Over the last five years, WCL has donated over $153,000, including pandemic years when holding events wasn’t permitted.

With historical ties dating back to the suffragist movement and a commitment to do whatever it takes to improve the community, The Woman’s Club of Louisville has a rich legacy of extraordinary women, dating back to its founding in 1890.

Margaret Young, Archivist, Historian, and Director of all Fundraising, relayed a wealth of knowledge about the founders, buildings, andthe club’s evolution. Susan Look Avery, WCL Founder, brought together artists, writers, politicians, and quality women to take on various civic and philanthropic missions, including founding both the Louisville & Kentucky Equal Rights Associations. Two members were the impetus for what is now Norton’s Children’s Hospital after a tornado collapsed a building with indigent children inside. These women helped save Central Park from being subdivided. Sarah Short Barnes, chair of the statewide Woman’s Clubs’ Horseback Librarian program worked to establish the city’s library system alongside Patty Semple, WCL’s first president. “It was so popular and successful that when the state took over the program, they kept our member as state chair, the only woman on the City Library board for years.” Semple was also at the forefront of the nation’s kindergarten movement, founded Girl Scouts in Louisville, and helped register over 12,000 women to vote, remaining inclusive to black communities at a crucial time in history. Today, funding Central Park’s playground revitalization, running a little library, donating school uniforms, and providing high-need students with Mother’s Day gifts are just a few ways WCL gives back. Young stays inspired by Susan Avery’s words that timelessly ring true: “If we don’t help them, who will?”

In true Kentucky fashion, over 15 distilleries will be represented at Bourbon & Bites, ranging from established names like Heaven Hill to emerging brands, with a particular focus on female-owned distilleries aligning with the club’s mission. Distillers will get a moment on stage after the auction, and the best bourbon of the night is up for a prize. Furthermore, the Bourbon Pull allows guests to buy a sight-unseen, random bottle of Bourbon, a chance at a well-known brand or a well-kept-secret brand. Last year’s Bourbon Pull sold out in 30 minutes.

Alongside libations, guests can expect gourmet bites by Parkway Diner Catering as well as live and silent auctions with prizes varying from unique experiences, like a Churchill Downs Turf Club box or gourmet Chef Todd Alexander (soon to appear on HGTV) cooking a four-course meal for eight at your home, to classic items like a massive Dan Dry “Downs at Dawn” photograph depicting the sunrise over the spires in all its breathtaking glory. 

Gayle Bonnarens, President of WCL, hopes to raise awareness around how hard the club works to give back: “We give back to so many needs, especially for women and children. Knowing who we are and our function within the community allows us to be more generous. We’re always looking for smaller groups to support, and we can be instrumental in helping startups get off the ground and grow.”

Tickets go on sale September 1st on the website: wclousiville.org