Fall foliage best practices

• Foliage as fertilizer: Add whole leaves to your garden beds. A 6-8" layer of leaves will help add organic matter to your garden, improving soil quality + helping with drainage and aeration.
  
• Mowing: If you have minimal amounts of leaves, just mow over them. This will allow the chopped-up leaves to fall between the blades of grass, naturally fertilizing the soil.
  
  • Pro tip: Mow regularly throughout the fall + when the leaves are dry — don’t wait until all the leaves have fallen.
  • Consider: If you can’t see your grass due to fallen foliage, your turf will die. Consider a blend of the two above methods for a healthy lawn.
• Composting: This method allows you to keep the leaves off your lawn, while still utilizing their nutrients in your houseplants + landscaping. Learn more about composting, here.

City services

• Yard bags or carts: Waste management will continue to collect waste carts on a regular basis throughout the year.
  
  • Pro tip: A coupon for yard waste bags will be mailed out in early November.
• Haley Pike Composting Facility: Citizens can dispose of yard waste at 4216 Hedger Ln., free of charge, for the months of November and December.

• Jeff Tweedy | Wed., Oct. 19 | 8 p.m. | The Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main St., Lexington | $64.00 | Jeff Tweedy of the famous alternative band Wilco will be headlining at the historic Kentucky Theatre.
• Make Your Own Walking Stick | Wed., Oct. 19 | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | McConnell Springs, 416 Rebmann Lane, Lexington | $15.00 | Prepare for your next hiking adventure by crafting your own hiking stick with other community members.
• Yappy Hour Halloween Party | Wed., Oct. 19 | 5-7 p.m. | Jacobson Park, 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Road, Lexington | Free | This pop-up howl-o-ween party features a costume contest, food trucks, beverages, and plenty of playtime for pups.

• Brother Smith | Thu., Oct. 20 | 7 p.m. | The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd, Lexington | $15.00 | This local folk group is headlining in the Distillery District, bringing other local musicians along for the performance.

• Spooktacular Parent Survival Night | Fri., Oct. 21 | 6-10 p.m. | The Little Gym of Lexington, 3101 Richmond Rd., Ste. 309, Lexington | $35.00 | Drop your kids off to enjoy costumes, games, and movies while you treat yourself to a night out.

• Brews and Bites Oktoberfest | Sat., Oct. 22 | 12-5 p.m. | Greyline Station, 101 W. Loudon Ave., Lexington | $10.00 - $60.00 | Greyline Station’s first-ever beer and food festival featuring 20+ breweries from around the state.
• Introduction to Backpacking | Sat., Oct. 22 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Hisle Farm Park, 3551 Briar Hill Rd., Lexington | Free | This short hike led by Parks & Rec staff will help participants learn the basics of what to bring on their backpacking adventure + trail safety tips.

• PumpkinMania Festival | Sun., Oct. 23 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Transylvania University, 300 N. Broadway, Lexington | This annual festival invites citizens to carve pumpkins and display them on the historic steps of the Old Morrison building on Transylvania’s campus.

• 54º | Sunny | 1% chance of rain

• The city is hosting a hazardous waste disposal event this Sat., Oct. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1631 Old Frankfort Pike. Citizens are invited to dispose of household materials free of charge. View the list of acceptable items. ☣️

• The UK Arboretum is partnering with the LFUCG to host a Bradford Pear replacement event this Sat., Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you cut down your invasive Bradford Pear + bring it to this event, you will receive a native tree to replace it for free. 🌳

• 27. That’s how many former UK basketball players are on NBA Opening-Day rosters — more than any other college program in the country. Additionally of the 30 NBA teams, 17 of those teams contain former Wildcats, more than 50%. 🏀 (UK Athletics)
• $3.5 billion. That’s how much money in NBA contracts John Calipari-coached basketball players have garnered while he has been the head coach of the Wildcats. Additionally, take our sports survey to let us know what you think of our coverage. (UK Athletics)

• The UK women’s basketball team will be hosting Fan Day this Sat., Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. inside Memorial Coliseum. Fans are invited to watch the team scrimmage and say hello during an autograph signing. 🏀 (UK Athletics)

• LexArts, located at 161 N. Mill St., has a new gallery on display until Sat., Nov. 5 — “Our Kentucky Home: Hispanic/Latin American Visual Art in the Commonwealth.” This exhibit has been traveling across the Commonwealth, starting in Paducah, now in Lexington + ending in Louisville, to showcase Hispanic heritage in Kentucky. 🖼

• The city + local nonprofit Caring Costumes is hosting a free Halloween costume giveaway today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dunbar Community Center, 545 N. Upper St. The event aims to provide children with Halloween costumes who may not have the ability to participate in the festivities. Consider donating a costume. 👻

• Transylvania University is hosting a literary panel discussion on Thurs., Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. titled “Stories and Myths of American Youth.” The event will feature four Lexington-based young adult authors, open discussions about storytelling + a book signing. (1780)

• The Kentucky Department of Education has released 2022 school report card data. Click here to search for specific districts and schools + click here to read about Fayette County’s scores. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

• Between school drop-off and pick-up, after-school activities + more, we can’t be the only Lexingtonians who could use some fuel savings at the pump. Pro tip: Boost members earn double fuel points at Kroger ⛽ *

• If you WFH like us, it’s nearly time to break out the space heater. Solve chilly mornings the energy-efficient way with the Dr. Infrared Heater that warms objects, not the air. Hello, cozy legs. Bonus: Heat your patio with infrared, too. 🔥*

• Currently: Lexington’s tree canopy stands at ~23% coverage.
• In the future: Officials look to increase this number to 30% coverage.
• By the numbers:
  
  • Between 2012-2020, Lexington’s tree canopy increased by 1700 acres, most of which is on privately-owned land.
  • Working to grow the city’s canopy by 7% could be an investment of $1.5 million.