I know there are Louisvillians out there who claim that there is no reason for them to ever come to Indiana. As a former Louisville resident, I was called to Indiana by a much lower mortgage payment. But if the lower cost of living isn't enough to bring you to Southern Indiana, maybe these three weekend events will help you work up the courage to drive across a bridge:

The RiverStage
Every weekend this summer, the city of Jeffersonville will host Friday and Saturday night events on RiverStage, a floating stage located on the Ohio River at Jeffersonville's Terraced Lawn. The best part—all of the events are free. This weekend, RiverStage will host musical guests The Monarchs and Spaghetti Junction on Friday night. On Saturday, visitors to RiverStage can watch Planet 51 on an old school drive-in theater screen.

Art on the Parish Green
Another free event, Art on the Parish Green is an art and craft show at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Albany. Visitors can browse and buy arts and crafts made by local artists, tour Culbertson Mansion, take a carriage ride, enjoy live music, and drink NABC beer. That's not all, but if those things weren't enough to entice you, you should probably just sit on your couch in Louisville and watch the Lost finale again.

Keg Liquors Feast of Ale
The Feast of Ale is an annual festival that brings together more than 40 breweries that will serve samples of their wares. There will also be food off the grill, live music, and a silent auction. The Feast of Ale takes place at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Clarksville on Saturday from 3-7 p.m. This one, unfortunately, isn't free, but $30 is a small price to pay for samples of 150 beers.

Photo: Flickr/Mike McCune