This article appears in the January 2011 issue of Louisville Magazine. To subscribe, please visit loumag.com.

Chances are you have either made a mix tape for someone or received one. When the phrase "mix tape" is uttered, it is understood that it generally means a mix CD these days. Think of it like saying "Coke" to mean "soda." Mix tapes are about flow and feeling not happenstance. The mix tape, like a concept record, should be compiled with its entirety in mind. Even if the theme is bound by a certain moment in time, the song order is critical to its overall effect. And people in Louisville are generally like anyone else when it comes to making the perfect mix tape.

The flood of August 4th, 2009 left a devastating wake of destruction throughout the Louisville area. And like many Louisvillians, I was upset to learn that one of the most hard-hit locations was the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Shut down ever since the flood, the museum has been painstakingly reconstructing its beloved exhibits ever since. Just in time for the 2010 Derby Festival kick-off, the Kentucky Derby Museum is ready to reopen its doors. And to celebrate this triumph, they're having a party...and you're invited!