Maybe you sensed the tides changing toward beef and buns during the first seconds of July 1.

As soon as midnight struck, gone were the days of National Iced Tea Month or National Candy Month, both observed in June, the same month that hosts National Doughnut Day.

It’s July now, and that means National Hot Dog Month is here to stay for 31 days.

Louisville is home to plenty of hot dog joints, whether they serve classics with a $3 price tag or gourmet glizzies topped with unlikely ingredients such as wild arugula or a fried mac-and-cheese ball.

More: How Eastern Kentucky hot dogs tell a uniquely American story

To kick off National Hot Dog Month and ahead of National Hot Dog Day on July 15, here are 15 of the best spots, presented in alphabetical order, to grab a hot dog in Louisville.

Did we miss your favorite? Send a note to ahancock@courier-journal.com.

Where to get hot dogs in Louisville, Ky.

This Schnitzleburg neighborhood favorite, which has been open for more than 60 years, is a go-to spot for a classic one-quarter pound grilled hot dog. Or you can upgrade to the knife-and-fork production of the Check’s Chili Cheese Dog, a grilled hot dog topped with its famous chili and cheddar cheese, served smothered on a bun ($11.99).

Details: 1101 E. Burnett Ave., Louisville, Ky., Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday, noon to 10 p.m., checkscafe.com

This Louisville staple has been around since 1951 and serves a variety of milkshakes, sundaes, hand-dipped ice cream cones, soft-serve ice cream and smoothies. Specialty treats include a funnel fry sundae, banana split, s’mores parfait and hot fudge cake. A whole section of the menu is dedicated to hot dogs, Polish sausages, and brats, which start at just $2.25.

Details: 1516 S. Shelby St., Louisville, Ky., daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., facebook.com/DairyDel/

You’ll get a sweet sense of nostalgia at this walk-up spot that’s been soft serve royalty for 40 years in Louisville. Along with treats like sundaes, flurries and milkshakes, hot dogs are a hit at Dairy Kastle. You’ll find a regular hot dog, along with a chili dog, bratwurst, a vegan dog and a taco-in-a-bag.

Details: 575 Eastern Parkway, Louisville, Ky., Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Monday, dairykastle.com

CORBIN, Ky. (WTVF) — Road trippers are pouring in from across the country to Cumberland Falls near Corbin, Kentucky, for one of the rarest sights in nature.

“I would have never thought in Kentucky there was a waterfall like this,” Josh Sharp, a tourist from Ohio, said. “How often do you see nature like this?”

Alan Jett, a tourist from Pennsylvania, said his wife spotted the destination while looking at a map. “It’s gorgeous, it really is,” Jett said.

But it is not just the 70 foot waterfall drawing the crowds. It is the moonbow, that appears alongside it during the light of a full moon, that has every cabin booked and the phone at the park ringing nonstop.

“People are here for the moonbow,” Maggy Kriebel, park manager at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, said. “Cumberland Falls is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that you can see a regularly occurring moonbow.”

A moonbow is similar to a daytime rainbow, but instead of sunlight, the colors come from moonlight. “The moon lines up just right with this mist off this waterfall,” professional photographer Max Caswell said.

Caswell enjoys capturing moonbows so much that he arrived hours early just to secure a spot along the river, checking conditions before the show began.

“I was actually looking to see how much mist was running down river,” Caswell said.

The wait, however, requires patience.”It’s going to be another hour and a half at least,” Caswell said. “The moon’s just now at the horizon.”

As darkness fell and the full moon rose above the trees, hundreds gathered to witness the spectacle. To the naked eye, the moonbow appears as a ghostly white arc, but cameras with long exposure settings reveal it bursting with color. “Boy that looks really good now. It’s brightening up a lot!” Caswell said.

By the end of the night, the display did not disappoint. “You can actually kind of see almost a double [moonbow] starting right there,” Caswell said, showing us one of his pictures.

According to the park, Cumberland Falls is the only place on this side of the world to catch almost monthly moonbows. The only other location where moonbows can be seen regularly is Victoria Falls in Africa.

Weather permitting, a moonbow is visible at Cumberland Falls every full moon — and that is what keeps photographers like Caswell coming back. “You never know what to expect. You don’t know if it’s going to be spot on. But that’s what keeps you going back out there and trying to chase that perfect shot,” Caswell said.

2026 Cumberland Falls moonbow dates

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has released its 2026 moonbow viewing schedule. All times are approximate (in the Eastern Time Zone) and based on the evening of arrival.

July

• July 1: 12:30 am – 2:30 am
• July 27: 10:00 am – 12:00 am
• July 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
• July 29: 11:00 pm – 1:00 am
• July 30: 11:30 pm – 1:30 am
• July 31: 12:00 am – 2:00 am

August

• Aug. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
• Aug. 27: 10:00 pm – 12:00 am
• Aug. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
• Aug. 29: 11:00 pm – 1:00 am
• Aug. 30: 11:30 pm – 1:30 am

September

• Sept. 24: 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
• Sept. 25: 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Sept. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
• Sept. 27: 10:00 pm – 12:00 am
• Sept. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am

October

• Oct. 24: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Oct. 25: 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
• Oct. 26: 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Oct. 27: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
• Oct. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am

November

• Nov. 22: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Nov. 23: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Nov. 24: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Nov. 25: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Nov. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm

December

• Dec. 21: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Dec. 22: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dec. 23: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Dec. 24: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Dec. 25: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm

Do you have any great shots from recent Moonbows at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky? Share them with me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.

There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Kentucky Wildcats this summer as Mark Pope and his staff look to make some noise in Year 3. One of those key players? Milan Momcilovic.

The Iowa State sharpshooter chose the Cats over Louisville and Arizona, and is now set up to be one of the key players on the roster this season. With a quick recruitment, however, and no campus visits, how did Milan come to the decision of heading to Lexington?

Here is what he told the UK Sports Network for why he chose Mark Pope and Kentucky:

“Playing against him at BYU really stood out to me,” Momcilovic said. “I think the first year or two at Iowa State, we played against him, and his teams are tough to play against. A lot of shot-making they had, that really stood out. He likes playing with a lot of shooters, and obviously that’s my strength. We mesh so well together.”

It was widely talked about how well he fit into the shooting role that we have seen from players in Coach Pope’s offense. Koby Brea shined in his first season, and it was Colin Chandler last year. Now all the pieces are set up for Momcilovic to become the great shooter for the Cats this year.

THAT IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!

It is Mitch Barnhart’s last day.

A cool story about one of the new UK transfers.