Costume Kickball

|Art Sanctuary Costume Kickball Tournament|

Get eight to sixteen friends together. Pick a costume. Show up and play kickball for an afternoon. Every dollar supports Art Sanctuary's studios, theatre, galleries and classes right here in Louisville.

Sunday, October 11, 2026 · Noon first pitch · Lyndon Elks Lodge, Louisville
Team registration closes Wednesday, September 30

8
Team Slots, First Come First Served
$400
Per Team, Up To 16 Players
18+
To Play
Free
To Watch, All Ages Welcome
Sept 30
Registration Closes
Six Ways In

However You Want To Take Part

Play

Get A Team Together

Round up 8 to 16 people, name your team, and commit to a costume. Matching team themes are optional. No kickball experience required.

Register your team
Attend

Come Watch, It's Free

All ages welcome. Hot dogs, live commentary from local comedians, a craft and art market, a kids' base run, cornhole, a photo area, and a costume contest for spectators. You can win something without playing.

See the details
Sponsor

Put Your Name On A Field

Your business's name on one of the three diamonds for the day, announced from the microphone all afternoon by the comedians calling the games. Sponsorships start at $100.

Sponsorship options
Sell

Vendor Market

Calling all craft and art vendors! Rent a 6×6 or 10×10 space in the field alongside the games. Market will be directly beside the parking lot and main area of play. Registration closes September 30.

Vendor details
Volunteer

Work The Day With Us

We need umpires, scorekeepers, grill masters, and cheerful people at the check‑in table. Shifts are a few hours and lunch is on us.

Email us
Give

Can't Make It? Give Anyway

Every dollar goes toward the same goal! Adding bathrooms, a fire panel, ADA access and HVAC at our new home. You don't have to be on the field on October 11 to be part of it.

Donate now
Everything You Need To Know

The Details

DetailWhat To Expect
DateSunday, October 11, 2026. Rain date: Sunday, October 18.
TimeTeam check‑in 10:00–11:00 a.m. First pitch at noon. Thanks and awards after the Championship.
WhereLyndon Elks Lodge, 904 Ormsby Lane, Louisville, KY 40242. One large ball field, three diamonds, all games in the same place. Free parking on site.
Entry$400 per team, covering up to 16 players, and a tournament shirt for everyone on your roster. Pay at our donation page and put your team name in the note field.
RegistrationFirst come, first served. Eight slots, confirmed in order of payment. Closes Wednesday, September 30, or sooner if we fill up, with a waiting list after that.
Team sizeMinimum 8 players, maximum 16.
Who can playPlayers must be 18 or older. Spectators of every age are welcome.
FormatEight teams, eleven games, four rounds, played on one large field marked out as three diamonds. Two games run at the same time on the two side diamonds; the Championship is played on the main diamond. Every team is guaranteed at least two games.
Between gamesA craft and art vendor market, cornhole, a photo area for costume pictures, and the Art Sanctuary booth. Bring a chair and make an afternoon of it.
Cost to watchFree. Bring a chair. Donations gratefully accepted.
FoodConcessions on site with hot dogs, snacks and cold drinks. Cash and card.

Schedule

TimeWhat's Happening
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.Team check‑in. Vendor market opens.
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.Costume contest sign-in for both players and spectators
11:15 – 11:30 a.m.Kids run the bases.
11:40 a.m.Player costumes viewed by the judges.
11:50 a.m.Costume parade around the bases.
12:00 noonFirst pitch.
After the ChampionshipAwards ceremony.
What You're Signing Up For

Costumes, Not Uniforms

This is not kickball with a fun hat. There are two costume awards, judging is per person, and spectators can win one of them.

A group in costume holding a purple kickball — a witch, a minion, a mummy, a spider mask and an inflatable axolotl among them
No matching theme required — judging is per person
The Reason This Exists

About Those Costumes

There are two awards: Best Player Costume and Best Attending Person Costume. Spectators and players can win, show up in costume and enter at the Art Sanctuary booth.

Your team does not need a matching theme. Coordinate if you want to; some teams do, and it looks great. But everyone on your roster can also turn up as something completely different, and that is entirely fine. One person in a dinosaur suit standing next to a knight and a bunch of grapes is exactly the spirit of this thing. Judging is per person, not per team.

Player costumes are judged before the first pitch, during the costume parade, while everything is still intact. Do not miss it. By the third round your six weeks of work will look like it lost a fight, and that is exactly as it should be.

Rule One

Closed-Toe Shoes

Closed‑toe athletic shoes for everyone, regardless of what the character wears.

Rule Two

No Props On The Field

No props, weapons, wings or tails during play. Bring them for the parade and the photos.

Then Use Your Judgment

Dress For Actually Playing

You'll be running, kicking and bending over for a couple of hours. Think about how well you can move and see, and remember October in Louisville can still turn warm.

Keep it family‑friendly! There will be children present, and they will be delighted by you. The full rules are here, and worth a read before you register.

Why It Matters

Where Your Money Goes

Art Sanctuary is a Louisville nonprofit that builds a thriving, inclusive community by providing space, support, and opportunity to creators of every genre and background, while making the arts accessible to all through performances, classes, and community events.

Bathrooms
The building has one toilet today
Fire panel
Required before anyone can gather there
ADA access
A ramp, wider doors, compliant exits
HVAC
Heat and air for year‑round use

We're working to reopen our doors at our new home at 2012 Northwestern Parkway, and every dollar raised on October 11 goes toward that. None of the work above is glamorous. All of it is expensive, and keeping us from our next chapter.

This is not a fundraiser for an idea. It's a fundraiser for plumbing, and a fire panel, and a ramp. All the specific things standing between us and an open building full of people making things.

For Businesses

Sponsor The Tournament

Three diamonds. Three names. All afternoon. We play on one large field marked out as three diamonds. The field has two side diamonds running games at the same time, and the main diamond for the Championship. Each one can carry a sponsor's name. Most event sponsorships are a banner people walk past; we have local comedians calling the games on a microphone all day, which means a sponsor's name gets said out loud, dozens of times, to a few hundred people standing right there.

SponsorshipWhat You GetCost
Championship FieldThe main diamond, the fenced one that hosts the Championship and the awards, carries your name all day, spoken from the microphone every time a game is called on it. Banner on the backstop, logo on shirts, booth space, and first claim on a team slot. One available.$1,500
Field SponsorOne of the two side diamonds, where the round games run two at a time, all afternoon, carries your name all day, announced every time a game is called on it. Freestanding banner placement, logo on shirts, booth space, and first claim on a team slot. Two available.$1,000
T-Shirt SponsorPrimary logo position on the back of every shirt, larger than any other sponsor. Your brand keeps circulating around Louisville long after the tournament. $1,000
ConcessionsSignage at the stand and "brought to you by" from the microphone all afternoon.$750
Costume ContestYou present the costume awards and appear in every winner's photograph.$500
EquipmentProvide the kickballs, bases and field supplies. Signage at all three diamonds, logo on shirts. Credited at the $500 level.In‑kind
Friend Of The TournamentYour name on this page and on our thank‑you sign.$100

In‑kind donations welcome too! We are looking for food, drinks, ice, printing, prizes or audio equipment, credited at the equivalent tier. To have your logo on the shirts we need to hear from you by Tuesday, September 20th. In‑kind donations by Wednesday, September 30. Email lacee@art-sanctuary.org or call 502‑795‑6991.

Sponsors will need to provide their own banners. We facilitate the placement, hang it and photograph it. Banner production is not included. Grommeted corners help.

Before You Register

Questions People Actually Ask

I haven't played kickball since I was eleven
Perfect. Neither has anyone else. The rules take four minutes to explain and there's no tagging people with the ball, so nobody gets hurt and nobody gets embarrassed.
Do I really need a costume?
Yes! That's the whole idea of the event. But it doesn't have to be elaborate, and your team doesn't have to match. Coordinate a theme if you want, or have everyone come as something completely different. Competing in the costume contest is completely optional! Judging is per person.
What if I can't find 8 people?
Email us at lacee@art-sanctuary.org and we'll try to connect you with another team that needs players.
How long will I be there?
Plan for the afternoon. Check‑in is 10:00–11:00 a.m., first pitch is at noon, and awards follow the Championship game. Your team is guaranteed at least two games and might play four.
Can my kids play?
Not in the tournament, players must be 18 or older. But there's a kids' base run, for ages 4-13, before the first pitch that they will love, and they're welcome to watch, eat and enter the spectator costume contest all day.
How do I pay?
Register first, then pay through our donation page. Put your team name in the note field so we can match your payment to your registration. Your spot is confirmed once it arrives.
When do I have to sign up by?
Wednesday, September 30, or sooner, since the eight slots go first come, first served and are confirmed in order of payment. If we're full, ask to go on the waiting list; teams do sometimes drop out and we work down the list in order. Teams registered and paid by September 20 are guaranteed shirts in their sizes on the day; after that we fit you from our extra stock or get yours to you afterward.
What if the tournament doesn't get enough teams?
This runs if enough teams sign up. If we fall short we'll let every captain know by October 1 and refund entry fees in full. Or convert yours to a donation if you'd rather, and we'll send you the acknowledgment for your records.
What if it rains?
Light rain, we play. Lightning or serious weather, we move to Sunday, October 18. We'll decide by 8:00 a.m. and email every captain.
Is there food?
Hot dogs, snacks and cold drinks, run by us. Cash and card both work.
Is there anything to do between games?
Cornhole, a photo area set up for costume pictures, concessions, the vendor market, and the Art Sanctuary booth. Teams can sit for an hour or more between games, so there's plenty going on.
Can I sell my work there?
Yes! There's a craft and art vendor market running alongside the games. $35 for a 6×6 space or $50 for a 10×10 space, bring your own table and tent, and registration closes September 30. Full details in the vendor information packet, then register here.
Can I just come watch?
Please do. It's free, all ages, and honestly the watching may be better than the playing.

Eight slots. That's all there is.

Grab your friends, pick a theme, and we'll see you on October 11.

Sunday, October 11, 2026 · Lyndon Elks Lodge, 904 Ormsby Lane, Louisville, KY 40242. Questions? lacee@art‑sanctuary.org or 502‑795‑6991.

Stay Up To Date!

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful!

Connect with us!

Subscribe to the Art Sanctuary newsletter to stay updated.