20,000 fans and more than 65 musical acts: it's quite a leap for the Forecastle Festival since its origin as a get-together for 75 friends eight years ago.

While music gets most of the attention surrounding the Forecastle Festival, it's just one of the event's three pillars. In 2003, the festival's second year, Forecastle Festival Capt. J.K. McKnight added activism and art to the lineup. And they've been integral parts of the event ever since.

J.K. McKnight, the Forecastle Festival's captain who founded the event dedicated to music, art and activism, expects as many as 20,000 fans to attend it this year -- an increase of 19,900 percent from the inaugural event, held just eight years ago.

Along with activism, art was added to the Forecastle Festival in 2003. "Louisville has such a prominent art community, in many ways I think it's larger than the music community here. I'm friends with a lot of people there so why not invite them into the fold?" said Forecastle Festival Captain J.K. McKnight, explaining why he gave art such a central role in the celebration.

Events geared toward hippies, hipsters and blue-hairs