{{Short description|United States festival inspired by the film "The Big Lebowski"}} thumb|Poster art for Achiever Fest 2024 by Bill Green '''Lebowski Fest''' was an annual festival that began in 2002 in Louisville, Kentucky, celebrating the 1998 cult film ''The Big Lebowski'' by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen and was last celebrated in 2018. In addition to its home city of Louisville, Lebowski Fest has been held in Milwaukee, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, London, Boston, New Orleans, Atlanta, Asbury Park, NJ and Pittsburgh.
== Description == The annual Lebowski Fest celebrates the 1998 cult film ''The Big Lebowski'' by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Typically held over two nights, Lebowski Fest features a screening of the film, live music, and a bowling party attended by fans of the movie, many dressed as characters from the film.
== History == [[File:Moore and Bridges Lebowskifest.jpg|thumb|250px|''The Big Lebowski'' cast members Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges at the 2011 Lebowski Fest.]] The festival began in 2002 in Louisville, Kentucky, and has been held in Milwaukee, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, London, Boston, New Orleans, Raleigh, and Pittsburgh.
Various stars from "The Big Lebowski" have attended the fest over the years, including Jeff Bridges, who in 2005 showed up at Lebowski Fest in Los Angeles singing and playing "The Man in Me" by Bob Dylan, which is featured in the film. In 2011, members of the cast reunited at Lebowski Fest in New York, including Bridges, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, and John Turturro.
Lebowski Fest was co-founded by Louisvillians Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, who, along with Bill Green and Ben Peskoe, authored the book, ''I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You'', described as "a punch-drunk tribute worthy of a bowling-loving stoner named 'the Dude.'"<ref>{{cite news |work=New York Times |first=Ada |last=Calhoun |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/books/review/Calhoun-t.html |title=Hollywood Chronicle: I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski |date=December 2, 2007}}</ref> There is also a documentary about Lebowski Fest, entitled ''The Achievers''.<ref>{{cite news |work=Los Angeles Times |title='The Achievers: The Story of the Lebowski Fans' explores The Dude phenomenon |first=Scott |last=Timberg |date=July 30, 2009 |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-lebowski30-2009jul30,0,2320460,full.story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802152316/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-lebowski30-2009jul30,0,2320460,full.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 2, 2009}}</ref>
An account of the first ever Lebowski Fest is included in Mike Walsh's non-fiction account of his endeavor to bowl in all 50 U.S. states, ''Bowling Across America''.
Lebowski Fest has also appeared on the Food Network program "Ace of Cakes." The episode named "The Big Cakeowski" features the Charm City Cakes staff creating and delivering a movie-themed cake to Lebowski Fest in Louisville.
The British equivalent, inspired by Lebowski Fest, is known as The Dude Abides and is held in London.<ref name="Hodgkinson, Will">{{cite news|last=Hodgkinson |first=Will |title=Dude, let's go bowling|work=The Guardian|date=May 11, 2005|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/may/11/1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627103438/http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0%2C%2C1481323%2C00.html|archivedate=June 27, 2006|accessdate=2008-01-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Co-founder Scott Shuffitt has taken the reins in the absence of Lebowski Fest and now holds Achiever Fest yearly in Louisville, Kentucky.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://achieverfest.com/|title=Achiever Fest|website=Achiever Fest}}</ref>
== See also == * List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.lebowskifest.com/ Lebowski Fest official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321143155/http://www.lebowskifest.com/ |date=2009-03-21 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110713194841/http://lebowskipodcast.com/episode/episode-13-cult-films-with-will-and-scott.html Cult Films with Will and Scott] The Lebowski Podcast interview with Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080531143134/http://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/mainsite/index.php?%2Fcategories%2F25-Lebowski-fest-UK Interview with the Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt (creators) on the eve of the UK Lebowski fests] — ''Trebuchet magazine'' * [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1596912464 The book at Amazon] * Poster art for Lebowski Fest by artist [https://www.billgreenstudios.com/ Bill Green]
Category:Festivals established in 2002 Category:2002 establishments in Kentucky Category:Festivals in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Fan conventions in the United States Category:July Category:The Big Lebowski