Jeffrey Lee Puckett

@JLeePuckett

When Will Russell co-founded Lebowski Fest 15 years ago, it was a transformative moment for him. To that point, he had led a fairly chaotic life and the festival marked a turning point: He had found something he loved doing and was relentlessly dedicated.

This year's Lebowski Fest offers another such moment. Russell's 2015 was a nightmare of arrests and public embarrassment fueled by a particularly bad episode of bipolar mania made worse when he ended nearly 20 years of sobriety and stopped taking his medication.

He has been quietly recovering since late last year, dealing with an enormous amount of both legal and personal fallout while maintaining a largely reclusive presence. This weekend he steps back into the spotlight, tentatively and with no small amount of trepidation.

"After last year, to be able to come back and do it again and to keep it going, it means a lot to me personally," he said. "It's always been by the fans, for the fans, and we're just really excited to do it again."

Lebowski Fest began in 2002 when Russell and Scott Shuffitt decided to share their love of a film, "The Big Lebowski," which details the comic noir adventures of The Dude in search of a rug. They threw a little party at a bowling alley and were surprised with 150 fans, soon dubbed Achievers, showed up.

Lebowski Fest now has a national and international presence. Fests have been held in more than 20 cities from New York to Los Angeles, and twice in Europe. The Los Angeles fests are huge, with Jeff "The Dude" Bridges making regular appearances, but Louisville is Lebowski Fest's home.

Achievers will travel from around the country for festivities Friday and Saturday at the Executive Strike & Spare, 911 Phillips Lane. They'll dress as their favorite characters from the film, drink White Russians and bowl.

"We owe Lebowski Fest to the Achievers," Russell said. "They're the ones who have supported it, they're the ones who bring the excitement, they're the ones who bring the creativity. I just open the doors."

Friday night, on a large stretch of grass next to the bowling alley, the Lebowski Fest Movie Party will feature a performance by Chicago's Black Bear Combo, a horn, percussion and accordion collective that brings a free jazz sensibility to Eastern European street music. A screening of "The Big Lebowski" will follow on a 40-foot inflatable screen.

Saturday night, revelers will gather at the alley with James Hoosier, who played Liam in the film, to renew festival friendships, compete for the coveted trivia and costume contest trophies, share endless quotes and throw some rocks. It has remained relatively unchanged for more than a decade.

"You're damn right we're living in the past," Russell said, paraphrasing a line from the movie. "People have never said, 'well, why don't you do this or why don't you do that.' I think they like the ritual of it. They like to make the pilgrimage to Louisville, have the ceremonial White Russian, and watch the movie which we've seen so many times and love."

Russell is normally active at festivals as an emcee and host but isn't sure about this year. An already dicey year took a seriously bad turn at last year's festival when he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and menacing.

Before the year was over, he was arrested three more times and had done irreversible damage to two of his businesses, the WHY Louisville retail shops and Funtown Mountain, a theme park he was trying to get off the ground in Cave City, Ky. He declared bankruptcy in November but was allowed to keep Lebowski Fest through an exemption; Russell declined to discuss details, saying it was a complicated process that he still doesn't fully grasp.

Lebowski Fest was maintained, barely, during Russell's struggles by longtime festival employee Tyler Gill. "The main thing I'm feeling is excitement to get the show back on the road," Gill said. "Last year was definitely a rough one, but I have no hard feelings about it at all. Thanks to all the support from Achievers who've been coming to Lebowski Fest since long before I came on board, we get to keep doing this thing, and I can't wait for all the great things lined up for the future of the fest."

Friends and fans have been volunteering to help stage this weekend's festival, which Russell said is in a rebuilding phase. So is Russell.

"I am in recovery now," he said. "Last year was untreated bipolar disorder and now I'm treating it and rebuilding my life and this is part of that. I really hope that people will come out and have a good time at Lebowski Fest. It will be a pretty intense experience, I think, but everybody has been really kind and understanding and I think the Achievers will be that way as well."

Reporter Jeffrey Lee Puckett can be reached at (502) 582-4160 and jpuckett@courier-journal.com.

Lebowski Fest Movie Party

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Executive Lawn, 911 Phillips Lane

COST: $15

Lebowski Fest Bowling Party

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Executive Strike & Spare, 911 Phillips Lane

COST: $25