The Kentucky Derby Festival is almost to the point where they have events almost year-round, but the true kickoff is “Thunder Over Louisville”. In a normal year, you get several hours of air show, a drone light show, and one of the largest fireworks displays in America.

Last year, however, was not a normal year. Louisville’s 8th highest flood filled the Ohio Valley, early April, 2025, and it’s a little hard to have some outdoor events when they depend on access to the Waterfront. After a season of disappointment, the Festival came roaring back in 2026, with one of the better fireworks displays seen recently.

The weather was messing with the airshow due to low ceilings, creating safety issues for the air acts. Eventually, all but two managed to get at least one flight completed for the fans. There is no denying the “Thunder” of four Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan jets blasting over your head on a pair of F-15C Eagles, shaking the waterfront to the “Oohs and Ahhs” of everyone.

The star of the airshow portion this year was the F-16 Demo team out of South Carolina, flying the original promo livery that General Dynamics used when they rolled the plane out for its introduction and testing. Clad in red, white, and blue instead of military gray was a sight to see. After burners glowing against the grey, wet skies.