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In 1990, a group of people decided that they should race beds. Sponsored by Seealbach, “Bedlam in the Streets” had teams of five, a driver, and four pushers, race down the streets of Louisville. Most participants were from the local hotels. Today, 36 years later, the event is going strong. Now indoors at Broadbent Arena … Read more
What started years ago as a single-event hot-air balloon race has morphed into a three-day, four-event spectacular. With two balloon glows on Thursday and Friday evenings, a Friday morning “Rush Hour” race, and the main Saturday morning race, the BalloonFest has become a major staple of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Because flying is a safety-first … Read more
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. … Read more
2025 and so far, 2026, have been challenging times to try to keep this site updated for you. We are going to make a concerted effort to correct that. We are unable to attend many Derby Festival events this year, even though they are now in our backyard. After some discussion, having a website that … Read more
The Kentucky Derby is the most prestigious horse race. It has run for 151 consecutive years. Then add the Kentucky Derby Festival on top and you’ve got a solid two weeks of fun festivities. But sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas. First, Thunder Over Louisville was scheduled a week early due to Easter happening in … Read more
If it can move, it can race. So why not race beds? The race originated as a competition among hotels, but over the years, it’s migrated to many different organizations from parks and rec departments to engineering schools, and local businesses. There are two phases to the event: the decorative/festive competition and the actual timed … Read more
With the contenders for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Each year, Churchill Downs opens the track early in the morning so fans can watch the horses work out. During Derby week, the horses that will run in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks workout in the morning from 6:45am to 10am. Previously, there two … Read more
The Kentucky Derby Festival® started with the first Pegasus Parade® in 1956 on a shoestring budget of just $640 (about $7,500 in today’s dollars). It was the very first festival event. Today, this is one of the largest parades in the country. Sponsored by the Zoeller Pump Company, the parade has always been the last … Read more
Twenty-two years ago, an idea was hatched. Since Kentuckians race everything during the Kentucky Derby Festival, why not race rubber ducks? And a new event because a favorite of the Festival. Supporting Harbor House, a community organization that supports empowering individuals with disabilities and their families with the goal of helping them to enrich their … Read more
The weather in Kentucky during April and May is quite variable. Sometimes it’s sunny and warm; sometimes it snows. But you can thank Murphy’s Law for picking the worst times to bring unfavorable weather to the Ohio Valley. As in past years, this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival had scheduled four hot air balloon events: two … Read more