No words are needed for this blog post. Going to the Derby is a chance to wear your best and that includes hats for ladies and the gentlemen…..
Going to the Kentucky Derby. Oh what a day. Oh what an event.
I lived in Kentucky for 31 years and like most people my Kentucky Derby experience was the TV broadcast. Inside Kentucky, you will get all day coverage, but outside of the Louisville and Lexington areas most people depend on the national coverage of the event. I always thought it would be cool to go one day. Saturday, May 2, 2015 I got that chance.
Its all pink for cancer survivors at the 2015 Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks has been run just as long as the Kentucky Derby, 141 times as of yesterday. The race has traditionally been a day for the locals but with growing crowds, two day ticket packages and people making a week of it has turned the Oaks into almost the same spectacle as the Kentucky Derby without the TV coverage.
The sun comes out on the 2015 Kentucky Derby Festival’s Republic Bank Pegasus Parade
Weather in Kentuckiana in the spring can be quite random. For a week long event you know weather is going to impact a couple of events. The weathermen were threatening rain to show up just in time for the 60th Pegasus Parade on Thursady and sure enough, as the spectators arrived and the parade entries started rolling, a good, solid shower was raining down on Broadway.
The Belle of Louisville repeats as winner of the Great Steamboat Race
It seems appropriate that Brad Paisley’s “Down by the River bank” came on the radio as we pulled off of I-64 onto River Road as we headed to the 2015 Great Steamboat Race. Today the Ohio River bank held two boats that would do battle on the Ohio later in the day.
Two days of Dawn at the Downs
And we couldn’t make the third…. With two long days ahead at the track for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, it seemed wise to get some rest from this busy schedule. With needing to commit over six hours to the Pegasus Parade and dinner, we had to miss another opportunity to see the horses work out.
Time to race some beds at the 2015 Great Bed Races
The 2015 Great Bed Races took place on Monday, April 27th at Broadbent Arena in Louisville. It pits race teams together who have to build a race bed with four wheels and hold a full sized mattress during one of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s signature events.
Finding great places to eat while visiting Louisville
When you travel frequently, there is safety in chain restaurants. You generally know what you’re going to get. But where is the fun in that? In general I try to find dining spots that show the character of the community, has a taste of flavor for the area or simply a good old “hole-in-the-wall” dive. It’s these places where you can’t find a log of character and some of the best food.
A lovely Sunday drive to Cincinnati
While the Kentucky Derby Festival has things packed to do every day, some times you have to run a different direction. For those wanting to just do festival events, Sunday holds the Tour de LOU, a set of bike races that run either a 35 mile or 20 mile ride around the streets of Louisville that starts and ends at the Fest-a-Ville at the Waterfront Park as well as a mini-fun run for the kids and a youth concert.
Churchill Downs opens the spring meet with “Downs After Dark”
Churchill Downs kicked off their spring meet Saturday night with a full slate of racing and festivities despite a cold chilly rain and a threat of severe weather. The storms held off and the rains came after several races were complete. The rains kept the expected large crowd down, but it was still a busy and hopping place.