The Kentucky Derby Festival is a two week long celebration of the fastest two minutes in sports. Its a build up to the greatest horse race in the world. The festival comes in with a bang and goes out with the grandest of sporting events.
The festival kicks on two Saturday’s before Derby with Thunder over Louisville. This day long air show capped off with one of the largest fireworks displays in the country gets the party started. The air show centers over the Ohio River with key events happening at the heart of downtown Louisville. People line both banks of the Ohio for great viewing of both shows.
For the next two weeks the center of activities focuses on Fest-a-Ville, where the Louisville Waterfront Park is transformed into a huge gala of live music, a large play area for kids, and party central for the adults. Food comes from the famous Chow Wagon, where multiple food vendors setup their carts and stands and provide a large variety of festival style food for the visitors.
What started as a simple balloon race early in the morning a week before Derby has turned into it’s on mini-festival: The BalloonFest. Now with multiple events spanning three days including two races, two evening “glows” and a crew challenge, there are multiple chances to see this colorful event. Many of the events allow you to get up close to the balloons and interact with their crews.
After the main balloon race Saturday morning, it’s off to more races as the Marathon and mini-Marathon racers take off through the streets of Louisville. The two races, which share a start-finish line draws well over 15,000 runners each year and has become one of the top 100 racing events according to USA Track and Field. Meanwhile across town Churchill Downs opens for the season with Downs After Dark.
Monday brings the Great Bed Races! This two part event is part pageant part athletic event. Teams construct beds and decorate them based on the year’s theme. The teams are judged on their creativity. Once the parade of beds is done and the judging complete, the decorations are stripped off and a team of five, a driver and four pushers race the beds around a course and the fastest team wins.
On Wednesday, perhaps the slowest race you will ever experience happens with The Great Steamboat Racepits the Belle of Louisville against the Belle of Cincinnati, two old river paddle boats race up and down the Ohio River. Cheating is required.
The Pegasus Parade makes its way down the streets of Louisville on Thursday. Complete with large balloons, bands, floats and of course horses thrill people young and old. Later that day, make sure to stop by the Kroger in Middletown to see the florists prepare the blanket of Lilies that will adorn the winner of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday.
With everyone’s eyes now turned to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks, the festival switches into full party mode with various parties around the city from celebrity only balls to family parties to get ready for the grand finale on Saturday, the Kentucky Derby. Before you head out to your party or cook out Friday night, make another stop by the Kroger’s in Middletown this time, to see the florists put together the Blanket of Roses, this time for the winner of the Derby.