While the Kentucky Derby lasts only two minutes, The Derby Festival is two weeks of gaudy hats and mint juleps.
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The Kentucky Derby is way more than just a race — Louisville has two weeks' worth of events to keep the fun going. |
By Fodor's Travel
For two weeks at the end of April (or in the case of 2018, into the first week of May), all of Louisville, Kentucky suddenly bursts into bright colors, oversized hats, life-sized painted horse statues and horse racing-themed cocktail parties. Even local schools are closed to celebrate the horse race, known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” Here are 10 reasons to add the Derby Festival to your bucket list.
The Fireworks
The annual Derby Festival kicks off with a bang, literally at
Thunder Over Louisville,
the largest annual fireworks display in North America and the official
start to the Derby Festival. Although the fireworks don’t start until 9
pm, most locals head to the Ohio River waterfront in the morning to
enjoy a full day of festivities leading up to the show. Highlights
include a spine-tingling airshow throughout the day and every type of
fried food imaginable. The best way to watch the fireworks is at a
private party or on a roof somewhere, such as at the
Thunder VIP Rooftop Party.
Insider Tip: The cheapest way to watch the fireworks
is with a tent, a blanket, and some folding chairs right on the
waterfront, along with thousands of other locals! Arrive early to claim
your spot and bring plenty of sunscreen.
The Food
The food in Louisville is amazing year-round, but during
Derby Season, it’s especially good. For a fancy and traditional meal,
head to the historic
Jack Fry’s or beautiful
Buck’s in Louisville’s prettiest neighborhood,
Old Louisville. Looking for something a little less fancy and a little more fried?
The Chow Wagon serves up fairground fare on the waterfront during the Derby Festival. Can’t decide what you want? Sample it all at
Taste of Derby.
You can’t leave town without trying Derby Pie. Though its
inventors are famously obsessed with guarding their legally protected
creation (they’re usually only sold frozen in grocery stores), you can
find imitations all over Louisville during Derby season. Just ask for
something like Chocolate Pecan Pie and wink a lot. You can try an
excellent Horse Racing Themed Pecan Pie with Chocolate at
Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen or
Sweet Surrender.
The Fashion
Seersucker suits, cocktail dresses, and ridiculously large,
overly decorated hats: Derby Fashion is half the fun of Derby Season!
Get inspired by the
Macy’s Spring Fashion Show,
and then don your Sunday best and accessorize with one of the gaudiest,
enormous, and beautiful hats you can find. You can pick up
Derby-appropriate headwear at
Revelry Gallery, a boutique featuring creations made by local Louisville artists.
The Kentucky Derby Museum
also sells a colorful array of Derby hats, which is a great excuse to
visit the tracks and learn about the history of Churchill Downs. Or, why
not head straight to
Formé Millenary to commission a custom design, because when else can you work with a professional milliner?
The Party
No Kentucky Derby is complete without a down-home Derby Party. If you’re short on local friends, the next best thing is the
Hillbilly Outfield,
a two-day shindig complete with lawn games, camping, and live music.
You can also head to the waterfront during the week of Derby for
Fest-A-Ville.
The festival on the banks of the Ohio River includes live music, fried
food, and a series of exciting events including Neigh-Maste, the
Ken-Ducky Derby, and the Derby Pun-Writing Championship. Bonus points if
you can guess which one of those events is made up.
The Drinks
Bourbon — the sweet, amber-colored, vanilla-scented whiskey
— is as quintessentially Kentucky as the Derby. Try a taste at one of
the many stops on the
Urban Bourbon Trail,
an adorably named collection of bars in Louisville which offer over 50
varieties of bourbon. Order the official drink of the Kentucky Derby,
the mint julep; or try an Old Fashioned, the official cocktail of
Louisville.
The Parade
The Pegasus Parade
has marched through downtown Louisville since 1956, making it the Derby
Festival’s first and oldest event. You can catch the action from the
dogwood-lined streets of Broadway. Keep an eye out for the Grand Marshal
of the parade, a position served by celebrities and local heroes over
the years. Yes, that includes Louisville’s own Muhammad Ali and Colonel
Harland Sanders, who is buried in Louisville. If you came to this
article looking for a reference to Kentucky Fried Chicken, that was it.
There’s only one.
The Celebrities
During Derby Week, celebrities from the A-list to the
H-List flock to Derby City to party in style (or, in Jennifer Lawrence’s
case, to visit her hometown). You can rub elbows with celebrities at
Unbridled Eve, but your best chance to see a celebrity is at
The Barnstable Brown Gala, the
most star-studded A-list celebrity event of the season. Hosted by the
Doublemint Twins (yes, really), a ticket costs over $1,000. Not quite on
a celebrity budget? Just pick a party and head to the venue to watch
the red carpet festivities from outside!
Insider Tip: Many celebrities will be staying at 21C
Museum Hotel or The Brown Hotel, two of the most famous accommodations
in Louisville. Stop by either for brunch and you might just catch a few
hungover celebrities hiding behind oversized sunglasses.
The Tours
Just outside of Louisville is the Kentucky countryside,
dotted with grazing horses and intersected with winding roads. Late
spring turns the rolling Kentucky hills a lush, buzzing green, and
there’s no better time to take a day trip to tour a bourbon distillery.
Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, and the official distillery of my heart (although
Maker’s Mark distillery is a close second). No time for a day trip? Head to
Angel’s Envy, a bourbon distillery located in the heart of downtown Louisville.
The Steamboats
The Ohio River, and the steamboats that traversed her muddy
banks, are as much a part of Louisville’s colorful history as the
Derby. Relive that history on
The Belle of Louisville, who
has graced Louisville with her bright red paddle wheel since 1914.
Today, the Belle of Louisville typically hosts guests for dinners,
evening cruises, and events. But during the Derby Festival, she gears up
for
The Great Steamboat Race.
For over 50 years, two historic steamboats have raced down the Ohio
River in the most exciting 20-or-so minutes in boat-racing. Board the
Belle or her opponent, the Belle of Cincinnati, to experience the action
front and center. Or, you can watch the race from the waterfront.
The Races
The most exciting two minutes of sports may be the main attraction of the season at
Churchill Downs,
but it’s certainly not the only race. If you want to soak up the
excitement of the races without the price tag (or the crowds), you can
visit Churchill Downs all week long on a General Admission ticket. The
stakes are a lot lower, but the drinks are just as good — and there will
still be plenty of fabulous giant hats. Most locals go to Thurby or the
Kentucky Oaks rather than the actual Derby, anyway.
During the week leading up to the Derby, head to Churchill
Downs early to catch the morning workouts during Dawn at the Downs.
Afterwards, pop across the street to
Wagner’s Pharmacy
for a bite to eat. Since 1922, this historic diner has been serving
down-home meals and selling jockey silks — plus, rumor has it that you
might just see the occasional celebrity here.
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