The Kentucky Derby is coming up soon

Louisville has a lot to offer visitors. We have exceptional restaurants, wonderful museums, and beautiful scenery. Within an hour away from the city. are charming little towns, B&Bs and lots of history. There are events going on all year round, but some of the best are in the spring and summer. We have lots of outdoor festivals, garden walks, and Victorian house tours; Shakepeare, blues, jazz and country music festivals. The list goes on and on, but I think that most would agree that the highlight of the year is the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged yearly on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race currently covers one and one-quarter miles (2.012 km) at Churchill Downs; colts and geldingsfillies 121 pounds (55 kg) who can  carry 126 pounds (57 kg),  The race, known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate time length, is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States. It typically draws around 155,000 fans.

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The Kentucky Derby is one of the crown jewels of the elusive Triple Crown which includes the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes.For over 125 years the Kentucky Derby has been everyone's race - from the dapper men and beautiful women, all in hats and sipping on frosty mint juleps, to the laid-back infield crowd who picnic on fried chicken and toss around Frisbees. They're all there to witness the world's premier horse-racing event. "Riders up" booms the paddock judge. The trainers give a leg up to the riders and send them out through the tunnel and onto the world's most famous track as the University of Louisville band strikes up Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home". 
 
In addition to the race itself, a number of traditions have played a large role in the Derby atmosphere. The Mint Julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and sugar, is the traditional beverage of the race. Burgoo, typically a thick stew of lamb and vegetables is served from iron pots sometimes 10 feet in diameter. Legal gambling on the race is done through parimutuel betting at the track. The Infield, a spectator area inside the track, offers low general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party. 

By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich and famous. Elegant women appear in long dresses, big hats, and carrying fancy umbrellas. As the horses are paraded before the grandstands, "My Old Kentucky Home" is played by the University of Louisville marching band while the crowd stands and sings along.
The Derby is frequently referred to as "The Run for the Roses," because a garland of red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition is as a result of New York socialite E. Berry Wall presenting roses to ladies at a post-Derby party in 1883 that was attended by Churchill Downs president, Col. M. Lewis Clark. This gesture is believed to have eventually led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to roses being draped on the Derby winner. The governor of Kentucky awards the garland and the trophy.
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Drink up!: Mint Juleps for Kentucky Derby Day: Saturday, May 1st

Aleksander House Mint Juleps
2 Cups water, 2 Cups sugar
Large handful Kentucky Colonel Spearmint leaves
Maker’s Mark Bourbon
Derby glasses or silver mugs
Straws, cut to about one inch above glass or mug

Simple Mint Syrup
Combine water and sugar in a small sauce pan. Boil 5 minutes to make a simple syrup. Pour into storage container. Add mint leaves, cover and let steep overnight.

Mint Juleps
Place 1-2 ounces of simple syrup into glass or mug. Add a sprig of mint and crush with a wooden spoon. Fill glass with finely crushed ice. Pour 1-2 ounces of bourbon over ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh, add a short straw and serve.
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Thunder Over Louisville

For the past 20 years, as a prelude to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville Kentucky, the city presents the largest annual fireworks show in North America. It is the beginning 0f a two-week celebration in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, with an attendance of nearly a half million people. "It's the kind of show you have to see to believe" says Matt Gibson, Derby Festival Vice president of Events.

To assemble a show the size of Thunder, eight tractor trailers are filled with nearly 60 tons of fireworks shells. The show is put on by Zambelli Internationale, the largest fireworks family in the world, and Visual Presentations. As much firepower as possible is packed into 28 minutes, with a series of fantastic "finales". "Wayne Hettinger, director and owner of Visual Productions, has it down to a science, working with a team from Zambelli to create a heart-stopping, eye-popping show", he says.

"It all starts with music", Hettinger says. "We work to lay out a sound tract that most everyone will be able to relate to. It's very gratifying to see people start to move and react to their favorite cuts of the sound tract, and it give Zambelli the foundation on which to build the show".

Thunder Over Louisville Air Show

The Thunder Over Louisville Air Show began as a way to amuse visitors during the time leading up to the fireworks. However, as one of the top five air shows in the country, the Thunder Over Louisville Air Show now has its own bragging rights. The Thunder Over Louisville Air Show features more than 100 planes performing more than six hours of fly-bys, acrobatics, and diving stunts. It also gives visitors a chance to view the newest planes being flown by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

Thunder Over Louisville Fireworks

At 9:30 p.m. on the night of Thunder Over Louisville, the real show begins. You'll know that the fireworks are getting ready to start when two helicopters fly a large American flag as the "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner" are blasted over the speakers. Then, the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show begins. It is the largest fireworks show in the world: a 28-minute show that will leave you half-deaf, covered in soot, and absolutely amazed.

Thunder Over Louisville Tickets

While it seems like an event this extravagant would require visitors to pay some sort of admission, Thunder Over Louisville is an entirely free event. With the exception of a few restricted areas, anyone who wishes to watch the show can do so from the Louisville or Jeffersonville waterfronts for no charge whatsoever. Visitors can also watch the show from the Waterfront Park Chow Wagon as long as they're wearing a Derby Festival Pegasus Pin from the current year.

Thunder Over Louisville Schedule

The Thunder Over Louisville Air Show begins at 3 p.m. and goes on until around 9 p.m. that night. At 9 p.m., the "Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" will play, signifying that the fireworks will be starting soon. The fireworks go off from 9:30 to 10 p.m. For more info, check out aleksanderhouse.com

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