A Review of The Kentucky Derby Festival

It was the year 1872 that Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. returned to Kentucky after touring famous horse racing facilities in England and France. Impressed by what he saw, Col. Clark, the grandson of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame, organized the Louisville Jockey Club as a means of raising enough money to build a world class track to race horses.

Two of Col. Clark's relatives, John and Henry Churchill, donated the property on which to build the facility and Churchill Downs Race Track began its long and illustrious career on May 17, 1875. The Kentucky Derby became one of the three biggest purses in racing and with the other two, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, is the first diadem in horse racing's Triple Crown.

Birth of the Derby Festival

The Kentucky Derby is often called the 'Run for the Roses', in reference to the blanket of roses draped over the winner and also 'The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports'. Over the years it has become surrounded with tradition related to the race and the two week long festival that precedes it.

The 'Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports' has given birth to the most exciting two weeks of festivities and the nation's largest civic celebration. With over 70 accessible events leading up to the race, they still follow the basic premise established in 1956 when the Kentucky Derby Festival was conceived, events that entertain, are affordable and contribute to the common good of the community.

Four lunch companions, Addison McGee, Earl Ruby, Ray Wimberg and Basil Caummisar engineered a 'pageant for the people' using the "Pegasus Parade", the winged horse of mythology, to symbolize the magic, energy and excitement they hoped would be woven about the special time of year brought about by such a short annual event as the Kentucky Derby.

Even though the annual budget has grown from the original $640 to a tidy $5 million the idea remains the same and draws people from all walks of life and from around the globe.

Along with the Pegasus parade & pin, the mint julep, Derby Balls, the classic Derby attire and a meal of burgoo there are events associated with the Kentucky Derby Festival that are occasions by themselves. Thunder Over Louisville, the Great Steamboat Race, the Great Balloon Race and the Cherokee Triangle Art Festival to name just a few.

Thunder Over Louisville

The traditional beginning pyrotechnic display, Thunder Over Louisville, has become the largest in the nation, designed and performed by Zambelli, the First Family of Fireworks, International.

The thirty minute show is synchronized to a musical performance with fireworks exploding in the sky and their dramatics being repeated by reflections on the Ohio River, a waterfall of light cascading from a bridge and all of this culminates in the grand finale. It takes 1800 feet of barge space, 60 tons of fireworks and almost 700 miles of cable to accomplish the show.

The Great Steamboat Race

The year 2009 brings a change to the traditional competition involving the Belle of Louisville and Cincinnati's usual champion the Delta Queen. The Delta Queen has been retired to become a floating hotel and there will be a coarse change to handicap the race between the much faster diesel from Cincinnati and the Louisville defender.

The Delta Queen won the inaugural race in 1963 but finished with an overall record of 20 wins versus the 22 of the Belle of Louisville. Only three other boats have won the Great Steamboat Race, Julia Belle Swain in 1976, the Natchez won in 1982 and in 1999 the Spirit of Jefferson was victorious. The new race will be a battle of the "Belle's" with the Belle of Louisville going up against the Belle of Cincinnati.

The Great Balloon Race

From the modest start of seven hot air balloons in 1973 to a field of 48 in 2008, the Great Balloon Race during the day and the Derby Festival Great Balloon Glow at night draws over 50,000 thousand visitors each year. The "Glow", where the pilots fire their burners but remain stationary on the ground, is choreographed to a soundtrack and is broadcast live.

The Pegasus Parade

The crowd for the Pegasus Parade is expected to exceed a quarter of a million on-lookers. With over 100 units marching in the parade and 90% of the route free to the public, this spectacle of equestrian performers and floats is the oldest festival event and has delighted visitors for more than 50 years now.

The Cherokee Triangle Art Fair

The Cherokee Triangle Art Fair is a neighborhood exchange of garden plants that blossomed into one of the nations premier Arts and Crafts Fair. Known for the quality of items offered, this juried art show and outdoor craft festival is family friendly entertainment featuring music, food and beverages the weekend before Derby.

Community Effort

There are some less well known but seriously contended competitions among the 70 other events, such as the waitress and waiter races, the 'Run for the Rose', and the ever popular 'Bed Races' to entertain and divert an idle moment.

The Derby Festival is truly a community effort. Over 400 business and civic groups along with 10 times that many volunteers support the independent community organization that has created the largest event in Kentucky. Whether you are enjoying the party on the Churchill Downs infield or putting on the ritz in 'Millionaire's Row' you will be joining 1.5 million revelers who enjoy the two week celebration leading to the "Run for the Roses".

Reference:
www.wikipedia.org
www.kdf.org
http://louisville.about.com