Place Your Bets in Louisville, Kentucky!

The first Saturday in May in Louisville, Kentucky is the culmination of two weeks of one of the greatest annual parties this nation holds. The single largest annual event for the City of Louisville began in 1956 and has grown beyond imagination. Louisville celebrates the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" also known as the "Run for the Roses" with the most choices of entertainment and festivities for any man, woman, child, party animal, gambler, or horse lover in general. If your family is looking for an early spring vacation, you won't be disappointed if you join us for any of this year's Kentucky Derby Festival Events.

Annual traditions have become larger than life and it is impossible to attend every event. Louisvillians vary in opinion of their favorite events as much as the events themselves vary. However, most locals would agree that a few of the "sure to please" events include Thunder Over Louisville, The Great Steamboat Race, The Pegasus Parade, The Balloon Glow, The Balloon Race, and The Great Bed Races. Those are just for starters.

Thunder Over Louisville (Saturday, April 21, 2007)

This annual event is held along the Ohio River at Waterfront Park where the river banks on both the Kentucky and Indiana sides are dotted with several hundred thousand fans and enthusiasts of the air show and fireworks display. In fact, this event is rated as one of the nation's top 100 events. This event offers about 5 hours of a first class, well planned, exciting air show and ends in a grand finale of the largest fireworks display in the nation. The fireworks display and synchronized sound show are well worth the wait.

The Great Balloon Glow (Friday, April 27, 2007)

This event was added in 2003 and has quickly become one of the most anticipated local events. Balloons inflate in their launch position but do not ascend. They are lit against a night sky and provide a spectacular and magical photo opportunity. Spectators walk around the field watching the transformation of hundreds of yards of willowy material lying along the ground develop into the "Energizer Bunny Balloon" or the "Mr. Peanut Balloon". Children and adults stand in awe as the balloons come to life while they munch on their favorite carnival snack.

The Great Balloon Race (Saturday, April 28, 2007)

This local favorite started in 1973 with just 7 balloons participating. Last year's race had 48 balloons. The race is a "Hare" and "Hound" event where one balloon is the Hare and the Hounds, or Chaser Balloons, follow the Hare to an undisclosed target X in the hope that the balloon's pilot in command can drop his balloon marker closest to the X without touching the ground. Local folks follow the "chase" in their cars causing endearing annual traffic jams in support of their favorite balloon. At the end of the race, many of the balloons land where possible to allow the spectators to get up close and personal with the balloon and crew.

The Great Bed Races (Monday, April 30, 2007)

This event began in 1990 as a local attraction held during lunch for downtown business. The race is now a competition for business across the city with teams donning outrageous costumes decorating their beds with themes. The beds are designed with 4 wheels and a steering mechanism and must adhere to strict size specifications. One member is chosen to steer the bed with 4 team members pushing the bed along to the finish line. This event is attended by thousands of cheering and rowdy fans in support of their favorite beds.

The Great Steamboat Race (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)

The Great Steamboat Race is another crowd favorite held on the Ohio River. This race is a friendly rivalry between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen of Cincinnati. The winner of the race wins the trophy of "Golden Antlers" and bragging rights for the year. The Delta Queen won the race in 2006, but the Belle leads the race history 21 - 19.

The Pegasus Parade (Thursday, May 3, 2007)

The Pegasus Parade is one of the festival's oldest events. It began in 1956 on a budget of $640 and now generates $14 million to the local economy. It is one of the largest spectator events and attracts an excess of 200,000 fans. Grand Marshalls of the parade boast of some of the biggest names in celebrity history with the likes of Fess Parker, John Wayne, General H. Norman Schwartzkopf, William Shatner, Buzz Aldrin, Chubby Checker, and Louisville's beloved Muhammad Ali.

While you are here, be sure to visit the Derby Festival Waterfront Chow Wagon for live music, food booths and your favorite brew. The Chow Wagon provides the ultimate dining and socializing experience serving up everything from corn dogs and roasted corn to the delights of elephant ears and cotton candy. And by all means, bring some extra cash so you can "Place Your Bets" on your favorite horse for the 2007 running of the 133 Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, Kentucky.

Admission to these events is free with the purchase of a Derby Pegasus Pin ($3). But these are only a few of the 50+ events offered each year by The Kentucky Derby Festival. You can check out the entire list by visiting the official Derby Festival website at www.kdf.org. A strong word of caution though, if you do plan to stay in the Derby City for the events, reserve your rooms early. This city is so jammed with visitors during Derby week that this writer couldn't even get a flight out of the city in 1982 because incoming and outgoing flights were sold out!