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139th Kentucky Derby Festival Videos and Pictures

Published On May 3, 2013

The Kentucky Derby Festival provides an exciting array of events, entertainment, and activities for the people of Louisville – all for the low cost of a simple Pegasus Pin. This horse racing focused organization is actually a separate entity from Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, but no one represents the spirit of the race quite like the Kentucky Derby Festival. Listed below are the best videos taken of the 2013 celebration.

2013 Pegasus Parade pictures and videos

While the Pegasus Parade occurs a couple of days before the Kentucky Derby, fans of this event are quick to upload their experiences online. Within 24 hours of the 2013 Pegasus Parade, photos and videos have emerged that highlight a lot of local entertainers.

Good weather for the Great Balloon Race

It can be a little bit tricky for amateurs to capture good video and photographs of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Great Balloon events. However, fans were lucky this year because the weather permitted great media coverage from the 2013 event. Here are some uploads that highlight amateurs using professional filming techniques with music or commentary.

Everyone’s favorite food photos at the Chow Wagon

More Derby Food Louisville represents a wide array of fine taste buds, and festival food takes on a lot of meanings during the Kentucky Derby. In addition to food truck gourmet and local five-star restaurant talent, there are also once-a-year BBQ booths that show up at the Chow Wagon on the Riverfront during Derby. Pictures of this event are always rather hard to find, but food fans and major news sources in Louisville are definitely representing their 2013 favorites this year.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/22072396/krogers-fest-a-ville?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8809476

http://www.wdrb.com/story/22072396/krogers-fest-a-ville

http://screen.yahoo.com/chow-wagon-on-the-waterfront-brings-good-eats-music-32003497.html

Kroger’s 2013 Fest-a-Ville music highlights

The week before the Kentucky Derby, music is performed live for free at Louisville’s Waterfront Park. The event is one that most locals make a point of attending, and it is sponsored by Kroger groceries. The 2013 headliners at this event included the Velcro Pygmies, Jefferson Tarc Bus, Jacob Dylan and his father Bob Dylan.

Unique 2013 Kentucky Derby Events Outside of Louisville

Published On Apr 27, 2013

Louisville, Kentucky and Churchill Downs are the center points of the Kentucky Derby. However, this is not the only places that Kentucky Derby parties are held. Throughout the world, there are several unique ways that the Kentucky Derby is being incorporated into a party. Interestingly, there are about five distinct takes on a 2013 Kentucky Derby party listed as events on the internet. While you may need to RSVP to be invited, most of these Kentucky Derby parties are open to the public and benefit a good cause.

Fundraising Derby Day at your local racetrack

If you want to experience the excitement of the Kentucky Derby with other horse racing fans, check with your local racetrack. For instance, Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack in Farmington, New York will be hosting a four-course buffet with live music and contests for the best Derby hats. It is a ticketed event and all of the proceeds go to a local nonprofit called the Thompson Guild.

Glitz and glamour Derby party tickets

Instead of waiting for one of your friends to throw a Kentucky Derby party, you can pay to attend a lavish event far outside of Louisville. While there is a Churchill Downs theme at all of these events hosted by Shindigz, the real focus is betting and watching the race in the lap of luxury. Shindigz will be hosting parties with southern cuisine, mint juleps, and contests in Louisville, Denver, Lexington, New Orleans, Reno, and other US cities.

Throw a Derby party for charity

Having a Churchill Downs-themed party is a magnificent way to gather people together to raise money for a charity. The Naugatuck Woman’s Club is using the 2013 Kentucky Derby to do exactly that. Based in Connecticut, this group is a good example of how you can create an event for charity based upon the Kentucky Derby in your own community. The club is charging a fee for a Kentucky Derby-themed luncheon that will fund local charity projects such as the food bank and scholarships for high school seniors. To draw in a crowd, club members are dressed as jockeys for a funny mock horse race. They also have a raffle and give prizes for the best Kentucky Derby hats.

Kentucky Derby party food at a historic farm

The Kentucky Derby is about the horses that run in the race. With that in mind, a grand place to have a party for the first Saturday in May is at a farm. Located in Boone County Kentucky, the Dinsmore farm mansion will be hosting a party for Kentucky Derby fans. It will feature popular food served at Churchill Downs and live music from Ricky Nye. As a 19th to 20th century historically preserved homestead, it will create unique memories for horse racing fans that they will always treasure.

First Annual BBQ Kentucky Derby solidarity

For many outsiders, the first thing they think of when someone says Churchill Downs is barbecue. If you attend a race in person or visit Churchill Downs, you will likely be served an array of dishes that include Kentucky-style barbecue. Sometimes called pulled pork, the sauce that is used with Churchill Downs barbecue is also a Kentucky classic. Showing some solidarity, the Oaklawn Racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas will have the First Annual Smokelawn BBQ Championship in honor of the 139 Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby Festival: Balloon Race

Published On Apr 22, 2013

One of the biggest baby and child-friendly happenings of the Kentucky Derby Festival is the balloon events. Sponsored by U.S. Bank, there are five ways to celebrate spread out over three days. This year the 2013 Great Balloon Fest will be held from April 25 to 27. While it seems very straightforward, the truth is that many tourists get lost because they forget the times and which location they need to be. To avoid those issues, we have compiled the essential information below. With a little bit of insight, you will have your facts straight, and you can use this article to see all of the action that the 2013 Kentucky Derby Balloon Fest has to offer.

US Bank Balloons

Did you get a Pegasus Pin?

In order to attend any of the Great Balloon Festival events, you will need to have a Pegasus Pin. This pin helps pay for events related to the Kentucky Derby Festival and is the only ticket you will need at the Balloon Fest sites. If you are a tourist, you may not be aware that corporate grocery stores and gas stations in Louisville are the place that you can buy the pins for $5 each. Parents will need to wear a Pegasus Pin for each child present. Although there are often Pegasus Pins available at the gate, you do not want to be caught in a situation where they have sold out for the night.

Balloons, Music, and the Waterfront

The first to events of the Balloon Fest will be held at Waterfront Park on April 25. One event begins at 5:00 PM and the other is at 8:30 PM. However, these dates are not concurrent with the Chow Wagon. In other words, you will not be able to expect to eat Chow Wagon food when you watch the balloons at Waterfront Park. Nevertheless, Kroger’s Fest-A-Ville will be sponsoring entertainment during the Waterfront Balloon Festival events.

2013 Balloon Fest schedule of events

Kentucky Derby Balloons One of the most important things to remember is that the Balloon Festival will be held in three different locations. Another thing that is confusing is that the times can vary drastically. For these reasons, be sure to recheck your information carefully before you drive all over town.

To stay organized, the complete 2013 Great Balloon Fest schedule is listed below. For more information or a last minute changes due to the weather, check with the Kentucky Derby Festival website.

Schedule for the 2013 US Bank Great Balloon Festival:

Thursday, April 25, 5 PM, Waterfront Park: Crew Challenge with Kroger’s Fest-A-Ville
Thursday, April 25, 8:30 PM, Waterfront Park: Great Balloon Glimmer with Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville
Friday, April 26, 7 AM Bowman Field: Great Balloon Rush-Hour Race
Friday, April 26, 6 PM, Kentucky Exposition Center: Great Balloon Glow (Note: $8 KEC parking fee)
Saturday, April 27, 7 AM, Bowman Field: Great Balloon Race

History of the Kentucky Derby Party

Published On Apr 20, 2013

Are you looking for Kentucky Derby party ideas because you are throwing one this year? Since the very beginning, the Kentucky Derby has been associated with an extravagant spread. Along the way, the rich and the poor alike have perfected the history of the Kentucky Derby party. To get an idea of how to make your Kentucky Derby party more authentic, take a look at this trivia from the past. Also, do not forget that this is a great way to show your friends how to sign up for a Kentucky Derby betting account online.

Historic horse racing parties

Kentucky Derby Party Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, and the stud farm he descended from was known for its legendary parties. Called McGrathiana, it was owned by a wealthy Lexington man named Price McGrath. Now called Coldstream, ESPN described McGrathiana parties as having, “lavish burgoo feasts … under a grove of locust trees at half-past one … with burgundy followed by roast dishes of mutton, goat and pig while the champagne and bourbon flowed.” As far as the fashion of 1875, the rich wore silk hats and the women carried parasols while working class men donned shirtsleeves and straw hats.

The first Infield party

The Kentucky Derby has a history of focusing on luxury and high class living. Regardless, the working class have always had presence at the Kentucky Derby. For example, at the first Kentucky Derby, working class people that could not afford the grandstands paid $2 for a badge to be able to stand at the rail and see the race. Since this time, the Infield party that takes place at Churchill Downs has evolved significantly. Over the past decade, it has been referred to as a frat party, but critics say that it has a history of being a space for roughhousing. This is not necessarily the case today, and you can expect law enforcement to be on hand for any partying in the Infield during the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

The first Kentucky Derby Festival event

Many people assume that the organizers of the Kentucky Derby own the large citywide party known as the Kentucky Derby Festival. Others assume that the City of Louisville must be the ones behind the scenes of events like the Balloon Glow, the Pegasus Parade, and Thunder over Louisville. The truth is that the Kentucky Derby Festival is a separate entity that has a history that began in 1935. After a couple of years, the festival shut down, but it was restarted in 1956.

Interestingly, the idea behind the first festival-oriented Kentucky Derby party in 1956 was to create an elaborate event for people that were too poor to afford to go to the Kentucky Derby. According to the Kentucky Derby Festival website, these 1950s originators came up with the idea to create a pageant of the people. In order to capture a spirit of magic, excitement and energy, the winged horse of Greek mythology, Pegasus, was chosen.

How important are Kentucky Derby parties in the end?

Is it just a silly idea to throw a Kentucky Derby party each year? The answer to this question is an absolute no. Although it seems like Churchill Downs comes up with all the good ideas, the truth is that regular horse racing fans and their parties are where many Kentucky Derby traditions start. A good example is the red roses that are presented to the winning horse after the Kentucky Derby. The red rose became the official flower due to an after-party tradition started by a New York only socialite named E. Berry Wall.

When ladies showed up at his Kentucky Derby party, Wall would always give them a red rose. One of those parties was attended by Churchill Downs founder Meriwether Lewis Clark, and the red rose soon found its way to the Kentucky Derby. Starting in 1896, red roses were presented at the conclusion of each Kentucky Derby for the rest of the history of this race. In other words, be sure to take your ideas for Kentucky Derby parties seriously because your style could be the next big official trend.