Kentucky Derby Celebration

It started with "two minutes" and became two weeks.

Background Information• What is Derby Festival?: The Commonwealth's

largest single annual event, and one of Louisville's most popular entertainment attractions, the celebration is produced by Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., a private, not-for-profit civic organization.

• Attendance: an estimated 1.5 million • Events: 70-plus special events • First Derby: 1875• Founded: 1956 • Budget: $5 million projected (1st budget was $640)

Major Derby Events

• Thunder over Louisville• Great Balloon Race Festival• Great Steamboat Race Course• Pegasus Parade• Derby Marathon and miniMarathon• The Derby

Thunder over Louisville

• Thunder Over Louisville Air Show

• Thunder Over Louisville Fireworks

Great Balloon Race Festival

• Great Balloon Glimmer• Great Balloon Rush Hour Race• Great Balloon Glow• Great Balloon Race

Pegasus Parade

• Local high school and college bands • Individuals and businesses to create the floats

for the parade• Giant inflatable cartoon characters,

equestrians, and celebrities.

Great Steamboat Race

• Race down the Ohio River between the Belle of Belle of Louisvilland the Belle of Cincinnati

• 14 mile race• Start and finish by the second street bridge.

Derby Marathon and miniMarathon

• Marathon is 26.2 miles• miniMarthon is 12 miles• More then 12,000 runners• Course runs though the city of Louisville.

The Derby

• The KY Derby is a 1.25 mile race for three year old thoroughbred horses.

• Draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year.

Interesting Derby facts

• The Kentucky Derby earned its nickname "Run for the

Roses" because of the blanket of 554 red roses traditionally awarded to the winner after the race.

• Covering 147 acres, Churchill Downs, where the Derby is ran, is among the most famous sporting venues in the world. It has a seating capacity of over 165,000 people.

• The fastest Kentucky Derby ever ran was by Secretariat in 1973. The Triple Crown-winning horse ran the 1¼ miles in 1 minute 59 seconds. the first Kentucky Derby was ran in 2 minutes 27 seconds.

• The Derby was first nationally televised in 1952.