WINNER WILL BE OFFICIAL THUNDERNATOR FOR FIREWORKS SHOW
January 8, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Your Kentucky Lottery tickets could win you the ultimate Kentucky Derby Festival jackpot! The Derby Festival and Kentucky Lottery are teaming up to give away an unforgettable Festival experience this spring. One lucky winner will be named the 2026 ‘Festival Fanatic’ and receive a prize package filled with one-of-a-kind Derby Festival-themed experiences, ranging from VIP treatment to being the official Thundernator – the person who starts the fireworks for Thunder Over Louisville, one of the nation’s largest fireworks displays. Plus, they’ll win $500!
“Today marks 100 days until Thunder Over Louisville! After not being able to hold the event in 2025, we’re all counting down to its return this spring,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “Being named the Festival Fanatic and serving as the Thundernator is like hitting the Festival jackpot. We always look forward to partnering with the Kentucky Lottery on this special promotion and can’t wait to meet this year’s winner.”
To participate, any eligible $5 or more Pick 3 and $5 or more Pick 4 tickets can be entered during the promotional period. The prize package includes several unique experiences. In addition to being the 2026 Thundernator, the winner will also receive the following:
- Ticket Package, including tickets to the Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race, Kentuckiana Honda Dealers Festival Day at the Downs, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Thunder Over Louisville VIP Rooftop Party, Republic Bank BourbonVille (must be 21+), and the Zoeller Pump Company Pegasus Parade;
- Certificate for private tour of Kern’s Kitchen DERBY-PIE® factory;
- Certificate for Kentucky Derby Museum Tour;
- Official 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival merchandise item;
- Overnight accommodations at The Galt House Hotel for Thunder Over Louisville on Saturday, April 18;
- Tour of the Thunder Over Louisville Command Center and;
- $500 in spending money from the Kentucky Lottery
“The Kentucky Lottery is so excited to once again be a partner in this community event by drawing for the 2026 Festival Fanatic for the Kentucky Derby Festival,” said Kentucky Lottery President and CEO Mary Harville. “This is a longtime partnership dating back to 2010, and our promotion keeps getting better and better each year, truly creating a lifetime of Derby Festival memories.”
The Kentucky Lottery has been a partner of the Festival since 2010 and began the second chance promotion in 2013. Winner and guests must be 18 or older. For a complete list of prizes and information, visit kylottery.com.
To enter the promotion, players must sign-in or register for a Fun Club account at kylottery.com or via the Kentucky Lottery app. Players must be in compliance with all requirements of the Fun Club terms of use, including requirements for registering for or updating an existing account in order to submit tickets to enter a promotion. Once logged in, a player will be able to submit an eligible $5 or more Pick 3 or $5 or more Pick 4 ticket for a chance to be named the ‘Festival Fanatic.’ $5 or more Pick 3 and Pick 4 tickets must be purchased at a participating Kentucky Lottery retailer and entered into the Second Chance promotion during the promotional period. The promotional period is between midnight EST on Thursday, January 8 and 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The drawing for the ‘Festival Fanatic’ will take place on or about Monday, February 9, 2026.
