April 27, 2026. Louisville, KY. The Kentucky Derby Festival’s waterfront venue, Fest-a-Ville, will close an hour earlier each night this week. Fest-a-Ville will now be open daily through Derby Eve from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The entrance gate will close at 9 p.m. The Fest-a-Ville venue encompasses Festival Plaza and the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park. Big Four Bridge is not part of the Fest-a-Ville venue. The time change comes after juveniles created multiple disturbances within the venue on Saturday and Sunday. (MONDAY WEATHER: Due to the forecasted inclement weather tonight the venue will close at 6:30 PM and the entrance will close at 5:30 PM.)
“Safety is always the Kentucky Derby Festival’s top priority,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “Closing an hour earlier will help us stay ahead of any issues and keep Fest-a-Ville the family-friendly venue that fans expect and can enjoy.”
The Festival will continue to implement the attendance policy for minors that was put in place in 2025 after navigating similar issues. All attendees under 18 years old entering Fest-a-Ville must be accompanied by a chaperone 21 years of age or older.
Each adult can only chaperone 3 minors at a time (this number is down from 6 initially). Proof of age is required. IDs will be verified at the entrance gate.
I.D. checks are conducted and required at the entrance gate before entering the Fest-a-Ville venue. Anyone who violates or attempts to bypass the entrance will have committed a Criminal Trespassing offense which is subject to prosecution. Valid types of identification include driver’s license, non-driver ID card, passport, visa or military ID.
Chaperones are required to remain at Fest-a-Ville if they are bringing minors. Any adult who drops off minors (even if their own admission fees are paid), are in direct violation of the policy. Any and all misbehaving minors and their associated parties will be asked to leave the venue. Kentucky Derby Festival considers chaperones as a parent, guardian, or other supervising adult age 21 or over with a valid ID, including a photograph and date of birth.
The Kentucky Derby Festival will also enforce the City of Louisville’s mask ordinance, which prohibits wearing face coverings that conceal a person’s identity in public places. Exceptions include masks worn for health, safety, occupational purposes, traditional holiday costumes, or approved theatrical uses, as outlined in the ordinance.
The Fest-a-Ville venue is open daily through Derby Eve. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrance gate will close at 9 p.m.* Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin. Pegasus Pins are $7 in advance at local retail outlets and $10 at the entrance to events. (Food and drink are not permitted). Venue hours and entrance subject to change at the Festival’s discretion.
About Kentucky Derby Festival
2026 marks the 71st year for the Kentucky Derby Festival, a month-long celebration packed with 70+ events leading up to the first Saturday in May. As an independent community organization, it’s supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $200 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
