WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL TODAY
April 28, 2026. Louisville, KY. This is the schedule for TUESDAY’S Derby Festival activities.
Bettin’ on a Fun Night:
KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL TEXAS HOLD’EM TOURNAMENT. 4:30 PM Boarding/check-in. 6 PM Tournament begins, plus one-hour Cruise (subject to river and weather conditions). Belle of Cincinnati, docked at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront. $100 Buy-in until April 14; $125 Buy-in after April 14, includes 10,000 in chips and commemorative pin. Add-ons available 1st hour of play $50 for 5,000 chips. $2,500 first place prize. Payouts for 10% of field. Payouts based on 325 players, payouts pro-rated based on actual number of players. $15 for guests if cruise takes place. LICENSE# ORG0001638. Register by calling (502) 584-FEST or online at KDF.org. Supporting Sponsor: Louisville Poker Tour.
Four-Legged Friendly Fun:
KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL HAPPYTAIL HOUR. 5-8 PM. Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront, Ringling Circus Party Lawn (Great Lawn). A pet-friendly (leashes please!) social event. Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin®. Produced by Metro Animal Services. (FOOD AND DRINK ARE NOT PERMITTED.)
Swinging for $1 Million:
STOCK YARDS BANK KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL $1 MILLION DOLLAR HOLE-IN-ONE GOLF CONTESTSM FINALS. 6 PM. Seneca Golf Course, Hole #8. Free for spectators. Grand Prize: $1 million. First Prize (if no Hole-in-One): $5,000. Sponsor: Stock Yards Bank. Contributing Sponsor: Louisville Parks & Recreation. Official Luxury Vehicle: Cadillac/Courtesy Cadillac. Media Sponsor: WLKY.
Toasting Derby Week:
COMMONWEALTH CREDIT UNION KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL WineFest. 6 – 9 PM. Mellwood Art Center. Sip and savor more than 100 local wines from Kentuckiana wineries. Tickets: $30 Designated Driver (available at event only); $75 General Admission; $125 VIP Experience (Limited Availability). General admission tickets include wine tastings, light appetizers, shopping, souvenir glass and WineFest pin. VIP includes 5 PM early entrance, opportunity to barrel taste local wine, VIP gift and access to private area with seating and food stations. (21 and over only. Must present ID upon entry.) Tickets available by calling (502) 584-FEST or online at KDF.org. Sponsor: Commonwealth Credit Union. Contributing Sponsors: Crushed Ice Catering and Old 502 Winery. Official Luxury Vehicle and VIP Sponsor: Cadillac/Courtesy Cadillac. Official Safe Ride Home Partner: Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Supporting Sponsor: Kentucky Wineries Association. Media Sponsor: MIX 106.9.
Live Entertainment:
CICILY B. AND THE MUSE EFFECT AT KROGER’S FEST-A-VILLE. 8 PM. Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront, Miller Lite Music Stage. Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin®. Sponsor: Kroger. Stage Sponsor: Miller Lite. (FOOD, DRINK AND PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED.)
The celebration continues at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville and the Chow Wagon:
Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the WaterfrontSM. Open Daily 11 AM – 10 PM. (Entrance closes at 9 PM.) Waterfront Park. ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE featuring concerts, family fun, food, kids’ inflatable playground, midway rides and more at the Ringling Circus Party Lawn (Great Lawn). All attendees under 18 years old must be accompanied by a chaperone 21 years of age or older. Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin®. (FOOD, DRINK AND PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED). Sponsor: Kroger. Ringling Circus Party Lawn: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. Music Stage Sponsor: Miller Lite. Pegasus Play-Ville Sponsor: Norton Children’s. Official Safe Ride Home Partner: Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL CHOW WAGON® Open Daily 11 AM – 10 PM. (Entrance closes at 9 PM.) Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront. Outdoor food & live music venue. Happy Hour Weekdays 4 – 6 PM $4 beer at the Beer Garden. All attendees under 18 years old must be accompanied by a chaperone 21 years of age or older. Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin®. (FOOD, DRINK AND PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED). Sponsor: Kroger. Music Stage Sponsor: Miller Lite.
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.
