February 1, 2017 Louisville, KY. – 80 days and counting to this year’s Thunder Over Louisville – the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies. The Festival announced the theme of this year’s show and named the event’s sponsors at their headquarters this morning. This year’s theme – “Thunder: Local & Original” – is a nod to the show’s Louisville heritage. The theme will also help direct the fireworks soundtrack which will feature the music of Louisville and Kentuckiana natives.
“Going on the 28th year for the event, Thunder is a true Louisville original,” said Mike Berry, KDF President & CEO. “We couldn’t think of a better way to honor the community we call home, than featuring a soundtrack that showcases musicians from our area.”
While the Louisville Orchestra will be included in this year’s soundtrack, Teddy Abrams is also taking on a new role with Thunder and collaborating with the show’s producer, Wayne Hettinger. Abrams researched and selected dozens of music tracks for this year’s soundtrack.
Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS and Valero are all Presenting Sponsors of the 2017 Thunder Over Louisville fireworks and air show to be held on Saturday, April 22, along the banks of the Ohio River in downtown. In addition to the five presenting sponsors, Ford Motor Company returns as sponsor of Ford’s Thunder on the Ground and CareSource returns as the Official Sound Sponsor for the show. Thunder Over Louisville’s 2017 Official Broadcast Partners are WHAS TV and SummitMedia’s 106.9 PLAY.
Said Berry, “Without the support of these generous sponsors, we couldn’t produce the Thunder show the public has come to expect and anticipate. Their sponsorship really is a gift to the entire community.”
The Festival is planning for another packed air show in 2017, which could include additional military aircraft participation. The show will feature the U.S. Army Golden Knights, as well as celebrate the 70th Anniversary of both the United States Air Force and the Kentucky Air National Guard. Other acts schedule to perform include Billy Werth, Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech 18, and aerobatic pilot Rob Holland. Additional details on the 2017 Thunder Air Show will be released closer to the show date.
Thunder Over Louisville – the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies – is one of nearly 70 events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The 2017 Thunder Over Louisville, themed “Thunder: Local & Original,” is set for Saturday, April 22, and will be the 28th annual production.
This is the 27th consecutive year that UPS has been a presenting sponsor of Thunder Over Louisville. Horseshoe Southern Indiana has been a presenting sponsor for 18 consecutive years; LG&E and Meijer have both been Thunder sponsors for the past 11 years in a row; and this is the fourth year for Valero.
