EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON EXPERIENCE FIRST PLACE TO HAVE 2026 PINS
Thursday, February 12, 2026. Louisville, KY. – The signature symbol of the Kentucky Derby Festival and spring in Louisville has arrived! The first shipment of 2026 Pegasus Pins were delivered this morning to Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Main Street in downtown. It’s the first place you can purchase this year’s Pins starting Thursday, Feb. 12 for $7 each. Heaven Hill Distillery has also produced a special Evan Williams Single Barrel Limited Edition Kentucky Derby Festival Bourbon Bottle to commemorate the 54th edition of the collectible Pins. The bottle features a Gold Pegasus Pin sealed in yellow wax on the neck of each bottle, as well as an Official 2026 Pegasus Pin in an envelope attached to the bottle.
This year’s Pegasus Pin® features a horseshoe-shaped design in a translucent teal color, a signature shade of the Festival, and is trimmed in silver, the classic color of a horseshoe. The design also spotlights the Festival’s Pegasus symbol. The horseshoe shape is a nod to early Pegasus Pin designs from the 1970s. The last time the Pegasus Pin featured a horseshoe was in 1983. In recognition of another hallmark hue of the Festival, the rubber back clasp for the pin is pink.
“The Pegasus Pin has been a Kentucky Derby Festival tradition for more than 50 years,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “It’s a symbol of the season and a way for everyone to be part of the celebration. Each pin serves as your access pass to Festival fun, with chances to win valuable prizes and exclusive local deals.”
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (528 W. Main St.) will be the only location in town selling Pegasus Pins from February 12th through March 1st. The commemorative bottles are also available for purchase only at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience beginning today and while supplies last for $110.
“The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is honored to mark 10 years of partnership with the Kentucky Derby Festival and a shared commitment to celebrating one of Kentucky’s most cherished traditions,” said Jodie Filiatreau, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distiller. “Over the past decade, these bottles have become meaningful keepsakes for Bourbon lovers and Derby Festival fans alike, and we’re proud to continue crafting great Kentucky whiskey that brings people together during this special season.”
Starting March 1st, the pins will be available at retail locations including grocery stores, gas stations, banks, and other retail outlets in Kentuckiana from Elizabethtown to Louisville, as well as in Southern Indiana. They can also be purchased online at PegasusPins.com. They will sell for $7 each at retail and $10 at events.
The Festival will give away 12 Grand Prizes over the course of eight weeks and ANY 2026 Pegasus Pin can win! The prizes will be given away weekly from Friday, March 13 through Monday, May 4 on WAVE. To be eligible for the drawings, fans need to register their pins online at PegasusPins.com.
This year’s Weekly Grand Prizes include: A $3,000 Evan Williams Bourbon Experience ‘Speakeasy Bourbon Party’; $2,500 in Main Event gift cards; $2,500 VISA gift card from Commonwealth Credit Union; $2,500 VisionFirst Designer Glasses & Eye Wellness Package; $3,000 ticket package including Two 4-Day Weekend Passes to the 2026 Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life music festivals; $2,500 prize package from Wacky Willy’s Fireworks; $3,000 Topgolf Six-Month Platinum Elite Membership; $2,500 Publix Super Markets gift card; $2,500 Great Clips prize package; $3,000 Meijer gift card; $2,500 Kroger grocery card; and a $2,500 Kroger fuel card.
Those who find and register a Gold Winner Pegasus Pin also have a chance to win a $20,000 cash Grand Prize to be given away Friday, May 8 on WAVE. With more than 18,000 of these pins in circulation, the odds of finding a Gold Winner Pegasus Pin are approximately 1 in 13.
Along with the chance to win Grand Prizes, each Pegasus Pin envelope also includes an offer from Great Clips and three coupons that could be from a variety of retail and business partners including Kroger, Meijer, Publix Super Markets, Main Event, the Kentucky State Fair, Kern’s Kitchen Derby-Pie®, VisionFirst and Topgolf, just to name a few.
AARP Kentucky is partnering with the Kentucky Derby Festival as part of the 2026 Pegasus Pin program, offering Pin buyers the opportunity to learn more about the organization’s ongoing work supporting communities across the region.
