2026 PIN PROGRAM INCLUDES 12 GRAND PRIZES
February 26, 2026. Louisville, KY. – A sure sign of spring in Louisville is the arrival of Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pins! This year marks the 54th edition of the iconic plastic pins, which will be available at dozens of retail outlets starting Sunday, March 1. They can be found at 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. The pins are $7 each when purchased in advance at retail locations and $10 at the entrance to events. Plus, the Festival will be giving away a $20,000 cash Gold Pin Grand Prize.
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 is more than a spring tradition, it’s your access pass to Kentucky Derby Festival fun,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “Pegasus Pins provide free admission to many Derby Festival events, and when you register your pin online, you’ll have the chance to win valuable Grand Prizes.”
The Festival will be giving 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 drawings, fans need to register their pins online at PegasusPins.com.
2026 Weekly Grand Prizes:
- $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 package
- $3,000 Meijer gift card
- $2,500 Kroger grocery card
- $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 Gold Pin Grand Prize to be given away on Friday, May 8 on WAVE. With more than 18,000 Pins in circulation, the odds of finding a Gold Winner Pegasus Pin are approximately 1 in 15.
Coverage Note: The Festival is hosting a Pegasus Pin Party on Tuesday, March 3 to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival Season! It will be held at Main Event in Louisville (12500 Sycamore Station Place) from 5-7 p.m. Those wearing a 2026 Pegasus Pin will receive special deals and promotions.
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.
