WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL TODAY
April 27, 2026. Louisville, KY. This is the schedule for MONDAY’S Derby Festival activities.
Beds On Wheels:
KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL GREAT BED RACES PRESENTED BY SNAP-ON. 6 PM Parade of Beds. 7 PM Racing. Broadbent Arena. Beds aren’t for sleeping during Derby Week, they’re for racing! Beds on wheels compete in a race around a figure-eight course during this annual tradition. Theme: “Festival on the Move: Ticket to Ride.” Admission is free with a 2026 Pegasus Pin®. $15 KEC parking. $175 entry fee for a team of 5. Presenting Sponsor: Snap-on. Contributing Sponsors: IBEW Local 369, Kentucky Venues and UA Local 502 Apprenticeship Program. Official Health Partner: Baptist Health ER & Urgent Care. Official Finish Line Sponsor: Texas Roadhouse. Supporting Sponsor: Louisville Collision Center. Official Broadcast Partner: WAVE. Media Sponsor: Classic Rock 107.7.
Charitable Celebration:
KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITY DINNER. 5:30 PM Social Hour. 6:45 PM Opening Ceremonies. 7 PM dinner. The Galt House Hotel, Archibald Cochran Ballroom. Produced by the Bishop Spalding Council of the Knights of Columbus. For tickets, call (502) 893-2220.
Live Entertainment:
SOUL CIRCUS 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 – 11 PM. (Entrance closes at 10 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 – 11 PM. (Entrance closes at 10 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.
