Block Party Presented by Churchill Downs, Humana & Park Community Credit Union
The Kentucky Derby Festival’s Block Party returns for the fourth year on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center. The free event debuted in 2022 with the support of Churchill Downs and Humana and the Derby Festival’s Derby Equity and Community Initiative (DECI). Another Louisville-based company, Park Community Credit Union, joined forces in 2023 as a Presenting Sponsor of the day-long event, held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Block Party has become a new annual tradition on the Derby Festival’s line-up of more than 70 springtime events and shines the spotlight on talent and resources throughout Louisville, including minority-owned businesses in West Louisville. Guests can enjoy an all-day celebration featuring cuisine from local food trucks, live entertainment, a shopping marketplace, wellness activations, a vendor fair, programming and more.
In addition to partnerships with Churchill Downs, Humana and Park Community Credit Union, several community members and groups continue to play a role in the production of the Block Party event.
From food and shopping to entertainment and health and wellness, Block Party 2025 highlights include:
- 20+ Local food trucks including complimentary water from the Louisville Water Company, courtesy of Humana.
- 50+ Vendors at the MELANnaire Marketplace highlighting Black entrepreneurs. A one-stop shop for spring fashions.
- Live outdoor entertainment on the Ford Motor Company Music Stage with group and solo artists, as well as visual artists, DJs, dancers, poets, theater acts, spoken word, comedy and more.
- Kids’ activities in the ZEON Kids’ Zone featuring outdoor fun, inflatables and face painting.
- A Community Village featuring 20 local nonprofits, all with missions to help meet the needs of residents in the West Louisville Community.
- Park Community Credit Union will offer financial literacy expertise and loan information, and have a 360 Photo Booth onsite.
- A health & wellness area with free health screenings courtesy of Humana.
- Norton Healthcare will be onsite offering complimentary health screenings. Heuser Hearing Institute will offer free hearing screenings and hearing protection. Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky will provide a vaccination station.
Admission to Block Party is FREE.
Parking at the venue will also be FREE thanks to the partnership with Park Community Credit Union.
No outside food or drinks can be brought into the venue.
The DECI, which launched in spring 2021 and is a multi-year initiative, is a combined effort to incorporate equitable programming into the Derby season with the intention of directing economic impact and ensuring that the entire community feels a part of the Derby season and the celebrations that surround it. One of the main pillars of DECI is to CREATE new and culturally celebratory experiences, like Block Party, for the community. More details on DECI can be found online at KDF.org/DECI.
In addition to partnerships with Churchill Downs and Humana, the Kentucky Derby Festival also sought input from several members of the community, who played an instrumental role in the creation of the Block Party.
