69th EVENT TO CELEBRATE 150TH KENTUCKY DERBY
January 29, 2024. Louisville, KY. – You won’t need tickets to this year’s Zoeller Pump Company Pegasus Parade to have a prime viewing spot! Churchill Downs is sponsoring all general admission bleacher seating for this year’s event. More than 3,000 seats along the route from Jackson to 9th streets will be free to attendees courtesy of the historic racetrack. The Parade will be held on a Sunday for the third straight year and marches on April 28 at 3 p.m.
“The Zoeller Pump Company Pegasus Parade is a Derby Festival tradition that has been bringing our community together for nearly seven decades,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “Thanks to our partnership with Churchill Downs, we look forward to bringing even more people to downtown Louisville and offering our Festival fans and families a front-row view to see unique floats, equestrian units, marching bands and more at this one-of-a-kind event.”
The complimentary bleacher seats are available on a first come, first served basis. The 2024 Parade theme is “Celebrating Derby 150” in honor of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby this spring.
“As we prepare to celebrate 150 years of the Kentucky Derby, it is an honor to partner with Derby Festival on their longest-held event that brings families together in the heart of Louisville,” said Tonya Abeln, President of Churchill Downs Foundation. “At Churchill Downs, we’re proud to host the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports, but we know that much credit for its success is owed to our community who infuses it year after year with a unique energy and enthusiasm. It’s an honor to say thank you by offering this opportunity to enjoy the legendary Pegasus Parade from the premium vantage point of the bleacher seats. We all have so much to celebrate this year and we can’t wait to do it together on April 28.”
2024 marks the 69th annual Parade, the founding event of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Originating in 1956 on a budget of $640, it’s the Derby Festival’s oldest event and was created as a way for the community to celebrate before the Derby horse race. The first Parade also had ties with the home of the Kentucky Derby, as the first Grand Marshal was Tom Young, Superintendent of Churchill Downs. The Parade has grown over the past six decades to become one of the Festival’s largest events with an estimated economic impact of $22 million.
The Derby Festival is still accepting applications for Parade participants in the following categories: Equestrians, Specialty Units, Marching Bands, Inflatables, and Floats. Interested participants can submit their applications online at KDF.org/PegasusParade. The deadline to apply to participate is Jan. 31.
Zoeller Pump Company is the Title Sponsor, joining Contributing Sponsors Churchill Downs and Kentucky Venues, UofL Health as the Official Health Care Provider, The Galt House as the Official Hotel, and Media Partner, WAVE.
