2023 PROGRAM INCLUDES NEW $20,000 GRAND PRIZE
Sunday, March 5, 2023. Louisville, KY. – A sure sign of spring in Louisville is the arrival of thousands of colorful and collectible pieces of plastic – the Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pins. 2023 marks the 51st edition of the iconic plastic pins, which will be available at dozens of retail outlets starting Monday, March 6! 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. Festival Fun Packs, which include a package of 5 Pegasus Pins, also return this year for $30.
“The Pegasus Pin is your ‘ticket’ to a month’s worth of Derby Festival fun, offering free admission to more than half of our events,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “For the ultimate value, get your pin in advance at one of the dozens of retail outlets throughout the community so you can take advantage of the discount coupons and register early for the chance to win the weekly Grand Prizes.”
The 2023 Pegasus Pins come in three different color combinations, including the Derby Festival’s signature pink and teal, as well as orange and teal and green and teal. All three colors are on a white background. The geometric design of the Pins is inspired by styles from the 1980s and 90s.
The Festival will give away nine Grand Prizes over the course of eight weeks, and any 2023 Pegasus Pin can win. To be eligible for the drawings, fans need to register their pins online at PegasusPins.com. The prizes will be given away on Fridays beginning Friday, March 17, and take place through Friday, May 5. The drawings will be broadcast on WAVE.
2023 Weekly Grand Prizes:
• $3,000 Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Speakeasy Bourbon Party
• $2,500 in Main Event Entertainment Gift Cards
• $2,500 Commonwealth Credit Union Visa Gift Card
• $2,500 Great Clips prize package
• $3,000 Ashley HomeStore Shopping Spree
• $2,500 in Mike’s Carwash Ultimate + Ceramic Washes
• $2,500 Academy Sports Gift Card
• $2,500 Kroger Fuel Card
• $2,500 Kroger Grocery Card
Those who find and register a Gold Winner Pegasus Pin also have a chance to win a new $20,000 cash Gold Pin Grand Prize to be given away on Friday, May 12 on WAVE. With more than 18,000 of the Pins in circulation, the odds of finding a Gold Winner Pegasus Pin are approximately 1 in 13.
Coverage Note: The Festival is hosting a Pegasus Pin Party on Tuesday, March 7 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 2023 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, as well as 13 coupons provided by retail and business partners, including Mike Linnig’s, Flying Axes, Rooties Sports Bar & Grill, the Kentucky State Fair, and Kern’s Kitchen Derby-Pie Chocolate nut pie just to name a few.
The Festival Fun Packs of 5 Pegasus Pins include all the pin perks with coupons and the chance to win prizes, PLUS an additional offer for Mike’s Carwash. The Fun Packs are available for purchase online, as well as at Kroger and Meijer stores, and other retail locations.
About Pegasus Pins: The Pegasus Pin Sponsorship program was started as an awareness campaign for the Derby Festival in 1973. At that time, only 10,000 of the plastic pins were produced. The 1973 version of the pin is valued at $800-$1,000 and it’s rare to find them. Since then, the pin sponsorships have become one of the primary sources of funding for Derby Festival events. A pin sponsorship investment is a way fans can support the Kentucky Derby Festival, a not-for-profit organization providing world-class entertainment.
About Kentucky Derby Festival
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
