August 7, 2020. Louisville, KY. – The Derby Festival is paying tribute to Thunder Over Louisville next week, leading up to what would have been the rescheduled date for the event on August 15. While the in-person event is not able to be held this year, the Festival is helping fans find other ways to celebrate the annual air show and fireworks spectacular – all reminiscent of the show’s lights and sounds.
“We know Thunder Over Louisville has been missed this year, so we’ve been working with our sponsors to find other ways for fans to celebrate during these unprecedented times,” said Matt Gibson, KDF President and CEO. “We look forward to a time when it’s safe for us all to gather again for the show.”
- The Festival has created a special “Thunder at Home” section at ThunderOverLouisville.org which includes tips for planning a Thunder party at home, Thunder inspired cocktail and food recipes, coloring pages, Zoom backgrounds and more!
- Each night, from Sunday, August 9, through Saturday, August 15, the lights on the Big Four Bridge at Waterfront Park will be lit in different Thunder colors to honor the show’s sponsors:
- Sunday, August 9 – Red & Gold for Caesars Southern Indiana (21-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Monday, August 10 – Blue & White for Ford Motor Company (9-year sponsor of Thunder on the Ground)
- Tuesday, August 11 – Red, Orange, Yellow & Blue for Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (2-year Sponsor of the Thunder Command Center)
- Thursday, August 13 – Gold & White for UPS (30-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Friday, August 14 – Green, White & Blue for LG&E (14-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Saturday, August 15 – Teal & Pink for the Kentucky Derby Festival
- On Tuesday, August 11, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport will release a special video on Thunder’s Facebook page (@ThunderOverLouisville), to share a unique look at how the air show got its start, how it’s planned each year and where the Derby Festival parks all the planes for the annual show.
- WDRB, the Official TV Broadcast Partner of Thunder in 2020, will take fans behind the scenes of Thunder with their 1-hour special “Thunder Over Louisville Insider”, which airs at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 15. They sit down with Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO, Matt Gibson, and Thunder Producer, Wayne Hettinger, to talk about their favorite moments from the show in its 30-year history.
- Fans can tune to 106.9 PLAY, the Official Radio Partner of Thunder, on August 15, to hear their favorite songs from Thunder soundtracks of years past.
Thunder Over Louisville – the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies – is one of the more than seventy events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The event was not able to be held in 2020 due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. Next year’s show is set for April 17.
Thunder Over Louisville is sponsored by Caesars Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, and UPS. Thunder on the Ground Sponsor: Ford Motor Company. Thunder Funder Sponsor: Papa John’s. Official Sound Sponsor: Logan Lavelle Hunt. Official Hotel: The Galt House. Command Center Sponsor: Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Official Broadcast Partners: WDRB and SummitMedia’s 106.9 PLAY.
