February 27, 2020. Louisville, KY. – ABC News’ Chief Meteorologist, Ginger Zee, will be the featured speaker at the 64th Annual They’re Off! Luncheon on Friday, April 17. Zee covers the nation’s weather headlines on Good Morning America and across other ABC News broadcasts and digital platforms. The luncheon, first held in 1957, serves as […]

COMPETITION HEATS UP WITH NEW CHEF DIVISION February 14, 2020. Louisville, KY. – Is your burger recipe top shelf? The Kentucky Derby Festival and the Kentucky Beef Council are looking for the next ‘Derby Burger’ Champion. New this year, chefs are invited to join the competition, along with local foodies. Burger recipes are being accepted […]

February 12, 2020. Louisville, KY. – Just 66 days and counting to this year’s Thunder Over Louisville – the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies set for Saturday, April 18. The Festival announced details of this year’s show at their headquarters this morning. GE Appliances, a Haier company, was announced as the newest Presenting Sponsor of […]

February 7, 2020. Louisville, KY – The Kentucky Derby Festival is sharing another sign of spring this morning, as they release the design for the 48th edition of their Pegasus Pin. The 2020 design features the Festival’s campaign tagline “Live it Up!”, with a silver Pegasus soaring over a fuchsia Louisville skyline on a teal […]

WINNER RECEIVES ULTIMATE VIP EXPERIENCE February 3, 2020. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival and Kentucky Lottery are joining forces to give away the experience of a lifetime. One lucky winner will be named the 2020 Festival Fanatic and receive a prize package that includes unique Festival experiences ranging from VIP treatment and a […]

January 30, 2020. Louisville, KY. – It’s time to start planning for spring and the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival! Tickets for some of the Festival’s favorite social events go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 31. “Many of our ticketed events sell out. We encourage Festival fans to purchase their tickets early to […]

Jan. 30, 2020– LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky Derby Festival is looking for a new sponsor to help fund its annual Pegasus Parade. The parade was the event that established the Derby Festival back in 1956. It has brought the community together on Broadway for decades. “This is the first time in many years that […]

FANS CAN PRE-ORDER ONLINE THROUGH FEBRUARY 5 January 29, 2020. Louisville, KY. – A sign of spring this morning as the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2020 poster rolled off the presses at Derby City Litho. This year’s poster was designed by Louisville artist Casey McKinney. His artwork, “Pegasus in Bloom,” features a Pegasus racing through a […]

2020 MEDAL IS THE SECOND IN FOUR-YEAR MEDAL SERIES January 28, 2020. Louisville, KY. – The 2020 Humana Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon, Marathon and Relay are shaping up to be “the greatest” races yet. Derby Festival Officials unveiled the 2020 race finishers medal this morning at the Muhammad Ali Center. This year’s design features the […]

Registration for Bicyclist Training Program Opens TODAY! January 17, 2020. Louisville, KY. – Wish you could ride faster or go further on your bicycle? The Kentucky Derby Festival and PNC can help you do both through their training program for bicyclists. The FREE PNC Tour de Lou Training Program is for cyclists at all experience […]

January 6, 2020. Louisville, KY. – The countdown to the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival is on, as new Derby Festival Royalty were crowned this morning. The five women selected to serve as Princesses in the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court were introduced in a ceremony at Macy’s in Oxmoor Center. The Royal Court Program […]

November 22, 2019. Louisville, KY. – Bourbon and Louisville come together to create BourbonVille, a new merchandise line inspired by the city’s bourbon scene. The Kentucky Derby Festival and its Official Licensee, 12/13 Apparel by Synergism, unveiled the new line today at BourbonVilleUSA.com. “Like the Derby Festival, Bourbon is part of our city’s history and […]

October 18, 2019, Louisville, KY. – If you’re planning to cross the finish line of the Humana miniMarathon, Marathon or Relay next April, the Norton Sports Health Training Program will give you a head start. The 15-week program helps prepare runners and walkers for the Derby Festival’s road races. Registration for the FREE program opens […]

September 26, 2019, Louisville, KY. – Kentucky Derby Festival has a lot of reasons to celebrate today! Louisville’s annual civic celebration received 43 top honors at the International Festivals & Events Association’s (IFEA) Convention and Expo in Colonial Williamsburg, West Virginia. The Derby Festival tied for the Bronze Grand Pinnacle in the “Best Overall Festival […]

SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEALS START SEPT. 25 September 23, 2019. Louisville, KY. – The 2020 Humana Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon are shaping up to be “the greatest” races yet. For the first time, the Festival is partnering with the Muhammad Ali Center for the design of the race finisher medals. The medal, which will […]

FRIENDS OF THE WATERFRONT TO HOST 28TH ANNUAL SILVER ANCHOR AWARD CELEBRATION Mike Berry, President and CEO of Kentucky Derby Festival, to be Honored LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 17, 2019) – The Friends of the Waterfront, FOTW, a nonprofit auxiliary arm of the Waterfront Development Corporation, is pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Silver […]

Long-time staffer, Matt Gibson, to take the reins September 10, 2019. Louisville, KY – Matt Gibson, who’s led the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Events and Operations since 2003, will be the organization’s next President and CEO. Gibson was selected after an extensive nationwide search. “This truly is a lifelong dream. My job at the Kentucky Derby […]

APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS TODAY FOR 2020 ROYAL COURT August 26, 2019, Louisville, KY. – The search is on for new Kentucky Derby Festival royalty! The application process for the 2020 Royal Court opens online today at KDF.org. Young women from Kentucky or Southern Indiana who are full-time college students (in at least 2nd year) are […]

July 2, 2019. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2019 Opening Ceremonies – Thunder Over Louisville – will be re-broadcast on the American Forces Network to more than a half million U.S. Armed Forces personnel and Department of Defense civilian employees and their families stationed overseas on Independence Day. “Sharing Thunder Over Louisville is […]

Memorial fund established in his honor June 27, 2019. Louisville, KY – Hearts are heavy this week at the Kentucky Derby Festival as the organization mourns the loss of Mike Ziemianski (Zuh-man-ski), a longtime volunteer and Board Member who was to serve as Chair for the 2021 Festival. Ziemianski, known simply as “Mike Z” or […]