March 20, 2018. Louisville, KY. – Calling all Derby Festival foodies! Festival Fans can help pick the 2018 ‘Derby Burger’ Champion. Dozens of original recipes were submitted for the competition sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council. Those recipes featuring 100% beef have been narrowed to the top 8 recipes. Voting is open online to help […]

March 17, 2018. Louisville, KY. – 12-year-old Tara Singh of Louisville is a three-time champion after winning her third consecutive Derby Festival Spelling Bee. Singh also won the competition in 2016 and 2017. She correctly spelled “Rathskeller” – A restaurant or tavern, usually below street level, that serves beer. The competition was held in the […]

March 16, 2018. Louisville, KY. – The jousting has begun for the 2018 Great Steamboat Race set for Wednesday, May 2, on the Ohio River. Details of this year’s race were announced at a press conference this morning. Three boats will compete in 2018. The American Duchess, the newest paddle wheeler built by the American […]

March 15, 2018. Louisville, KY. – Students from around Kentucky and Southern Indiana will compete in the 25th annual Ford Motor Company Kentucky Derby Festival Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 17th. The competition starts at 11 AM in the Bomhard Theater at the Kentucky Center (501 W. Main Street in Louisville). 64 students in grades […]

March 14, 2018, Louisville, KY. With spring around the corner, the Kentucky Derby Festival is preparing for a Festival favorite. Their first official event of 2018 – Festival Unveiled – is this Thursday, March 15, at the Mellwood Arts Center. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. Citizens Union Bank and Four Roses are the […]

March 13, 2018. Louisville, KY. – If you’ve been waiting to register for the miniMarathon or Marathon, don’t put it off any longer! This is the last week you can save on registration for this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon Presented by Humana. Registration fees are set to increase on Friday, March 16. […]

March 8, 2018. Louisville, KY. – Get ready to ROBORUMBLE! Samtec has teamed up with the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation and Jefferson County Public Schools for the 2018 RoboRumble Regional Robotic Tournament. The event is this Saturday, March 10 at Marion C. Moore High School. The tournament challenges students and teams from Jefferson County schools […]

March 7, 2018. Louisville, KY. – You can be front row at your favorite Derby Festival concert. The Festival’s Waterfront Jam VIP Viewing Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 9 at 10 a.m. These exclusive tickets which offer front row viewing will be offered for 4 of the 7 national concerts. Beginning April 27 […]

March 1, 2018. Louisville, KY. – It’s time to start planning for spring and the 2018 Kentucky Derby Festival! Tickets for Festival events will be on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 2. To purchase tickets order online at KDF.org 24 hours/7 days a week. For questions, call the Derby Festival Hotline at (502) […]

February 26, 2018. Louisville, KY. – Runners participating in this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon Presented by Humana will receive a historic finisher’s medal to take home with them. Derby Festival Officials unveiled the 2018 race medal tonight at Drake’s in St. Matthews. It’s the first time the design of the medal has […]

February 26, 2018. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival is rescheduling its first event of 2018 due to flood waters. The event – Festival Unveiled Presented by Citizens Union Bank and Four Roses – will now be held on Thursday, March 15th at the Mellwood Arts Center. It was originally scheduled for this Thursday, […]

LOUISVILLE (February 26, 2018) – Joined by representatives from local organizations and volunteer committees, Mayor Greg Fischer today announced plans for his 2018 Give A Day week of service. This year’s Give A Day week is set for April 14-22, although the Mayor noted that many projects will be under way earlier, to avoid conflicts […]

Friday, February 16, 2018. Louisville, KY. – This morning, a sign that spring is around the corner! The first shipment of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pins arrived at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Main Street. It’s the first place you can purchase a 2018 Pegasus Pin beginning today. Heaven Hill Distillery has […]

February 12, 2018. Louisville, KY. – 68 days and counting to this year’s Thunder Over Louisville – the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies. The Festival announced the theme of this year’s show and named the event’s sponsors at their headquarters this morning. This year’s theme – “A Disco Thunder” – will celebrate disco music and […]

February 7, 2018. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival and Kentucky Lottery are joining forces to give away a once-in-a-lifetime experience. One lucky winner will be named the 2018 Festival Fanatic and receive a prize package that includes unique Festival experiences ranging from VIP treatment and a ride down Broadway in the Republic Bank […]

February 5, 2018. Louisville, KY. – How does your burger stack up? The Kentucky Derby Festival and the Kentucky Beef Council are looking for the next ‘Derby Burger’ Champion. Starting today hamburger recipes will be accepted for submission in the seventh annual “Derby Burger Challenge,” sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council. Recipes can be submitted […]

February 2, 2018. Louisville, KY – A sign that spring is around the corner, as the Derby Festival releases the design for the 46th edition of their Pegasus Pin. The 2018 design is inspired by the Festival’s Official Poster image. The plastic pin features the Pegasus from the poster in a color combination of purple […]

February 1, 2018. Louisville, KY. – The all-star game known for bringing recruits from the nation’s top college basketball programs to play in Louisville every spring will not be on the Kentucky Derby Festival’s schedule in 2018. Festival officials have decided to reevaluate the annual Basketball Classic after declining attendance and increasing financial loss. “The […]

January 31, 2018. Louisville, KY. – Tickets go on sale Thursday for one of the most elegant events of the Derby season – the annual Fillies Derby Ball hosted at the Galt House on Saturday, April 14. This ball is one of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s oldest events. It’s also the largest fundraiser for the […]

                               January 26, 2018. Louisville, KY. – A sign of spring this morning as the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2018 poster rolled off the presses at Clark & Riggs in Louisville. This year’s poster was designed by Louisville artists and twin sisters […]