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 […]

June 25, 2019. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Charity Module Program raised over $124,000 in 2019 for local charities. 27 different charitable organizations benefitted from the program by having individual runners and running teams participate in the 2019 Humana Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon on April 27. The Charity Module has […]

JUDY HESS OF HORSESHOE TO CHAIR NEXT YEAR’S FESTIVAL June 19, 2019. Louisville, KY. – Horseshoe Southern Indiana’s Judy Genovese Hess will chair the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival. Hess, who’s served on the Festival’s board for 20 years, was elected by the Festival’s Board of Directors at its annual meeting last night. Hess is Community […]

UofL Coach Jeff Walz will be a Celebrity Chef at June 23rd Event June 18, 2019. Louisville, KY. – Vincenzo and Agostino Gabriele will host their eighth annual “Night at Vincenzo’s” fund-raiser for the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation on Sunday, June 23. The elegant event will be held at Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant in Louisville. UofL […]

FamFest is June 14 in New Albany June 12, 2019. Louisville, KY.- The Kentucky Derby Festival returns to Southern Indiana this Friday, for one day only! The second annual Horseshoe Foundation FamFest is set for Friday, June 14, in Downtown New Albany. The event was originally scheduled for April 19 but was postponed due to […]

June 6, 2019. Louisville, KY. – Looking for a bargain? The Kentucky Derby Festival will hold its 18th annual Yard Sale this Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, at the KDF office at 1001 South Third Street in Old Louisville. The sale will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and from […]