March 28, 2026. Louisville, KY. – With the traditional spin of the wheel, Tania Vergara-Gongora {TAH-Nyah / Ver-Gaura / Gohne-Gora} of Louisville was crowned the 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Queen tonight at the 68th annual Fillies Derby Ball Presented by Courtesy Cadillac at the Omni Louisville Hotel. Tania is a junior at Bellarmine University pursuing […]

REPUBLIC BANK BOURBONVILLE TOASTS AMERICA’S NATIVE SPIRIT ON APRIL 2 March 27, 2026. Louisville, KY. – It’s time to toast to spring! Bourbon fans can mix, mingle and sip their way through a spirited evening next week at Republic Bank BourbonVille! The Kentucky Derby Festival event, set for Thursday, April 2 from 6:30 to 9:30 […]

GUESTS WILL ENJOY CROWNS, MASKS & MYSTERY AT FILLIES DERBY BALL March 26, 2026. Louisville, KY. – It’s the ball that starts it all! The first ball of the Derby season – the 68th annual Fillies Derby Ball® Presented by Courtesy Cadillac – is set for Saturday, March 28 at the Omni Louisville Hotel. The […]

PINK LUXURY SEDAN TO BE SHOWCASED AT FESTIVAL EVENTS March 26, 2026. Louisville, KY.- Kentucky Derby Festival and Courtesy Cadillac are giving Festival fans a chance to win a new Cadillac during this year’s Festival! To help promote the Courtesy Cadillac Festival Challenge, a 2026 Cadillac CT4 Luxury Sedan was wrapped in the Festival’s signature […]

NORTHERN KENTUCKY WOMAN WILL BE THIS YEAR’S THUNDERNATOR March 25, 2026. Louisville, KY. – A Northern Kentucky woman has won the Kentucky Derby Festival jackpot! Through a second-chance promotion, sponsored by the Kentucky Lottery, Carol Irvin of Dayton, Kentucky, has been named Festival Fanatic for the 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival. As part of her lucky […]

RINGLING CIRCUS HYPE CREW AND WATER LANTERN EVENT MAKE FESTIVAL DEBUT March 23, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Festival Fans have even more ways to celebrate this year! As the countdown continues to this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival, several events are debuting on the 2026 lineup. New additions include high-energy entertainment with the Ringling Circus Hype […]

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR DERBY FESTIVAL FASHION EVENT March 18, 2026. Louisville, KY. – The runway will be filled with color, statement looks and fresh trends when Dillard’s Spring Fashion Show returns on Thursday, March 26 at Caesars Southern Indiana. The 2026 show is themed “Color Rush: Fashion at the Speed of Life,” and will […]

March 12, 2026. Louisville, KY. – A La Grange man was named this year’s burger boss and is taking home the title of 2026 Derby Burger Champion for his Caribbean twist on the classic burger. Greg Yopp’s recipe for The Jerk burger was declared the winner after a cook-off this morning between the top four […]

TICKETS ON SALE FOR THE FILLIES DERBY BALL March 11, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Masks, mystery and royal tradition will take center stage March 28 when the Fillies Derby Ball® Presented by Courtesy Cadillac returns to the Omni Louisville Hotel. The black-tie event, themed “A Royal Masquerade,” will bring the elegance of Venice, Italy, to […]

March 9, 2026. Louisville, KY. – It’s all about the bling for Kentucky’s largest day of road racing! The Kentucky Derby Festival is sharing a first look at the finisher’s medals participants will receive after crossing the finish line for the 2026 Humana miniMarathon and Marathon. This year’s medal features a sleek silver horseshoe design […]

FINALISTS FROM LOUISVILLE, LA GRANGE & COLUMBIA, KY March 6, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Burger fans have spoken! The votes are in and more than 55,000 beef lovers voted online to help select the top 4 finalists for the 2026 Derby Burger Challenge sponsored by Dan-O’s Seasoning, Kentucky Beef Council and Kroger. This year’s chefs […]

March 4, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Let’s get ready to RoboRumble! The 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation annual RoboRumble Regional Robotics Tournament powers up at duPont Manual High School on Saturday, March 7 for a day of engineering excitement and challenges. The regional STEM robotics competition, hosted by the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation and coordinated […]

March 2, 2026. Louisville, KY.  – Fans are invited to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival season at Main Event’s Pegasus Pin Party! The Derby Festival is celebrating Pegasus Pin® wearin’ season with a family-friendly celebration at Main Event in Louisville (12500 Sycamore Station Place) on Tuesday, March 3, from 5-7 p.m. Festival Fans can […]

February 27, 2026. Louisville, KY.– Students from Jefferson County Public Schools will be in the spotlight sharing their ideas on ways to solve community-wide issues this Saturday, Feb. 28, at the sixth annual Park Community Credit Union JusticeFest. JusticeFest, a Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation event, showcases projects and collaborative work done by JCPS students from […]

2026 PIN PROGRAM INCLUDES 12 GRAND PRIZES February 26, 2026. Louisville, KY. – A sure sign of spring in Louisville is the arrival of Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pins! This year marks the 54th edition of the iconic plastic pins, which will be available at dozens of retail outlets starting Sunday, March 1. They can […]

SIX SPONSORS TEAM UP TO SUPPORT 2026 SHOW February 23, 2026. Louisville, KY. – In just over 50 days, one of the nation’s largest annual fireworks displays and top air shows in the country returns to light up the Louisville skyline! Thunder Over Louisville is set for Saturday, April 18. Kentucky Derby Festival released details […]

A 30-by-50-foot American Flag, formerly flown at Thunder Over Louisville, was installed in The Galt House Hotel’s East Tower on Monday, Feb. 23, as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s event announcing highlights of the 2026 show, set for Saturday, April 18. The flag was first flown at Thunder Over Louisville, the Opening Ceremonies of […]

February 20, 2026. Louisville, KY. – It’s burger time and the Kentucky Derby Festival is calling all Festival foodies! Festival Fans can help select the 2026 ‘Derby Burger’ Champion. Dozens of original recipes were submitted for the competition sponsored by Dan-O’s Seasoning, Kentucky Beef Council and Kroger. The recipes have been narrowed down to the […]

DERBY FESTIVAL NAMES NEW CONCESSIONAIRE Louisville-based company awarded multi-year agreement February 16, 2026. Louisville, KY. – A Louisville-based company will bring a new flavor to Kentucky Derby Festival events. Khalil’s Catering has been selected as the Festival’s Official Concessionaire. Khalil’s Catering will provide food and beverage service for two of the Festival’s signature events: Thunder […]

DERBY FESTIVAL’S FREE PNC TOUR DE LOU TRAINING PROGRAM ROLLS OUT IN FEBRUARY FIRST 250 REGISTRANTS RECEIVE FREE SHIRT February 13, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Looking to get in cycling shape for spring? The Kentucky Derby Festival and PNC Bank are offering FREE training for cyclists of all experience levels. The six-week PNC Tour de […]