Saturday January 24, 2026
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The Kentucky Arts Council invites Kentucky schools to be part of the fun and excitement of the Kentucky Derby by decorating canvases for the Governor’s Derby Celebration.
Picnic tables on the Old State Capitol grounds will be fitted with horse heads and tails, and the canvases, or “Derby blankets,” will be placed over the tabletops like a blanket over a horse. Any Kentucky school, public or private, can participate.
Schools must provide their own supplies to complete the project. Blankets need to be 36 inches wide and 60 inches long and made of durable, water resistant material. Paint must be outdoor latex and able to withstand inclement weather.
There are no theme requirements, but painted canvases must be sent to the arts council by April 23 for consideration to be part of the Governor’s Derby Celebration. The arts council reserves the right to select which canvases to display at the event, but each blanket will appear in an online slideshow on the arts council website as well as on arts council social media platforms. Schools that participate are acknowledged at the celebration.
Ship blankets to:
Kentucky Arts Council
1025 Capital Center Drive
Third floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
For more information contact Jean St. John at jean.stjohn@ky.gov or 502-892-3124.
Thunder Over Louisville fans making plans for a place to park their cars or pitch a tent have an option that’s close to the action. Louisville Parks and Recreation is selling passes for Thunder weekend at Eva Bandman Park, 1701 River Road.
Eva Bandman Park is located along the Ohio River near Frankfort Avenue, less than a 10-minute stroll from the eastern edge of Waterfront Park.
- Recreational Vehicles – $200 for Friday and Saturday nights; all parking on the pavement and trailers with up to 40-foot awnings are allowed.
- Tents – Campers bringing tents may stay in Eva Bandman Park on Friday and Saturday nights for $50. This includes space for one car, not necessarily next to your tent. Additional cars are $15 each for both RV’s & Tents.
- Parking – On Saturday, April 21, parking spots at Eva Bandman Park will be available as long as space permits, at a cost of $20 per vehicle. Cash only, paid at time of arrival.
Overnight visitors in tents and RVs can stay through Sunday morning. Metro Parks’ staff will be available around the clock. A reservation form can be found here. After staging their site on Friday, those not wishing to camp overnight may exit the park using their extra vehicle and return on Saturday. Previous parking spaces are not guaranteed. Spaces may become limited as Saturday progresses; no other re-entry is authorized.
Advanced registration is highly recommended as the Louisville Police Department will be organizing street closures in the area.
For more information call 502/574-7275 (PARK).
Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5) will host a special ceremony for the unveiling of an honorary street sign in memory of Officer Nick Rodman who died in the line of duty in 2017.
“We will honor his service and dedication to the people of Metro Louisville with signs at the very place where he served; the LMPD First Division Police Station,” says Hamilton. “We continue to mourn his passing. He left us too soon in life and he was an example for all of us for his dedication to public safety.”
The Councilwoman will be joined by President David James (D-6), Councilman Vitalis Lanshima (D-21), Mayor Greg Fischer and LMPD Police Chief Steve Conrad at the ceremony.
“Our city mourns the loss of Officer Rodman, who gave his life to protect ours, and for that we are all eternally grateful. I ask the citizens of Louisville to take a moment and pause to say a prayer for our police officers as they serve and protect a great city every day,” says President James.
“Every day police officers step out, they understand the dangers and responsibilities of their calling. Officer Nick Rodman understood this, yet he did not hesitate when he heard the call over the radio. He responded with courage in service of this community. He made the ultimate sacrifice – a sacrifice that many of us will never contemplate,” says Councilman Lanshima.
Officer Rodman left behind his wife Ashley, his children Mason and Ellie, his parents George and Linda, his siblings Andy and Carly as many friends and colleagues. He followed in his father and brother’s footsteps by becoming a LMPD officer in 2013.
The ceremony is being on the same date when he lost his life one year ago. He was murdered when the suspect intentionally crashed his vehicle into Officer Rodman’s patrol vehicle as Officer Rodman was trying to pursue him. He was 30 years old at the time of his death.
He was a native of Louisville and an outstanding student and athlete at Holy Cross High School where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and held the honor of being an All District, All-Region football player and All-Star soccer player. He continued his education and successes at Georgetown College where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and served as the vice president of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha.
Three honorary street signs will be placed in the following locations; the corner of North 29th Street and Griffiths Avenue, the corner of
North 29th Street and Garfield Avenue, and directly in front of the LMPD 1st Division Police Station on 416 North 29th Street.
The signs will be designated as “Officer Nick Rodman Way.”
The unveiling ceremony will take place in front of the LMPD First Division Station on Thursday, March 29th beginning at 4:00pm.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
She is no stranger to standing up for what’s right and staring down those who would deny civil rights. Ms. Mattie Jones has worked tirelessly throughout her life as a freedom fighter and has battled injustice, brutality, inequality, and discrimination in Louisville and anywhere the fight took her for over six decades.
On Wednesday, March 28th, Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5) will join Ms. Jones and members of her family and friends to unveil an honorary sign on the block where she lives as a tribute to her accomplishments and efforts for advancing civil rights in Metro Louisville.
“Mattie Jones is an icon locally in the fight for civil rights. She has spoken out and then encouraged others to join the cause to make significant change where needed for everyone,” says Councilwoman Hamilton. “As we see younger generations today rise up to speak out on violence and ask for unity, they are following an example Mattie Jones has practiced since she became an active voice for those with no voice in Metro Louisville.”
Mattie Florence Johnson was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1933 and then moved to Louisville with her family in 1940. She is a graduate of Central High School and attended Indiana University, Morgan State University, and Spalding University.
She married Turner Harris Jones and between 1957 and 1998 they raised eight biological children, one adopted child, over 100 foster children, 23 grandchildren, and 31 great grandchildren.
Her path as a leader in civil rights began in 1975 she became active with the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression where she served as Executive Director from 1980 to 1989.
In 1990, Ms. Mattie Jones became the Racial and Economic Justice Coordinator for the Fellowship of Reconciliation located in Nyack, New York, where during her time there she organized the Women of Color in the Workplace conference addressing the issues of sex discrimination, equitable employment.
Her unwavering commitment to equality and justice led her to the Justice Resource Center in Louisville in 2000 where she continued to fight alongside Reverend Louis Coleman.
On February 8th, The Louisville Metro Council approved a Resolution calling for the placement of two honorary street signs at the corner of Louis Coleman Jr Drive and River Park Drive and one at the corner of 35th Street and River Park Drive to be designated as “Mattie F. Jones Way.”
The unveiling ceremony for the signs will take place beginning at 5:00pm at the corner of Louis Coleman Jr. Drive at River Park Drive.
The public is invited to attend.
NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, host of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, will be the featured speaker at the 62nd Annual They’re Off! Luncheon on Friday, April 20. The luncheon, first held in 1957, serves as the time-honored kick-off to each year’s Festival. It’s the second-oldest event on the Festival schedule.
“I feel like I know Mike already, after spending two weeks watching and cheering on our Olympic athletes,” said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “We’re excited to welcome him to Louisville and to hear his stories.”
The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Galt House East Hotel – site of the festive event since 1974. This year’s event will also feature the presentation of the Kentucky Blood Center Volunteer of the Year Award and the Fifth Third Bank Silver Horseshoe Award for service to the community. Tickets are $85 each or $680 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets or to get additional information, please call (502) 584-FEST or visit KDF.org.
Mike Tirico joined NBC Sports Group in July 2016 working on events including the Olympics, NFL, horse racing, golf, Notre Dame Football, and other big events. In February 2017, Tirico was named NBC’s primetime Olympic host, with his first broadcast in this role to come at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. In the spring of 2017, Tirico debuted as the host of NBC’s Triple Crown horse racing – covering the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Tirico made his NBC Sports Group debut in July 2016 as host of NBC Sports’ live coverage of The Open from Royal Troon in Scotland. Shortly thereafter, he made his Olympics debut as host for NBC’s daytime coverage of Rio 2016. Also, last fall, Tirico served as host of The Ryder Cup and NBC’s primetime coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Tirico joined NBC after 25 years at ESPN/ABC, where he established himself as a preeminent broadcaster on properties and events including Monday Night Football, The Open, The Masters, NBA, college football, college basketball, FIFA World Cup, and tennis’ U.S. Open and Wimbledon. In addition, he has hosted SportsCenter coverage of the U.S. Open, The Masters and the Daytona 500, and anchored coverage of the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, and NFL Draft for both television and radio
Tirico joins Seth Davis, Jay Bilas, Kenny Mayne, Dick Vitale, Terry Bradshaw, Erin Andrews, Bill Walton, Archie Manning, Greg Gumbel, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Larry King, Bob Costas, Robin Roberts, Cawood Ledford, Phil Simms and Howard Cosell in a long list of luminaries who have entertained They’re Off! Luncheon audiences for the past 60 years.
Contributing sponsors for the event are Fifth Third Bank, Kentucky Blood Center, and Kentucky Proud with Media Sponsor Business First. Official Hotel: The Galt House.
Ordering Papa John’s pizza will help support this year’s Thunder Over Louisville, now just one month away. Papa John’s and Kentucky Derby Festival officials announced this morning that Papa John’s is the new title sponsor of the Thunder Funder program. The program2 helps raise funds for Thunder Over Louisville – the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies set for April 21. Beginning today, participating Papa John’s locations will donate $1.00 of every Thunder Fireworks pizza purchased to help support Thunder. The Thunder Fireworks pizza must be ordered online at PapaJohns.com using the online promo code THUNDERPIZZA.
“Thanks to Papa John’s, supporting Thunder Over Louisville this year will be as easy as ordering a pizza,”
said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “Without the support of community-minded partners like Papa John’s, we couldn’t produce the show fans have come to expect and anticipate.”
Papa John’s is renaming their popular “Works” pizza to the “Thunder Fireworks” pizza for the special promotion, which will last from now through May 6, 2018. The pizza features pepperoni, Canadian bacon, spicy Italian sausage, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and black olives.
“Papa John’s has been a proud Kentucky Derby Festival sponsor for the past 15 years. For the first time, we’re excited to be the title sponsor of the Thunder Funder Program,” said Hillary Simmons, Papa John’s Community Project Specialist. “Through the Thunder Funder Program, we continue to build upon our community-focused initiatives across our home base of Kentuckiana.”
In 2017, Papa John’s locations across Kentuckiana and Central Kentucky raised and donated a combined $191,000 to local organizations striving to make communities a BETTER place to work and live. Papa John’s FIREWORKS Pizza promotion will help to support one of the iconic annual events in Louisville.
Papa John’s partnership with Thunder in 2018 also includes new Papa Wi-Fi Zones with charging pods throughout the venue to help fans stay connected, so they can easily share all their favorite moments from this year’s event with family and friends.
The theme of this year’s show is “A Disco Thunder,” celebrating disco music. The Festival is also planning for another packed air show in 2018, which could include additional military aircraft participation.
Presenting sponsors of Thunder Over Louisville are Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS and Valero. Ford Motor Company returns as sponsor of Ford’s Thunder on the Ground. Thunder Over Louisville’s 2018 Official Broadcast Partners are WLKY TV and SummitMedia’s 106.9 PLAY. The Galt House is the Official Hotel of the event. Thunder Over Louisville is one of the more than 70 events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. 2018 marks the 29th annual production.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Louisville Parks & Recreation StepFest returns this Saturday, March 24. The competition starts at 1pm, at Central High School (1130 W Chestnut Street in Louisville). Doors open for the event at Noon. The competition will feature elementary, middle and high school step teams, as well as community step groups.
“We’re very excited to be hosting the StepFest dance competition again in 2018,” said Ben Johnson, Assistant Director of Recreation. “It’s quickly becoming a Derby Festival tradition. We’ve already doubled the number of step teams competing this year.”
Division winners will receive cash prizes. In addition, all division winners will be featured in the 2018 Republic Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Parade, where they will show off their moves once more. Admission for spectators to watch StepFest is $5, and is free for children 5 and under.
The competition is free for participants and registration will be open until the event starts. If interested, contact Laneisha Beasley at (502) 574-3206 or Laneisha.beasley@louisvilleky.gov.
The Kentucky Derby Festival StepFest is sponsored by Louisville Parks & Recreation, with Media Sponsor B96.5 FM.