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SubscribeAbbey Road on the River Returns to Louisville
The world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival, Abbey Road on the River, returns to Louisville’s waterfront May 22-26. The 2014 AROTR is made extra-special as it marks the golden anniversary of Beatlemania – the world-wide fan frenzy surrounding the Fab Four. Although music promoter Andi Lothian may have coined the term a year earlier, Beatlemania was budding as the Lads from Liverpool arrived in the United States in February 1964 and really exploded after their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The five day celebration here in Louisville aims to capture some of the Beatles craze.
The five day celebration – covering the Belvedere Festival Park, Galt House Hotel and Muhammad Ali Center – features many events to help longtime fans relive the group’s glory days as well as bringing new fans into the mix. Abbey Road on the River is, first and foremost, a music festival so you know that there is no shortage of music. The event draws bands from around the world for over 200 live performances on eight stages (including one by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Beach Boys) as well as many other activities including the Give Peace a Chance photography exhibit at the Muhammad Ali Center, screenings of the Good Ol Freda documentary, special presentations and plenty of vendors offering vintage music memorabilia, art, fair food and more. Continue reading
LMPD officials have released their safety plans for the Oaks and Derby Day events. LMPD representatives say that they will be working in conjunction with local and federal groups to ensure that Louisvillians and visitors remain safe during the city’s Kentucky Derby Festival events, at Oaks and Derby at Churchill Downs and throughout Louisville as hundreds of thousands gallop into town to watch the race live or at Derby parties.
In addition to increased police patrols, LMPD will be coordinating sobriety checkpoints and modified traffic patterns to keep the roadways safe and flowing efficiently. For a list of street closures and no-parking areas during the Pegasus Parade, Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, visit the LMPD Kentucky Derby Festival Information page. To further keep roadways safe during all of the racing celebrations, Miller Lite is sponsoring free rides on TARC buses from 6 PM Friday night until 1AM for those needing a designated driver.
Officials will also be making use of cameras along the parade route to monitor the crowd. Additionally, LMPD is advising those in attendance “if you see something, say something.”
If you plan on heading to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby, you should be aware of what you can and cannot take into the venue. Lists of permitted and prohibited items are available on the Kentucky Derby website. A list of permitted and prohibited items is also available on Official Churchill Downs Partner Derby Experiences website, although visitors should be aware that there are some conflicts between the two lists – specifically, on the rules regarding coolers. Louisville Dispatch staff reached out to the Kentucky Derby communications office and confirmed that the Derby Experiences website has an outdated list that that visitors should adhere to the list below, directly from the Kentucky Derby site: Continue reading
Live racing returns to Churchill Downs this Saturday, April 26. Head out to get in the spirint ahead of Derby! Opening day features, of course, live horse racing, live entertainment from The Louisville Crashers and the unveiling of the world’s largest 4K display from Panasonic. Get tickets for opening day here.
4:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Kentucky Derby week kicks off with style at Opening Night. Witness the premier of the Mega Board and a brand new horse racing experienceGeneral Admission: $10
Gates open at 4:30 p.m. First post is at 6:00 p.m.
Must be 18+ to enter (or accompanied by a responsible adult)
21+ to drink. Always drink responsibly.)Entertainment will include:
Gate 10 – DJ From 5:00-7:00
Gate 17 – DJ from 5:00-7:00
Mill 4 & 6 – DJ from 8:00-10:00
On Plaza Main Stage – The Louisville CrashersFashion Suggestions:
Females: Party/cocktail dresses and headwear. The signature accessory for this event is an evening headpiece a la fascinator, feathers, etc. We want ladies to have fun in sporting a “nighttime Derby look!”Men: Sharp pants/shirt (tie optional); headwear recommended as well!
Photo: Shawn Skriver
Thunder Over Louisville is the explosive kick off event for the weeks-long Kentucky Derby Festival leading up to the May 3, 2014 Run For the Roses. Held since 1990, Thunder combines a collossal air show, a huge waterfront fair atmosphere and North America’s largest annual fireworks display that lasts nearly half an hour with pyrotechnics launched from bridges and barges. It’s pretty spectacular stuff. Since 1997, Thunder boasts an average attendance of 625,000 people at the all-day event.
Thunder Over Louisville 2014 is Saturday April 12 with the center of action at Waterfront Park. The airshow this year boasts such popular features as the Navy Blue Angels and a nearly window-shattering F22 Raptor demonstration as well as numerous aerobatic acts. Breaks in the all-day airshow offer a perfect opportunity to wander around Ford’s Thunder on the Ground – a fairground atmosphere that features a climbing wall, rides and no shortage of vendors and greasy food from the Chow Wagon.
Don’t spend too much time wandering, though. The action does not stop with the airshow or at the midway. Waterfront Park fills up fast, so you will want to be sure to stake out a good viewing location for the nighttime fireworks display that starts at 9:30PM.
Every Thunder Over Louisville event has had an underlying theme for the musically choreographed pyrotechnic display. Past themes have included Americana, Hollywood, the Millennium celebration, country music, rock music, television, Broadway and more. The 2014 display is called Throwback Thunder and will incorporate a “best of” style display that draws elements from past shows.
Admission to all of the riverfront fun is included with your Pegasus Pin, available at locations around Kentuckiana.