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The Kentucky Derby Festival is partnering with the Louisville Bicycle Club to produce the PNC Tour de Lou, which will ride through Louisville this Sunday, April 30. Created for cyclists of all experience levels, this is the Festival’s fourth annual bike event. For riders who still want to participate, late registration is available this week. They can register on site at the Kentucky Derby Festival Race Expo at the Kentucky Exposition Center, West Wing, April 27, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Cyclists who have already registered can pick up their packets at the Expo.)
As in the past, the 2017 PNC Tour de Lou route will be an open course, with two lane or bike lanes provided for over 90% of the route. Cyclist will start and finish at Waterfront Park near Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville. There are separate distances based on experience levels:
- 20 miles – Beginner/New to cycling (Open course, no streets closed.)
- 35 miles – Moderate/Experienced (Open course, no streets closed.)
- Metric Century, 62.1 miles – Seasoned (Open course, no streets closed).
The course highlights include a scenic Olmsted Park Tour showcasing Shawnee, Chickasaw, Wayside, Iroquois and Cherokee parks. Cyclists will also travel through neighborhoods around the city from Downtown along Main Street and Waterfront Park, to Portland, Algonquin and South Louisville; as well as Old Louisville NULU, the Highlands and Butchertown.
Late registration (April 27 and 28) is $50. A portion of the registration fee also benefits the Louisville Bicycle Club. For more information, visit www.kdf.org or call (502) 584-FEST.
PNC is Title Sponsor of the event. Official Safety Sponsor: AAA East Central. Contributing Sponsors: Baptist Health Sports Medicine, Louisville Marriott Downtown, and Scheller’s Fitness & Cycling. Media Sponsors: 102.3 The Max and The Courier-Journal. Supporting Sponsors: Louisville Bicycle Club and Louisville Water Company.
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
The Kentucky Derby Festival’s Celebration Sunday returns this weekend with a Christian Contemporary concert and gospel choir showcase. Featured on the Music Stage at the Chow Wagon, the Passport GospelFest will begin at 2 p.m with performances until 7 p.m. Celebration Sunday presented by WJIE, which will feature Sidewalk Prophets with John Tibbs and Hannah Kerr starts at 5 p.m. on the Great Stage inside Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville. Admission to both shows is a 2017 Pegasus Pin.
Packed with powerful performances, the Passport GospelFest will showcase choirs from around the State. Grammy-nominated artist Jason Clayborn and the Atmosphere Changers, St. Stephen Youth Choir, and Sensational Bentleys will headline the event. GospelFest is sponsored by Passport with Contributing Sponsor Kentucky Department of Tourism and Media Sponsors B96.5 and WLOU 104.7.
This year’s Celebration Sunday concert features headlining artist, Sidewalk Prophets, an award-winning Contemporary Christian band. The 2010 Dove Award winner for New Artist of the Year will bring their energetic live-performance to the Great Stage with singles from their latest album like “Prodigal,” “To Live Is Christ,” and “Impossible.” John Tibbs and Hannah Kerr will open the show for the second year in a row. Tibbs, originally from Lexington, KY is a rising songwriter and worship leader whose signature southern heartland roots shine through in his first studio album, “Dead Man Walking.” Kerr, a breakthrough Christian singer from New York is sure to lift the crowd with her latest album, Overflow. Celebration Sunday is sponsored by WJIE.
Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville is open through Derby Eve, Friday, May 5. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, except Sunday 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. This ultimate entertainment experience offers national concerts, family fun, food vendors, a children’s inflatable playground, midway rides and more. Admission is a 2017 Pegasus Pin. Kroger is title sponsor of the event, with contributing sponsor Miller Lite and media sponsor The Courier Journal.
Festival Officials planning for tonight’s balloon glow, winds could still be a factor.
Derby Festival Officials continue to monitor the weather for the U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glow, which was rescheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. While no inclement weather is expected, there is still a potential for high winds. Festival Officials want to make sure patrons know the winds could impact how much the balloons will glow.
“We want balloon fans and their families to come out and join us for our final ballooning event. But, we also want to make sure they know if there are high winds in the area, it could prevent some balloons from glowing or limit access to the balloon field,” said Mike Berry, KDF President and CEO.
The Glow is scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the parking fee is $8. Admission to the event is free with a 2017 Pegasus Pin. If wind conditions are good, the balloon pilots will fire their burners, making the balloons glow against the night sky synchronized to a musical score provided by 106.9 PLAY. The event will also be broadcast live by WLKY TV on MeTV Louisville 32.2.
Some 1,200 volunteers cleaned up alleys and roadways in Shelby Park, Smoketown, Shawnee and California. Hundreds gathered at Meyzeek Middle School to build beds for JCPS school children who didn’t have one. More than 3,000 students walked for compassion through downtown Louisville as part of the international WE Day. And still others repaired bikes for refugees or landscaped area nonprofits.
Those and many other projects and deeds amounted to more than 180,000 volunteers and acts of compassion during Louisville’s sixth annual Give A Day week of service, which ended April 23.
The amount of helping and giving broke the city’s own world record of 175,000 volunteers and acts of compassion set last year in April. Mayor Greg Fischer said the creativity of compassion was impressive and inspiring.
“The beauty of this annual Week of Service is that it puts a spotlight on the compassion that we know happens in this community every single day, though we might not always see it,” Mayor Fischer said. “Every year, I learn about new things that people are doing throughout this community to help build each other up, and it’s amazing.”
The Mayor cited, for example, a small group of volunteers who gather every Sunday from spring into fall at Eastern Cemetery on Baxter Avenue, and armed with a few mowers, rakes and brooms, work to mow the grass and make once-forgotten, unseen monuments visible again.
“This little army is out there every week, and hardly anyone knows it’s happening,” said the Mayor, who stopped in to help and close out the 2017 Give A Day week on April 23. He and Dr. Barry Kerzin, one of the Dalai Lama’s two personal physicians – who was visiting for the Festival of Faiths – jumped in and mowed portions of the massive cemetery.
The numbers for Give A Day week included more than 51,000 JCPS students and teachers – often entire schools and classes – who, along with thousands more private and Catholic school students, were involved in projects ranging from writing letters to troops overseas to collecting and sorting food for the hungry to cleaning the neighborhoods around their schools.
And a record number of people – more than 17,000 – joined the Brightside & Passport Health Plan Spring Community Wide Cleanup, removing litter and debris from neighborhoods, parks and schools.
Louisville Metro Government teams also donated hours during the Week of Service. Louisville Metro Police, for example, sponsored projects in every division, and Louisville Fire helped with landscaping, beautification, cleanup and children’s activities at places like the Louisville Masonic Home and Baxter Park.
Mayor Fischer said the numbers probably exceeded 180,000, given how many acts of compassion occur that no one reports or are difficult to count, including contributions from local media and hours donated by companies, including Humana, GE, Ford, UPS, Computershare, Hogan Lovells and more.
The Mayor said he’s already hearing from citizens, organizations and companies making plans for the 2018 Give A Day event, which again will be connected with the annual Kentucky Derby Festival.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival each year, than giving back to our community and its residents,” said Mike Berry, KDF President and CEO. “With countless volunteers who help make our celebration possible, we know first-hand the importance of volunteerism, and it makes Give A Day week a perfect fit.”
Mayor Fischer stressed that the success of Give A Day would not be possible without the support and coordination of Metro United Way, which matches volunteers with needy projects and organizations through the website, www.mygiveaday.com. “At Metro United Way, uniting people with the passion and expertise to get things done around our community’s most pressing needs is at the heart of what we do,” said Theresa Reno-Weber, Metro United Way president and CEO. “All year we mobilize thousands of individuals to fight for the education, financial stability and health of every person in our community, so we’re especially proud to serve as the volunteer engine for Mayor’s Give a Day week of service.
“Behind all of our work,” she added, “there are countless individuals, nonprofit partners and private companies who get involved in big and small ways to ensure a better future for all of us and a stronger community, and we are grateful for all who help us ensure every individual, child, and family achieves their fullest potential.”
2017 Give A Day week of service — Notable Numbers:
- 52,248 – Meals packaged by volunteers at Love the Hungry
- 40,000 – Pounds of supplies donated for the Love from Louisville effort to send goods to refugees in Greece
- 30,000 – Meals donated through Kroger and Dare to Care food drive
- 20,000 – Personal hygiene kits created and distributed to JCPS and KRM, as part of WE Day
- 17,000 — Brightside volunteers who helped clean up Louisville
- 100 — Bicycles donated to and refurbished by the Pedal Power Project to provide basic transportation for new refugees to Louisville
Perfect weather conditions enabled 22 balloons to take off in the U.S. Bank Great Balloon Rush Hour Race this morning. This is the thirteenth year for the drive-time race event, which was added to the Festival’s BalloonFest schedule in 2005. The competition got underway just after 7 AM at Bowman Field, as light wind took the balloons north west into West Louisville.
The 21 “Hound” balloons took off from Bowman Field in “chase” of the “Hare” – U.S. Bank balloon, piloted by Scott McClinton. McClinton flew for about an hour before landing in Shawnee Park near a construction zone. 6 of the pilots made a measurable toss of their bag of Kentucky bluegrass seed near the target, a giant vinyl U.S. Bank “X.”
With another race still on the docket for the weekend, the overall winner will be chosen based on a points system. As of this morning’s race, the Zaxby’s balloon, piloted by Nick Donner, is the front runner. Donner came within 19 feet, 10 inches of the target laid out by race sponsor and hare balloon U.S. Bank.
Pilots picked their positions for tonight’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glow at the BalloonFest Position Draw Luncheon held this afternoon. The Glow is scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Derby Festival Officials are monitoring the weather closely for the event. The final event on the U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest schedule is the U.S. Bank Great Balloon Race at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Also at today’s luncheon, 15 pilots competed in an indoor target toss to choose a winning charity from Thursday’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Charity Race (because the race was cancelled Thursday morning). Pilot Dan Hoehler with the Sunnyside of Louisville balloon by SoIN won the competition for the American Red Cross. American Red Cross will be presented a $1,000 check from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation.
Last night’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glimmer was a hit at the Waterfront! Conditions drew a crowd of thousands to the Great Lawn. 19 balloons participated in the annual ‘mini-glow’ at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville.
Since the first Great Balloon Race was held in 1973, the Derby Festival’s balloon events have been considered among the best in the country by pilots from all around the world. BalloonFest attractions are annually among the most popular family-friendly events on the Derby Festival schedule.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Great BalloonFest is sponsored by U.S. Bank with Contributing Sponsor V.G Reed & Sons. Q103.1 is the Media Sponsor of the Great Balloon Glimmer. 99.7 DJX is Media Sponsor of the Rush Hour Race and Great Balloon Race. 106.9 PLAY is Media Sponsor of the Great Balloon Glow. WLKY TV is the TV broadcast partner for the Glow.
Dolvett Quince, known for six seasons on the hit NBC show “The Biggest Loser,” will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2017 Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. The 62nd annual parade is set to march down Broadway on Thursday, May 4th.
“As a leader in his field of health and fitness, he is the perfect fit to lead this year’s health-focused parade, themed ‘Louisville on the Move,’” said Stacey Robinson, KDF Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff.
Dolvett’s passion, regimen and dramatic transformational results have made him one of the most in-demand fitness specialists in the country. He was born in Connecticut, and along with his three siblings, was adopted. They moved to Florida, where he finished his schooling. In 2004, he opened a private personal training studio in Atlanta, Georgia called Body Sculptor. After gaining notoriety on a mainstream Atlanta radio station, he began widening his clientele. He has trained other trainers and celebrities as part of his business including Angela Bassett, Justin Bieber, and hip-hop singer JoJo.
Dolvett is just one of several celebrity guests participating in this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival events. Many will take part in both the Celebrity Day at the Downs event on Thursday, May 4, as well as the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade later that same day.
Guests scheduled to appear include:
- Linkin’ Bridge (finalist on season 11 of America’s Got Talent and Honorary Grand Marshals)
- Justin Cornwell of CBS’ Training Day
- Justin Hartley of NBC’s This is Us
- Jonathan Kite from CBS’ Two Broke Girls
- Chrishell Stause, Actress (from Draffenville, Kentucky)
- Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor of Bravo TV’s “Vanderpump Rules”
- Miss Kentucky 2016 Laura Jones
- Jimmy Eat World (Parade guest only)
- Damion Lee, American Professional Basketball Player and former UofL Cardinal (Luncheon guest only)
- Robert Williamson, Professional poker player (Luncheon guest only)
Celebrity Day at the Downs will begin at 11:30 a.m. on the sixth floor at Churchill Downs, featuring a traditional Kentucky luncheon and a day of racing on Millionaire’s Row. The event is sponsored by Kentuckiana Honda Dealers, with contributing sponsor Macy’s, and Media Sponsors The Voice-Tribune and 106.9 PLAY.
The Republic Bank Pegasus Parade steps off on Broadway at 5 p.m. The parade is sponsored by Republic Bank, with Contributing Sponsor KentuckyOne Health. Tickets for the parade are still available online at KDF.org. Ticket prices are $10 for bleacher seats and $12 for chair seating.
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
Tomorrow kicks off the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival with one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. Thunder Over Louisville is a fun family event that features music, food, an air show, and a very large fireworks display at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the weather will not be so cooperative, and there is no rain date. As long as it is safe to be near the river, the show will go on. We are currently looking at a high near 50 degrees with nearly 100% chance of rain.
Visitors to the main viewing area on either side of the river will need a Pegasus pin for entrance. The official program for the day will be available tomorrow in the local newspaper. The day begins when many displays open at 11:00 AM. The US Military will have multiple interactive displays on the South Great Lawn, including a dog tag machine, a fitness challenge, an obstacle course, and a 4D virtual reality simulation of a Navy rescue mission. The South Lawn will have activities geared towards children, such as the ninja jump and Meijer will be sponsoring a Family Fun zone that will feature face painting, bounce houses and a beer garden for the parents.
The famous air show does not start until 2:30 PM (recent time change from 3:00 PM). The line up of acts will feature aircraft from the US and other foreign countries’ militaries, both past and present. The show usually features a couple of stunt pilots that will display their skills in the cockpit by performing stunning, and dangerous, maneuvers in the air at various heights. If you have not been to a Thunder Over Louisville event with cloud cover, the ability of the planes to fly close enough to be seen is dependent on the ceiling level and the pilot’s discretion. The entire line up of airshow can be seen online, but it is subject to change.
The air show ends when the fireworks start. As with the previous 27 events, the 28-minute fireworks show has a theme. This year it is “Local & Original”. Along with the fireworks, there is a musical score to go along with the show and as always, there will be a salute to the US that usually features the US flag being flown by aircraft in the viewing area and a few well-known, patriotic songs. The fireworks are currently scheduled to start at 9:30 PM.
If you plan on attending the event, some useful information can be found at the Kentucky Derby Festival webpage. You should plan on leaving any personal drones, tents, canopies, glass containers, alcoholic beverages, pets, bicycles, and grills at home. Lawn chairs are permitted and so are tarps (as long as they are under 10′ x 10′). Event organizers also recommend that you dress for the weather (possibly consider a change of clothes in a waterproof bag or in the car), make sure you gas tank is full (traffic after the event can be slow moving at best and many routes that may be familiar will be blocked), and plan to park as far away as you can comfortably walk. A map of the viewing area is also available on the website.
If you do not want to drive to the event, the local public transit provider, TARC, will have extra buses on certain routes and alternate loading spots following the event. More information, including route changes and detours, can be found on their website. If you are unable to attend the event or do not desire sitting in the rain all-day, you can listen to the show all day on WVEZ 106.9 and many local news stations will air the event as well.
