Tuesday October 14, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
It’s time to take your shot at $1 million! The Stock Yards Bank Kentucky Derby Festival $1 Million Dollar Hole-In-One Golf Contest opens this Thursday, April 20, and runs through Sunday, April 30. The contest will take place at the Seneca Golf Course Driving Range off Pee Wee Reese Road. There will be 10 days of preliminary qualifying rounds and a Semi-final Round on Sunday, April 30.
The preliminary competition is open 10 AM to 8:30 PM every day from April 20 – April 30, except for April 22, when it will be closed for Thunder Over Louisville. The last day for preliminary competition is Sunday, April 30, from 10 AM to 5 PM, and then the Semi-Final round begins at 6 PM. Competitors and spectators can relax in the refreshment tent located adjacent to the tee area.
During the preliminary rounds the 10 closest shots to the hole each day will advance to the Semi-final round, while hole-in-one shots, will advance directly to the Finals. It’s $1 per shot daily, with 2 shots for $1 specials on the following days:
- Senior Days (62+): Weekdays 10 AM – 2 PM
- Junior Day (under 18): April 23
- First Responders & Veterans Day: April 24
- Ladies Day: April 25
There are a total of 56 positions in the Finals, which include all daily hole-in-one qualifiers, four female qualifiers from Ladies’ Day, plus two qualifiers under the age of 18 from Junior Day advance as well. The Finals will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 6 PM at Seneca Golf Course Hole #8. If no hole in one is awarded during the Grand Prize round, the participant coming closest to the hole during the Finals will receive a $5,000 first prize.
Stock Yards Bank is the title sponsor of the event. Contributing Sponsor is Metro Parks & Recreation, joining Media Sponsors WLKY TV, 840 WHAS and Insider Louisville
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 Clark Memorial/2nd Street Bridge will close Thursday, April 20, in preparation for Thunder Over Louisville. We ask your help in communicating this information to the public in the coming days. The Louisville Metro Police Department will release their Thunder traffic plan next week.
CLARK MEMORIAL/2ND STREET BRIDGE CLOSURES THUNDER WEEK:
- Thursday, April 20th: 9:30 a.m. – CLOSED thru Sunday at 2 p.m.
- Friday, April 21st: CLOSED ALL DAY
- Saturday, April 22nd: CLOSED ALL DAY
- Sunday, April 23rd: CLOSED Midnight to 2:00 p.m.
BIG FOUR PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE:
The Big Four Pedestrian Bridge will be closed from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21, for the air show practice window. On Thunder day (Saturday), it will also close at 9 a.m. until 12 midnight. Access to the bridge will be restricted to only those pedestrians wishing to cross to the other side from 10 p.m. (post fireworks) to Midnight. Signage will be placed on the Big Four Bridge to help notify the public of the closures and restrictions.
Thunder Over Louisville – the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies – is one of the more than 70 events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The 2017 Thunder Over Louisville themed “Thunder: Local & Original” is set for Saturday, April 22. The show is sponsored by Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS and Valero.
Back by popular demand, the world’s No. 1 bourbon Jim Beam is helping participants of this year’s Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon presented by Walmart and Humana capture their time in a bottle. Runners are invited to bring their race bibs to the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse (408 S. Fourth St., Louisville, Ky.) to receive a complimentary engraving of their official race time and a signature race image on a bottle of Jim Beam Urban Select.
The personalized engraving comes with the purchase of a 375ml or 750ml bottle of Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select (50% alc./vol.; SRP: $29.99 and $45.99 respectively). As part of this one-of-a-kind experience, runners can hand label, fill and cork their own bottle. The offer, which is available until May 15, is featured on runner’s race bibs and included in runner’s virtual race bag.
“Jim Beam is thrilled to again join forces with the Kentucky Derby Festival to support Kentucky’s passionate running community,” said Kim Bennett, senior director, Kentucky Beam Bourbon Experiences, Beam Suntory. “We know that it takes great strength and determination to become a champion and whether runners aim to make history with a new personal best or simply cross a race off their bucket list, Jim Beam is ready to raise a glass and toast their success.”
Jim Beam is returning as the Official Bourbon of this year’s Marathon/miniMarathon, as well as the Race Expo and Packet Pick-up. Prior to the race, runners can also stop by the Jim Beam Bourbon Bar at the Race Expo on April 27 or 28 and sample the bold, rich flavors of Jim Beam’s award-winning whiskey portfolio. The Derby Festival’s road races are set for Saturday, April 29. Registration is still open at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com
Walmart and Humana are Co-Presenting Sponsors of the Marathon and miniMarathon. The Official Race Medical Partner is Norton Sports Health and Contributing Sponsors are BB&T, Churchill Downs, Louisville Water Company, Powerade, and The Courier-Journal. Official Bourbon: Jim Beam. Official Hotel: The Galt House.
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.
If you plan to run the Derby Festival’s Marathon or miniMarathon, but haven’t registered yet, your time is running out! Registration for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon Presented by Walmart and Humana will close at midnight on Thursday, April 20. There will be no late registration. The registration fees are $95 for the miniMarathon and $105 for the Marathon. Runners can register online at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com.
For runners who don’t want to go the distance of the mini or full Marathon, they can recruit friends and register as a team. In conjunction with the 2017 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon, the Marathon Team Relay option is again being offered. The Team Relay registration fee is $325. Teams can consist of up to 5 runners and have as few as 3 competing members. Relay Teams will run the same course as the Marathon, which has been divided into 5 separate legs consisting of two 5k, two 10k, and a 12.2k.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon is still the largest annual day of road racing in Kentucky. 2017 races are set for Saturday, April 29, and will again be capped at 18,000 runners. Both races will start simultaneously at 7:30 am on Main Street near Slugger Field and will finish at Preston and Witherspoon streets.
Walmart and Humana are Co-Presenting Sponsors of the Marathon and miniMarathon. The Official Race Medical Partner is Norton Sports Health and Contributing Sponsors are BB&T, Churchill Downs, Louisville Water Company, Powerade, and The Courier-Journal. Official Bourbon: Jim Beam®. Official Hotel: The Galt House. Official Pace Car: John Jones Auto Group.
The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people annually. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
The jousting has begun for the 2017 Great Steamboat Race set for Wednesday, May 3, on the Ohio River. At a press conference last week, the tasks and scoring system that will determine the winner of the race was announced. Representatives of the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Belle of Louisville and the Belle of Cincinnati also participated in a Four Roses Bourbon tasting to determine which single-barrel bourbons would be served aboard each vessel during the race.
The Four Roses barrel coded HW 48-4J was selected as the bourbon to represent the Belle of Louisville and the Four Roses barrel coded HW 48-4K was selected to represent the Belle of Cincinnati.
Passengers on board both boats will again have the opportunity to sample the two bourbons and vote for their favorite. The boat with the winning bourbon will receive a mini bourbon barrel trophy and bragging rights for a year. Great Steamboat Race private selection bottles will be available exclusively for sale at your local Louisville Kroger Wine and Spirits Shop in late April.
“We’re happy to once again be a part of Kentucky Derby Festival’s Great Steamboat Race. It’s an event steeped in rich history, much like Four Roses,” said Brent Elliott, Four Roses Bourbon master distiller. “The Bourbons selected to be served during the race are from our OBSV recipe, which is our high rye mashbill. I’m looking forward to Steamboat Race guests tasting both and deciding their favorite in May.”
The task and scoring system that was implemented eight years ago to determine the winner of the Great Steamboat Race will return again this year. Instead of the event winner being determined by the first boat to cross the finish line at the Clark Memorial Bridge, the winner will be the vessel which accumulates the most points from performing a series of nine tasks assigned to each competitor throughout the day and during the race. The task competition starts at 2 p.m. race day at the 4th Street Wharf.
- Task No. 1: Knot Tying Contest (10 points for 1st, 5 points for 2nd)
- Task No. 2: Nautical Flag Word Puzzle (10 and 5 points)
- Task No. 3: Handy Line Toss (10 and 5 points)
- Task No. 4: Monkey fist Toss (10 and 5 points)
- Task No. 5: Paddle Wheel Assembly (10 and 5 points)
- Task No. 6: Calliope Competition (10 and 5 points)
- Task No. 7: Buoy Flag Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
- Task No. 8: VIP Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
- Task No. 9: Four Roses Bourbon Barrel Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
- Task No. 10: Finish Line Order (29 points for 1st vessel under the bridge, 15 points for 2nd vessel)
The total potential points earned are 164. The vessel with the most points as determined by the judges will be declared the winner. Failure to perform a task will result in a “no score,” plus a 35-point penalty. The majority decision of the judges will be final. The winner will be presented with a set of 12-point Silver Antlers at the post-race ceremony.
Boarding for the Great Steamboat Race will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., with the boats departing the shore at 5:45 for a 6 p.m. start. Each boat will be assigned two judges, in addition to an overall event judge from the Derby Festival. The Awards Ceremony will take place immediately following the race at the Chow Wagon in Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront.
Limited Belle of Cincinnati tickets are still available: $60 Cruise Only; $95 Dinner, Four Roses Bourbon Tasting, and Cruise. For Belle of Cincinnati tickets call 800-261-8586 or visit BBRiverboats.com.
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 369. Contributing Sponsor: Four Roses Bourbon. Supporting Sponsor: IDD Therapeutic Services, PLLC. Media Sponsor: Q103.1
The line-up is set for the 2017 Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. Floats and inflatable units participating in this year’s parade drew for positions at a special event tonight at the Ice House. “Louisville on the Move” will be the theme for the Derby Festival’s oldest event, which will feature approximately 100 units marching down Broadway on Thursday, May 4th.
“This year’s theme is twofold with both a health focus, as well as a nod to how the city continues to grow and progress,” said Mike Berry, KDF President & CEO. “There are many different ways to depict ‘Louisville on the Move’ and we look forward to seeing all the creative and original designs.”
The parade theme will be used by sponsoring companies to help direct the building of floats and costuming of the inflatable handlers and crew. The floats and inflatables compete for various awards based on originality, eye appeal, theme representation, animation, attention to detail and enthusiasm. Marching bands use the theme to help with musical selection and it is the basis of costume and concept design for the other marching units. The annual spectacle marches west on Broadway from Campbell to Ninth Street.
The 2017 Parade will feature 13 floats, plus 1 push float, many of them built by the employees of the companies sponsoring them. The following companies drew for their float position in the parade at tonight’s event, as well as the sponsors of the six participating inflatable character balloons.
| Floats: | Inflatable Balloon Characters: |
| Belle of LouisvilleCity of St. Matthews
Grand Lodge of Kentucky Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Hwang’s Martial Arts Indiana University Southeast Kentuckiana Pride Festival Kosair Shriners/Kosair Charities Masonic Homes of Kentucky Metro Parks & Recreation Norton Healthcare Second Chance @ Life The Fillies, Inc. Push Float: Passport |
CareSource “Super Grover”Horseshoe Southern Indiana “Horseshoe”
LG&E “Louie the Lightning Bug” Republic Bank “Peggy Bank” StageOne “Flying Elephant” ZirMed, Inc. “Blue Angels Balloon”
|
Fans will have the opportunity to preview each float at the Republic Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Parade Preview Party on Tuesday, May 2, at the Kentucky Exposition Center, in South Wing C. This event will offer a taste of nearly the entire parade. Character balloons, equestrian units and assorted VIPs will join the floats on display for the indoor tour “inside” a parade. Admission is a 2017 Pegasus Pin.
Tickets for the Parade are on sale now online at KDF.org. Ticket prices are $10 for bleacher seats, $12 chair seating and $30 VIP seats.
Republic Bank is the Title Sponsor of the parade with new Contributing Sponsor, KentuckyOne Health.
30 Kentuckiana students ranging in age from 5 to 18 and their winning artwork from the 2017 Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Student Art Contest Presented by The Fillies, Inc. will be honored Tuesday night. The awards ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. at duPont Manual High School. For the past 40 years, the Festival has offered this contest as a way for local students to showcase their artistry and creative skill. Students from public, private and parochial schools in all Kentucky counties, as well as Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana are invited to participate
Hundreds of area students from grades K–12 produced original artwork showing their interpretation of Derby Festival events. The result is an exciting mix of drawings, paintings, collages, mixed media, compositions and prints. Students used watercolor, acrylics, inks, crayons, oil pastels, felt markers or any combination of these to create their one-of-a-kind pieces of work.
Entries in the Student Art Contest were judged by art professionals from the community. The winners in each division will receive a medallion, t-shirt, certificate, ribbon, and a Student Art Contest Winner’s Pin. First-place finishers will receive a 2017 Kentucky Derby Festival framed poster created by the 2017 Official Poster artist Ron Jasin and get to ride in the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. Teachers of the winning students are also invited to the ceremony and will receive special recognition.
The artwork by area students will also be on display at the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade Preview Party beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2.
The Foundation’s Student Art Contest is sponsored by Fillies, Inc. The Fillies, Inc. was founded in 1959 kicking off a tradition of volunteer service to the local community. They join Contributing Sponsor Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University and Media Sponsor ARTxFM.
The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, a 501 C 3 not-for-profit charity, receives and manages charitable contributions on behalf of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., its supporters and the general public. The Foundation perpetuates the Festival’s impact on the community by developing projects that highlight the Festival’s influence on the area’s cultural heritage. It works to further the Festival’s educational and charitable mission through exhibitions and performances.