Tag Archive | Thunder Over Louisville

Kick Off of the Kentucky Derby Festival!

Today was the kick off for the Kentucky Derby Festivities…

“Thunder Over Louisville”

The biggest fireworks display in North America… over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Kentucky…

The weather was perfect!…

Around 80 degrees… and approximately 700, 000 people attended…

Sitting along the Ohio River wherever there was a spot…

Vendors with food/drinks/souvenirs… etc. … and people crowded together for the best seats to see the “Fireworks” that begin at 9:30 pm …

Of, course most go for the whole day!…

We used to do this too… but, with it being so crowded… and walking a MUST!… we have opted out this year… and watched on TV…

but, I will say… there is nothing like being there… in person…

The name…”Thunder Over Louisville” is very appropriate!… so loud it makes your heart pound…

AWESOME is all I can say!…

Kentucky Derby: Derby Celebration Wreath!

Apr15

I chose to reblog about the events of Derby Time here in Kentucky … from a blog I did in May 2011… (my previous blog)… Take a look!

https://babyjill7.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/special-events-at-derby-time-2/

It pretty much depicts all of the events we have going on… Not all of them of course… The list goes on and on… We usually hit a few… Being older… no little ones at home anymore… but, TV does a pretty good captioning of everything!

The only event I would say… that requires you being there… is “Thunder Over Louisville” …The fireworks display on the Ohio River … which is our “downtown” Louisville…

It is done on a bridge that crosses over into Indiana

… The noise… the smells… the people… just has to be experienced for itself…

The booms from the fireworks is just like being in a thunderstorm without the rain… It’s deafening!… and makes your body just shake… and your heartbeat seems to explode in your chest…

My Forsythia Wreath has been transformed into a Derby Celebration… to hang on my door and greet visitors…

The rusty horse was from a windchime that had seen better days…

Representing the finest Race Horses and The Winged Pegasus…

The Louisville Cardinal Bird depicts our NCAA Basketball Champions… the University of Louisville Cardinals!…

Both teams… boys and girls (who came in runner-up)… will be the grand Marshalls for the Pegasus Parade…

GO CARDS!

The Festival in itself is just awesome… so many activities… and with the purchase of a Pegasus Pin… you get free admission to all events…

KDF-Reversed

The jockeys and horses at the KY Derby… so colorful… in their brightly colored silks…

The Twin Spires… such an awesome symbol of Churchill Downs…

and Belle of Louisville River Boat… racing for victory in the Great Steamboat Race!

Trophies given out to the winners…

The ladies in their Derby hats… a tradition of the Derby!

Red Roses hung from the neck of the KY Derby Winner in a blanket form… made locally…

139 Years of Traditions…

The first Saturday in May… A short fast race with awesome impact!

Derby and Derby Festival officials ready for busy days ahead (wave3.com)
UofL basketball teams to be Pegasus Parade Grand Marshals (wave3.com)
Personal tents, metal poles now banned at Oaks, Derby (wave3.com)
Louisville’s Next Big Thing: the 139th Kentucky Derby (gallopcanterclippityclop.wordpress.com)
Pletcher looking at fab five for Derby (nydailynews.com)

“Do You Hear ?”… I Believe It’s “Thunder!”

Apr21

We will be having Thunder tonight… but, not because of a thunderstorm… No rain is in the forecast… Cloudy and much colder though… The Thunder will be coming from our 2nd Street Bridge that crosses between Louisville, KY and Indiana… Zambelli Internationale has been working for days to set up this awesome fireworks display…

It is the 23rd “Thunder Over Louisville“… one of the opening ceremonies that starts the Kentucky Derby Festival activities… We’ve been several times… Sitting in the hot sun… rain… cold temperatures… but, we always walk away saying, “It’s was worth it!”…”It was awesome!… You just have to see and hear it in person to understand!”… You feel the ground shaking and your heart beating wildly in your chest…

There’s an Air Show with about 100 planes… sky divers and acrobatics… Two helicopters fly in around 8:45pm with two gigantic American Flags waving in the night air… spotlighted for all to see… There are “Warthogs”… “F4 Phantoms”… “F22 Raptors”…

One of the biggest crowds was in 2007… it was called “Magic of Thunder“… 850,000 in attendance… In 2006… 800.000 attended “Thunder Country”… and this year… 2012 … it is called “A Star-Spangled Blast”…

There is music blaring… concessions of all kinds… Bring your lawn chairs… a blanket… a cooler with drinks and eats of your own… and be ready for a most enjoyable time!… “The Great Lawn” is where you want to be… down by the Ohio River…

Sponsors that provide this terrific show are “Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino”… “Louisville Gas & Electric Company”… “Meijer”… “United Parcel Service“… and “McDonald’s“ also donates a % of their large drink sales…

The admission to most of the festivities is the one-time purchase of a $5.00 “Pegasus Pin”… Thunder included… T-shirts and sweatshirts abound with the Thunder Theme… Some display the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Poster illustrated by Andre’ Freman… depicting our Kentucky Derby beautifully!…

Sorry to say… it is just too chilly for us tonight to attend…but, will be watching it on TV and feeling so proud of our city’s accomplishments in putting on a wonderful… entertaining… “thunderous” show!

My Version of the “Derby Fascinator”! (babyjill7.wordpress.com)
Let the Fireworks Begin! (ontheroadwithrobin.wordpress.com)

My Version of the “Derby Fascinator”!

Apr19

The Kentucky Derby will be on May 5, 2012 this year… It’s always the first Saturday in May… Living in Kentucky at this time is quite special!… There’s The Hot Air Balloon Race … The Steamboat Race on the Ohio River… a new boat “American Queen” will be competing with our “Belle of Louisville” and the “Belle of Cincinnati”… The Pegasus Parade … The Chow Wagon… The Run for the Rose’… Bedlam… Thunder Over Louisville …and that’s just to name a very few of the activities and events…

Today the YMCA that I belong to… had a Derby Luncheon… The cost is minimal… There were probably around 30 of us that attended… The lunch consisted of baked chicken, BBQ Pork , Green Beans, Mashed potatoes, 7-Layer Salad, Macaroni Salad and Hot Rolls… Delicious!… Tea, Coffee and Water to drink… Pecan and Apple Pie + Chocolate Chip Brownies for dessert… Delicious!

There were guessing games about facts of the Kentucky Derby … It’s funny how you go “blank” until you hear the answers and we all say, “Oh , Yeah!… I knew that!”… Each time someone got a right answer they were to take a Silk Red Rose from vases on the tables… The one with the most Roses won… No, I didn’t win… but, I did get 1 Rose… We had Horse Racing… with Paper Horses colored by the YMCA Daycare… So cute!… I won this race … only to find out the winner was the one who came in last… BUMMER!… but, cute idea… They received a Derby Cup with the names of the Last Place Finishers of each Derby…

Later… I did have to compete with the runner-up of the race I had thought I won… and this time I did win and a Garland of Red Silk Roses was placed around my neck… Just like the winning Derby horse receives … Although they get REAL Red Roses… a blanket to be exact… crafted by ladies… stitching on one rose at a time the night before the race…

Some of us participated by wearing Derby Hats fashioned any way we wanted… I made my sister-in-law’s and mine… similar to the “Fashionista” Hats worn at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in England … They were actually called “Fascinators”… Basically a headband with feathers, a flower, ribbons and Derby symbols… They turned out quite cute… but, we didn’t win… another “Bummer”… because I felt we were deserving… Oh, well… I’ll just have to wear my little hat on Derby Day and hope it brings me luck in picking the winner …