Dates announced for 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival events
Dates announced for 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival events
Updated: 1:09 PM EDT Jun 18, 2024
THIS IS WLKY NEWS AT 11. GOOD EVENING TO YOU. I’M LAUREN ADAMS. ANOTHER SPECTACULAR THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE IS IN THE BOOKS. KICK STARTING CELEBRATIONS FOR THE HISTORIC 150TH KENTUCKY DERBY. THE SHOW. AND IT JUST WRAPPED UP ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. LASTED AN INCREDIBLE 25 MINUTES AND INCLUDED A DRONE SHOW, MUSIC, AND OF COURSE, DISPLAY. AFTER DAZZLING DISPLAY ILLUMINATING THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE IN BURSTS OF COLOR. WLKY’S ANDREA TURNER AND SHE’S NEW. OF COURSE. WE HAD TO SEND YOU DOWN THERE FOR YOUR FIRST THUNDER. YOU HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE ALL DAY. YOU WATCH THE AIR, SHOW THE FIREWORKS, MY DEAR. WHAT DID YOU THINK? LAUREN? I THOUGHT IT WAS AMAZING. I FELT LIKE IT WAS JUST THIS BIG 3D SHOW. I ACTUALLY STEPPED BESIDE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO HAD NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE, AND WE WERE JUST IN ALL THE AIR. SHOW DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. THE FIREWORKS DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. THE ONLY DISAPPOINTING THING TONIGHT IS STANDING. SITTING IN THIS TRAFFIC AND WAITING TO GO HOME. BUT OF COURSE, THE FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO TODAY, THEY SAID THIS IS A PLUS. THOUSANDS PACKED THE WATERFRONT SATURDAY AS A RAINBOW OF FIREWORKS LIT THE NIGHT SKY. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. WE ARE ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE’S SO MANY. IT’S GORGEOUS. WE’RE HAPPY WE GOT TO SEE IT. ONE OF THE NATION’S BIGGEST FIREWORKS SHOWS, A TRADITION LIKE NO OTHER, BROUGHT OUT AN ESTIMATE OF 600,000 PEOPLE TO DOWNTOWN FOR THIS YEAR’S THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. IN THE HOURS LEADING UP TO THE FIREWORKS, PEOPLE STARED IN AWE AS DOZENS OF JETS SOARED OVERHEAD. I JUST WAS SO EXCITED. WE TALKED ABOUT COMING AGAIN AND I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET HERE. AND AS THEY HEARD THE ROAR OF THE PLANES LIKE AN F-18 RAPTURE. SEE 130 IN NAVY CHOPPERS, CROWD FAVORITES INCLUDED AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPS PARACHUTERS AND THE ARMY’S DEMONSTRATING A WATER RESCUE. THE SHOW BRINGING FAMILIES LIKE THE FRAZIER’S OUT EVERY YEAR. WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD, WHEN HE FIRST BROUGHT ME, IT WAS AMAZING AND I JUST LIKED EVERY SENSE. AND OTHERS WHO HAVEN’T BEEN HERE SINCE THE 90S TO ENJOY ENTERTAINMENT IN THE SKIES, OPPORTUNITY FOR HOW GREAT AMERICA IS OVER THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD AND GO SEE IT ON A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY. YEP, IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE. YEAH, IT MAKES YOU FEEL ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AS AMERICAN. AND LAURA. NOW IT’S JUST TIME FOR FOLKS TO BE PATIENT. I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW LONG FOLKS HAVE BEEN STANDING, SITTING IN THIS LINE, RATHER THAT FOOD TRUCK RIGHT UP THERE. IT HAS ONLY MOVED FOR SPOTS IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. SO IT USUALLY TAKES AROUND AN HOUR AND A HALF, MAYBE EVEN MORE TO GET OUT OF THIS TRAFFIC. BUT PEOPLE, THEY SAY IT WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT TONIGHT. BUT AGAIN, ALL THEY’RE HAVING TO DO NOW IS BE PATIENT AND CALM AND SIT IN THIS TRAFFIC LIKE THIS MAN RIGHT BESIDE ME. HE’S BEEN HERE FOR A GOOD TEN MINUTES, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS ALL WORTH IT I
Dates announced for 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival events
Updated: 1:09 PM EDT Jun 18, 2024
The Kentucky Derby Festival has already announced the big events for next year’s festival. Watch WLKY’s coverage of Thunder Over Louisville 2024 in the player above.Here are the dates for some of the Festival’s signature events for 2025: Thunder Over Louisville: Saturday, April 12Tour de Lou: Saturday, April 19Block Party: Saturday, April 19Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront: Thursday, April 24 to Friday, May 2Great BalloonFest: Thursday April 24 through Saturday, April 26miniMarathon and Marathon: Saturday, April 26Pegasus Parade: Sunday, April 27Great Steamboat Race: Wednesday, April 30 Click here for more event dates.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
The Kentucky Derby Festival has already announced the big events for next year’s festival.
Watch WLKY’s coverage of Thunder Over Louisville 2024 in the player above.
Here are the dates for some of the Festival’s signature events for 2025:
Thunder Over Louisville: Saturday, April 12Tour de Lou: Saturday, April 19Block Party: Saturday, April 19Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront: Thursday, April 24 to Friday, May 2Great BalloonFest: Thursday April 24 through Saturday, April 26miniMarathon and Marathon: Saturday, April 26Pegasus Parade: Sunday, April 27Great Steamboat Race: Wednesday, April 30
Click here for more event dates.
