♥ Pegasus Parade ♥

The Pegasus Parade is a pretty big deal here in Louisville. Packed with floats, bands, balloons, clowns, and even some celebs, it is a must-see on the Thursday before Derby. The parade begins its trek down Broadway at 5:00pm. David, Shannon, my dad, and I went downtown a bit early to secure parking and a seat along the route. We met my friend, J.J. at the Brown Hotel bar for a quick drink before the parade began. He was there to take photos. My friend, Rob, was up on the rooftop across the street taking photos in cognito!

It was actually a pretty long parade, lasting over two hours! Local and national celebrities in the parade included the Mayor of Louisville and Governor or Kentucky, Chilli from TLC, Kate Gosselin from "Kate Plus 8" and John Paul DeJoria from Paul Mitchell. No one too incredibly exciting, but at least I can now say that I have been to the Pegasus Parade. It was a good time, and nice to be out in the pretty weather with my friends and family! (Lots of photos ahead...you have been warned! :-)

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♥ Dawn at the Downs ♥

The week of derby, Churchill Downs hosts an early morning breakfast buffet on Millionaire's Row. It begins at 7:00am, and food is served until 8:30am. Afterwards, there is a chance to watch the morning workouts of the Derby horses.

It feels pretty swanky being up in Millionaire's Row! Lots of ladies wore dresses and hats, including me and Shannon! I was so excited about my outfit! We had originally planned to attend Oaks or Derby, but financially, this worked out better. I'm just glad I still got to wear my fabulous hat! 

It was a simply gorgeous morning. The view of the track itself from the top surprisingly isn't very good. You have to be right at the rail to even see the track. So, after breakfast, we decided to go down to the general admission seating area for a better view. 

We sat in the sun, Shannon and I got asked by strangers to take photos with our gorgeous hats, and we watched the horse workouts. Around eleven, more people started gathering to watch the day of races. David and Shannon bet $1 on horse #3, and for a minute it looked like they might win. But on the last straightaway, their luck turned and they lost. We only stayed for the first race, and then decided to call it a day head home to rest up for the day's next event!

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♥ Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront and The Chow Wagon ♥

Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront and The Chow Wagon are daily events for the entire week before The Kentucky Derby. Opening at 11:00am every day, it provides booth after booth of fair food (fried everything, meat on a stick, booze, etc.) as well as souvenirs, carnival rides and live concerts at night. The Chow Wagon is a popular place for those who work downtown near the Waterfront to grab lunch during the week. My brother, David, and sister-in-law, Shannon are in town this week, so we ventured over with our Pegasus Pins (collectible pins that provide admission to a variety of Derby events - $4 each at Kroger and other local businesses) to see what it was all about.

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♥ Kentucky Derby Festival ♥

Ahhh, the Kentucky Derby! It is a rite of Spring for Louisville. Known throughout the world, the Derby is more than just a day at the races. For the (typically) two weeks between Thunder Over Louisville and the Kentucky Derby, Louisville is abuzz with outdoor festivals, traditions, and live music. Here, I will touch on a few of the events that I did not make it to this year. I'll talk more about the events I did make it to in future blog entries.

Among the events of the Kentucky Derby Festival is the Great Balloon Fest. This consists of three separate events and takes place the weekend before the Derby. The Great Balloon Glimmer occurs on Thursday evening. It serves as the kick-off to Fest-a-ville on the Waterfront and the Chow Wagon (which I will explain in a future blog entry). Balloons light up against the evening sky as locals and visitors drink and eat to their hearts' content! The Balloon Rush Hour Race and Glow are on the Friday before Derby weekend. The race is very early in the morning, but it exciting to see the balloons take off and race to the finish line. You never know where the wind will blow them! The Glow is later that night and features the balloons lighting up to music. On the Saturday before Derby, the official Great Balloon Race occurs. Again, it is early in the morning, but quite the sight to see dozens of balloons across the sky! (Photo from Wikipedia)

Another Derby Festival tradition is the Great Steamboat Race. Unfortunately, this year, the race had to be postponed until late June because of the flooding and high water levels on the Ohio. This is a 14 mile race between at least two Steamboats, beginning and ending at the Second Street Bridge. I hope to be able to see it in June! (Photos from Wikipedia)

One other big event is the Bed Races. It was held at the new KFC Yum! Center this year. I didn't go, but I did watch it on TV! Haha! My friend, Rob, was there and he got this hilarious photo... (I hope you don't mind me using your photo, Rob!! :-)

It's pretty self-explanatory, but basically, the races consist of teams (some with crazy names and costumes) racing homemade bed-cars. There are four pushers and one driver. Needless to say, it is pretty hilarious and gets really competitive! There were a couple of spills on the slick floor, but I'm sure it was fun to be there watching it all happen!

Of course, there are many other events in the Derby Festival. It is essentially an excuse to party for two weeks! No one around here complains about it too much, though! :-)

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