The Kentucky Derby Festival® started with the first Pegasus Parade® in 1956 on a shoestring budget of just $640 (about $7,500 in today’s dollars). It was the very first festival event. Today, this is one of the largest parades in the country. Sponsored by the Zoeller Pump Company, the parade has always been the last Kentucky Derby Festival® event, held on Thursday before everyone’s attention turns to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
However, the Thursday event at Churchill Downs, Thurby, has been taking a more prominent role over the past few years. So this year, the parade was moved to Sunday. Traditionally, there haven’t been any major festival events on Sunday, so made sense to move it to Sunday. With no competition from other events, more people should be able to attend, allowing more people to experience it.
Like many parades, this one included celebrities, marching bands, floats, inflatables, fire trucks, and more. Because this parade celebrates the Kentucky Derby, horse racing, and the equestrian lifestyle on Kentucky, multiple equestrian teams participated in the parade as well.
