Category: Kentucky Derby Festival

Up! Up and Away… The Great Balloon Race flies early

Up! Up and Away… The Great Balloon Race flies early

The 2015 version of the Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Balloon Race surprised many with a Friday flight due to expected bad weather on Saturday morning, it's traditional fly date.   With winds carrying the balloons into southern Indiana in the middle of rush hour in heavy construction, the race was shortened to allow teams to be able to make it to...Read More
The Belle of Louisville kicks the Belle of Cincinnati’s behind in the Great Steamboat Race #kdf2014

The Belle of Louisville kicks the Belle of Cincinnati’s behind in the Great Steamboat Race #kdf2014

One of the banner events of the Kentucky Derby Festival is racing old river paddle boats up and down the Ohio River. The cornerstone of this race is the 100-year-old "Belle of Louisville" who turns 100 later this year. She is an authentic steam-powered paddle wheel that drove transportation in the 1800's and 1900's up and down the Ohio and...Read More
More fun than you should have with a bed: the 2014 Great Bed Races #kdf2014

More fun than you should have with a bed: the 2014 Great Bed Races #kdf2014

Beds... You jump on them as kids. You sleep on them and well, um you... Race them of coarse. One of the more fun things that Kentuckians race is beds. There are two phases of the competition: the style and the speed. During the style phase, the teams assemble costumes and decorate the beds based on a theme. This years...Read More
Fantastic morning for the @KyDerbyFestival Great Balloon Race #kdf2014

Fantastic morning for the @KyDerbyFestival Great Balloon Race #kdf2014

Man are we beat....  After being up for last night's balloon glow, we only got about 5 hours of sleep before we were up checking the weather before heading out to the 2014 Kentucky Derby Festival Great Balloon Race.  After getting up early yesterday and a long 10 hour drive, a nap is in order today. We rolled into Bowman...Read More
The 2014 Kentucky Derby Festival Balloon Glow #kdf2014

The 2014 Kentucky Derby Festival Balloon Glow #kdf2014

A long standing tradition in the Kentucky Derby Festival is the Great Balloon Race, held the Saturday before the Kentucky Derby.  Hot air balloons from around the country gather to race.   But a precursor to the race is the Balloon Glow, held the night before. It's a practice run for tomorrow's launch and a great visual experience for everyone.  As...Read More

Our Kentucky Derby Festival Vacation Comes to an End.

Nine days ago we packed our bags and loaded up our Expedition for the long ten-hour drive from our home in North Carolina to our native home of Kentucky. It was a trip we had not made in several years. We picked this week specifically because it was the main week of the Kentucky Derby Festival. For my wife, a...Read More