The kentu..... i mean Derby festival

THis is not really food related so please move if necessary.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on this years Derby festival's theme and also the fact that they removed "Kentucky" from the name??
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Derby-Festival-announces-theme-for-plans-Superfest-for-2011-114211439.html

[Robin Garr]

THis is not really food related so please move if necessary.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on this years Derby festival's theme and also the fact that they removed "Kentucky" from the name??
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Derby-Festival-announces-theme-for-plans-Superfest-for-2011-114211439.html

Mixed emotions. Mainly, I'm about tired of both the Derby Festival and the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs wanting to trademark about everything they do, anyway. It's the Great Steamboat Race and the Pegasus Parade, not the Kentucky Derby Festival Great Steamboat Race and Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Parade, dammit! <shaking cane>

I also don't particularly mind dropping "Kentucky" from just about anything Louisville does. Particularly with stuff going on like the Dinosaur Ark Park, the Worse Than Arizona Immigrant Law and most of the other stuff that David Williams and his Senate do, I'd be pretty happy to see us take the "Louisville" out of the "Kentucky."

Oh, rant rant rant! What were we talking about, again?

Bottom line, the festival events pretty much grew organically as a community event, and I've never been a big fan of the folks with the loud blazers and logoed cars trying to organize it and license it. To me, this is just another boring chapter in that same old story.

I think its incredibly stupid for the Churchill Downs to act this way, as Robin said these all started out as volunteer events to publicize Louisville and the Derby. This is not a good thing.

[Robin Garr]

Oh, I missed the part about the theme.

HAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

I think it's stupid.

I may be on my own here but I don't like it. The race is the "Kentucky Derby"! and the festival wouldn't exist if the race didn't. I haven't read anywhere where Churchill Downs is behind this name change, if they are I think it's stupid on their part. If they aren't it's stupid on the festival's part. I think everyone realizes the real reason for the festival is to increase the hype before the race.

*sigh*

I've collected comics, mostly superhero comics, for nearly twenty years.

And I don't understand this at all. It makes the Derby Festival look cheesy, and frankly isn't doing comics any favors either.

I hope they at least reached out to the local comics shops for some cross promotion, they could use it for sure. The comic shop is a dying market and can use any boost it can get. I don't like the theme on general principle, and the execution is based on the most base stereotypes that are relics of decades long past, but it would be nice...

The “SuperFest” theme will celebrate those cartoon, movie and comic book heroes we all know, as well as our hometown heroes from the Festival volunteers to police, fire and EMS workers.

I have no problem with celebrating police, fire, and EMS, but they have nothing to do with Derby. Well... they put the drunks in jail, or cut them out of car wrecks or save them from alcohol poisoning. The comic book, movie, and cartoon theme is probably just a way to get the kids addicted to gambling at an early age. These old timers are going to die someday and Churchill needs replacements.

Seriously, the Derby/horse racing can be promoted as "The Sport of Kings", but is nothing more than an excuse to drink bourbon and gamble. I have yet to see a cartoon or comic book character become a hero for doing either. If it were that easy I would have a hell of a contract with Disney or Marvel.

Oh yeah, it's stupid.

...just logging in to cast my vote

Uh, Mr Speaker, I second your motion and further more wish to move on it as well. All in favor?

Its settled, Louisville will now be recognized as the Sovereign Peoples Republic of Louisville. (loo-E-ville) And like our brothers in the wee little country of Luxembourg, we are now free to have questionable banking standards and for the formation of a pro bicycle team.

Well said Mr Garr. I couldnt agree with you more.....I really just think its all stupid.

Not only is it stupid, I'm betting (excuse the pun) it'll cost them $ in the long run. The racing crowd at CD (maybe more so at Keeneland) can sometimes be a cloistered bunch. They enjoy juleps in silver cups with pricey bourbon, beautiful hats, expensive suits and all the other trappings that this special 2 weeks allow. I'm betting they won't appreciate the cheapening of one of the few remaining social events of the year. Way to destroy one segment of your demographic while chasing after another. (Or maybe because of the bad economic times they're figuring the old horsey bunch is a dying breed.)

What would the super powers of Derby Man be

Superspeed, but only for 2 minutes at a time
plant control, but only for ky bluegrass


"Dont make me muddle you"

Seriously, the Derby/horse racing can be promoted as "The Sport of Kings", but is nothing more than an excuse to drink bourbon and gamble. I have yet to see a cartoon or comic book character become a hero for doing either. If it were that easy I would have a hell of a contract with Disney or Marvel.

I give you Tony Stark aka Iron Man.

Also the Derby and Free Comic Book day fall on the same day each year, so this hurts comic shops as it is.

I'm actually fine if this festival shoots itself in the foot. Thunder is high my list of annoyances from this thing.

I don't get it....

I give you Tony Stark aka Iron Man.

Also the Derby and Free Comic Book day fall on the same day each year, so this hurts comic shops as it is.

I'm actually fine if this festival shoots itself in the foot. Thunder is high my list of annoyances from this thing.

Ive never been to a derby, but I never miss free comic book day

I'm not sure who is behind all of this, but there's two problems here:

1. This corporately ran desire to always draw in the "new crowd." I'm not in the corporate world (although education is moving in that direction), but I imagine the corporate world as nothing more than meeting after meeting after meeting concerning how to reach "new markets."

2. Reaching new markets is all fine-and-good except when it comes at the expense of your main product or the quality of your project. Churchill's so damn protective of its copyright rights that it will do anything to bite off the hand that feeds it. It's just a ongoing downward spiral for Churchill. While blaming everything on the lack of slots, they've moved their product further and further away from what it is - quality horse racing and further and further from the people who care - racing fans.

I mostly hope CD never gets slots. I don't buy that that's the only way to save the industry, and, if it is, once you introduce slots the focus is changed forever.

The Kentucky Derby Festival is a celebration of Louisville and the Kentucky Derby. It all leads to the Derby. Instead of trying to tap into new populations by over-catering to not-really-interested people, they need to focus on the product and those people who care (who really care) about the product. Anyone who knows anything about CD knows that they hate the "regular Joe", for the "regular Joe," from their perspective, offers them little.

I'm about done with CD, to be honest.

I just want to weigh in a bit on this. I spent close to 15 years as a volunteer for the "Kentucky Derby Festival". Here are a few facts: 1. This is a non profit organization who has never had any ties, what-so-ever with Churchill Downs. 2 The festival is one of the largest, best organized of it's kind in the world, relying on over 4000 unpaid volunteers to make most of the events happen. There are only approximately 20 -25 paid, year round employees of KDF. 3. Those "folks with the loud blazers and logoed cars" are also "volunteers" (with a few exceptions like the actual staff members and certain city officials) who pay a lot of money in the form of the insurance and taxes on the cars they drive for the festival, buying those ugly jackets and generally sponsoring events. All of these volunteers put in hundreds of hours to make sure all of the festival events come off as smoothly as possible. I myself was a member of the Pegasus Pin Management committee. I worked on average 8 - 10 events, sometimes from early in the morning until late in the evening, paid for the right to attend the event if it was a ticketed event, in the rain, cold, heat or whatever. I was cussed at, threatened and verbally abused by individuals who thought the cost of a Pegasus Pin was too much (back in those days, they were still $2)
Without the support of the sponsors and the volunteers we wouldn't have a steamboat race, a balloon race, a mini marathon/marathon, Thunder, run for the rose, a parade, a basketball classic, luncheons, dinners, chow wagons, fashion shows, the Don Fightmaster Golf Outing For Exceptional Children and more.
No offense Robin, but "Mixed emotions. Mainly, I'm about tired of both the Derby Festival and the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs wanting to trademark about everything they do, anyway. It's the Great Steamboat Race and the Pegasus Parade, not the Kentucky Derby Festival Great Steamboat Race and Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Parade, dammit! <shaking cane>" you are very wrong. These events are what they are purely because many talented, hardworking individuals with the resources of the KDF and love of the event and our community make them happen!
this is from the KDF website:
We stretched a famous two minutes into a month-long party. What the Run for the Roses is to horse racing, Louisville's Derby Festival is to community celebrations. The Festival is one of the premiere events of its kind in the world and a proud winner of the International Festivals & Events Association award for Best Overall Festival five times. It brings fun, excitement, international recognition and a spirit that is unmatched anywhere. When 1.5 million people gather to celebrate spring and the unique vitality of their community, the focus is on fun and the whimsical.
"We are a community organization of 4,000 volunteers who work all year to provide quality entertainment that enhances the community," said Festival President and CEO, Michael E. Berry. Produced annually since 1956, the Derby Festival has become a whirlwind of nearly 70 special events.
The Festival blasts off each year with the Opening Ceremonies - Thunder Over Louisville, one of the nation's largest annual fireworks extravaganzas! The ensuing two weeks of excitement and entertainment promises something for everyone.
For sports fans there is basketball, volleyball and golf. For music lovers the concerts are almost non-stop. With two-thirds of the Festival events free, families can enjoy numerous just-for-kids activities without stretching their pocketbook.
Other highlights include a half and full marathon, hot-air balloon events and live bed racing! The Great Steamboat Race pits historic paddle-wheelers on the mighty Ohio River. The event that started it all, the Pegasus Parade marches down Broadway on May 1st.
With outdoor concerts at Kroger's Fest-a-Ville and the elegant Derby Ball, dance and dress range from frivolous to fancy. The Festival includes several formal affairs, as well as casual, foot-stomping good times all around the community. From elephant ears and corndogs at the Chow Wagon to ethnic foods and pet-friendly cocktail hours at Kroger's Fest-a-Ville and local wine-tasting at WineFest, culinary adventures abound.
More than just being entertaining, the Derby Festival generates in excess of $96.3 million annually for the local economy. Events on the Festival schedule also help to raise nearly $300,000 for area charities each year.
The Commonwealth's largest single annual event, and one of Louisville's most popular entertainment attractions, the celebration is produced by Derby Festival, Inc., a private, not-for-profit civic organization with a professional staff of 22 and a volunteer board of 75.
Change the name, I don't care, I love what this organization does for our community every spring! Makes me very proud to be a resident here!