Still Confused Over The Derby..............

Donna and I are still overwhelmed concerning Derby events, parties etc.

Thunder - We have friends stopping by on their way back from Florida to Wisconsin. We figured after a 10 hour drive, they rather skip Thunder and just have a great meal at Seviche.

On Derby night, we have a reservation at Seviche.

We have received one party invitation at the cost of close to $2000 per person. I will have to be very drunk before I can be talked into forking over four grand for a party where I do not know anyone.

What else is there to do?

Alas, we are in New Orleans from April 21st to April 26th for a conference.

Any help for us would be appreciated.

Phil

There's actually quite a bit going on in Louisville during the Derby "season", and everyone who has lived here for awhile seems to have their favorite Derby-related event(s) -- e.g., I was a runner for many years, so I regularly participated in the Mini-Marathon -- since you remain relatively new to the community, a good place to begin might be the Ky Derby Festival website (http://www.kdf.org) for a list of current and upcoming events.

The Courier-Journal and Louisville Magazine also offer special KYD sections, which can be accessed on-line.

I'm a newcomer here (7 years). My first Derby party was at an employee of mine's house in Tucson Arizona. Matt Zoeller (anyone know him? Yeah, one of those golfer relatives).

Here in town, we pretty much avoid derby stuff. The influx of tourists are good for sales, but I don't join in on the mania. Being from Chicago, I've had my share of crowds (taste of Chicago, Blues fest, etc).

I know I'm not alone. A lot of locals leave town for derby.

But enjoy. To each his own.....

Cheers!!! I'll be in Berlin for Thunder

Here is a good resource for New Orleans dining:

http://nomenu.com/

I get out of town for Thunder and Derby Weekend. The city is unbearable at those times.

Or, you could do what I do, and kick back a couple of Old Fashioneds, and watch the festivities on TV.....

Did Thunder once (need I say more) and I'm WAY past the infield on Derby Day.

Thunder - We have friends stopping by on their way back from Florida to Wisconsin. We figured after a 10 hour drive, they rather skip Thunder and just have a great meal at Seviche.

As a life-long Louisville resident (minus those four years in Ohio), I feel obligated to give my knowledge about Thunder. There's also some Derby Events advice at the end.

I'll get the rant part out right away - Thunder is the dumbest event ever. I hate military planes, fireworks, and crowds. You may or may not agree with me.

But here's why Thunder matters, and this might be news to someone fairly new to Louisville. Even if you don't go to Thunder, you can't escape it. The city (our leaders and our police) re-do traffic patterns all over the city to "accommodate" moving people in and out of the city for Thunder. This is all good and fine in theory. Where the problems start is how these changes affect basic travel patterns.

The accommodations are based on the assumption that everyone wants to get into the city for Thunder and out of the city after Thunder. They are also based on the idea that no one actually lives in the city (Long live the 'burbs!) So, if you are like me and have no interest in going to Thunder, but are interested in traversing across the city proper, you may well be screwed. Last year for example, I wanted to go east on Oak from Old Louisville to Grinstead to get to the Crescent Hill area. To do so I had to ignore one police officer who wanted to force me to get on I-65South at Oak and another who did not want me to continue East on Grinstead at Lexington. Once I got to Frankfort I was stuck there until certain travel patterns changed.

So my recommendation, Phil. Stay close to home or be willing to wave politely as you ignore whatever the police are trying to get you to do. I chose option two last year. I'm going with option one this year as I plan to sit at my desk and write all day long.

In terms of crowds and traffic disruptions, Thunder is way worse than Derby. Derby week, with all the events, can be quite enjoyable. Planning so that you can see the balloons lift off and then going downtown to runners finishing the Mini is exciting. I did that for most of my childhood. You might also look into Brunch at Dawn at the Downs. I'm a railbird myself when it comes to the track, but I've done the Brunch a few times and it is quite the Derby experience. Whatever you do, skip the steamboat race. BORING! the parade is also take it or leave it, in my book.

Well, unlike Matthew (supra) I love the military air show -- partly because I'm a pilot and aviation enthusiast, and partly because they (and the people who fly them) help keep the bad guys away, and I appreciate that....I've attended several of the early "Thunders", and had very good vantage points, and if you haven't been before, it's probably worth the congestion to attend at least one (as long as the weather cooperates)...as fireworks shows go, it IS impressive to a first-timer; but the problem (at least for me) is that it's basically the same show every year and that gets old...but it still draws the crowds, so I guess I'm in the minority...

...as far as the "Great" Steamboat Race is concerned, I agree it's something of a snoozer...several years ago, I did get a chance to ride aboard the Delta Queen during the race and that was quite a party (better than standing on the riverbank)...ditto the Derby Parade (unless you REALLY like parades)...

Yeah my biggest gripe with Thunder, aside from it not being my thing, is how the city is essentially paralyzed for a day and a half. If they can find a way to do this without shutting down a bridge for 4 days and then shutting down both interstates through the city for 12 hours then I'm all for it. There's no reason for a 15 minute showing of lights in the sky causing my trip to work to increase by 20 - 30 minutes the day before.

I’ve lived in Louisville my whole life and I’m a big fan of the Derby and the Derby Festival events. I agree that they can make traffic a pain at times, but I feel like it is worth it in exchange for the revenue and publicity that the city receives. (I would say this is especially true for Thunder.) I think that Derby gives the city come identity in terms of a nationally recognized event and I would never wish it gone. There’s really no “getting” the Derby Festival and nothing to be confused about. It’s a two-week festival where the community celebrates the upcoming derby day. It’s like any other nationally-recognized event. (eg – Mardi Gras) Either you enjoy it or you don’t.

I really enjoy Thunder and have been many times. If it’s not your thing, then it’s not your thing and no amount of talking it up is going to change that. Yes, it is very crowded, and yes the traffic is awful, but either you want to participate or you don’t. It is the biggest fireworks display in North America, and there’s something to be said about that if you enjoy fireworks. I also personally enjoy the air show. It’s controversial, but there is no denying that there are some amazing aircraft.

Some of my other favorite events are the balloon glow the night before the balloon race and the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair. Again, if your idea of fun is typically limited to enjoying a meal at a nice restaurant, that’s ok, go and do that. Definitely check the website and see what the events are, but only you know if you will truly enjoy them. And, it’s ok if they’re not for you. They’re not for everyone. You don’t have to enjoy Derby to be a true Louisvillian.

Just an FYI – many of the high-priced dinners/parties are benefits and generate income for charities. If you’re looking for something on the lower-ticket end, but that still benefits a good cause, try Taste of the Derby. (It benefits Dare to Care.)

Alas, we are in New Orleans from April 21st to April 26th for a conference.

Any help for us would be appreciated.

Phil

Phil, you do realize that you will be in New Orleans during the Jazz and Heritage Festival? It's IMO one of the greatest bargains on earth for music food and crafts.

Howdy Phil! We usually go to a party aroud here. However, one year Rick and I drove down to Keeneland. It was a blast! They have a large, grassy picnic area outside the track where they show the races on a huge TV and you can place bets at their window. There was food available (or bring your own) music, etc. Not over crowded either. I understand that there is a bus from Louisville that day!

Another reasonably priced option is the "Derby Breakfast" at Farmington. Proceeds go to the Historic Homes Foundation. http://www.historichomes.org/specialeve ... kfast.html

$125 per person
9:30am - Noon
Sat, May 2nd (Derby Day)

They also offer round-trip transportation to Churchill Downs from Farmington for an additional $40/person.

"but I feel like it is worth it in exchange for the revenue and publicity that the city receives. "

So by this logic all the attention and tourist business we could bring in with tours of crime scenes, having a serial killer on the loose here would be fantastic as well.

Money and noteriety for the city is good, but they cant be at the expense of the citizens of the city.

So by this logic all the attention and tourist business we could bring in with tours of crime scenes, having a serial killer on the loose here would be fantastic as well.

Logic is the one thing missing from that analogy. She was saying that the benefit of Thunder was worth the cost of traffic inconvenience. That Thunder meets this criteria does not mean that any benefit is worth any cost.