Every year on the first Saturday in May, Louisville’s Churchill Downs Racecourse hosts the prestigious Kentucky Derby, featuring three-year-old purebred stallions. Held since 1875, this race is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, which includes the Preakness (Maryland) and Belmont (New York) races. Kentucky Derby traditions include eye-catching hats and a mint julep (bourbon-based cocktail). And before the start of the competition, all spectators sing the song “My Old House in Kentucky”.
The horse racing culminates in Louisville’s two-week Kentucky Derby, where you can see Thunder Over Louisville (North America’s largest annual fireworks display) and balloonists compete in the Great Balloon Race.
Even if you come to Kentucky without Derby Fever, you can easily appreciate the state’s horse-centered culture. Just visit the Kentucky Derby Museum, Kentucky Equestrian Park, or one of the manicured horse farms in the bluegrass region, where you can catch a glimpse of former Derby winners living a pampered life after retiring from the sport.
