Kentucky Derby Festavil 2010

The Kentucky Derby Festival has been in full swing this week!! We have attended a few events, but not many. It all began two weeks ago with Thunder over Louisville, which is the biggest Air Show and fireworks show in the nation this year. I have a cousin who is learning right now to fly the KC-10. It is the air craft that refuels other air craft over head. He was supposed to be in the KC-10 when it flew in the show, but was bumped. Next year we are hoping that he is the one who flies it over head. We did not go to Thunder this year, Steve was working, but we were able to watch it on TV.

The one event that we always attend is the Mini Marathon/Marathon, we attend it not participate in it. It always runs past our street, so we do down (with Krispy Kreme Donuts) and watch all the runners. This year the start line was only about 1/4 mile from the end of our street. Since we had rain we did leave the donuts at home, but it was fun to watch all the people. The Hot Air Balloon Race usually runs the same morning as the Mini, but because of the rain they didn’t go off till the next day.

We attended the Pegasus Parade Preview. I had mixed emotions about it. I thought it was ok, but not very festive. We went with about 40 other people from our co-op and got to view all of the floats (which are very small) and balloons for the parade. All it cost was the $4 for the Pegasus Pin; I remember when they were a dollar!!! We did have a run in with the "Gay Pride" float, really. They need a float...I am thinking next year we should have a Christian float or Homeschooler float. Anyone want to help???? Steve and I made a trip to the Chow Wagon, not quite the same as when we were young.

The Great Steamboat Race ran Wednesday, which was a beautiful day. The Belle of Louisville races the Belle of Cincinnati up the Ohio River and back. They changed the format this year to include points...what is this NASCAR???

"Utilizing a point system format for determining the winner, the Belle of Cincinnati racked up 99 points to 60 for the Belle of Louisville to win tonight’s Derby Festival Great Steamboat Race presented by Turner Construction Company. Instead of the event winner being determined by the first boat to cross the finish line at the Clark Memorial Bridge, the winner was the vessel which accumulated the most points from performing a series of six tasks assigned to each competitor throughout the day and during the race." From the Kentucky Derby Festival Press Release



Thursday was the Pegasus Parade beautiful day again, about 80 degrees. More than 225,000 people filed downtown to sit along the parade route to watch. We did consider going, but decided better of it!! The kids don't really know what they are missing. We did participate in a Derby Party at Evan's Preschool. So we got to see a parade, a horse race, and a hat contest!!!

Friday is the running of the Oak's, Louisville's day at the Downs. I have never been, but hope to go one day. It is a race for the Fillies, Run for the Lilies.

Then of course tomorrow is The Derby. We will be relaxing at home and watching it on TV. We did take advantage of this tradition and do a Derby Lapbook that was a lot of fun and will help us understand some of the things they do at Derby.  Better go pick my horse.....