LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While Thunder Over Louisville may be canceled, the Derby Festival is still paying tribute to the event that usually kicks off Derby season.
Thunder would have taken place on its rescheduled date on Aug. 15, but due to the pandemic, the event was canceled in its entirety.
“We know Thunder Over Louisville has been missed this year, so we’ve been working with our sponsors to find other ways for fans to celebrate during these unprecedented times,” said Matt Gibson, KDF president and CEO. “We look forward to a time when it’s safe for us all to gather again for the show.”
One way the Derby Festival is celebrating is by launching a "Thunder at Home" section on ThunderOverLouisville.org. The section will include tips for celebrating Thunder at home with Thunder-inspired cocktails, food recipes, coloring pages, Zoom backgrounds, and more.
In addition to the page, the Big Four Bridge at Waterfront Park will be lit in different Thunder colors each night on the following schedule:
- Sunday, Aug. 9 – Red & Gold for Caesars Southern Indiana (21-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Monday, Aug. 10 – Blue & White for Ford Motor Company (9-year sponsor of Thunder on the Ground)
- Tuesday, Aug. 11 – Red, Orange, Yellow & Blue for Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (2-year sponsor of the Thunder Command Center)
- Thursday, Aug. 13 – Gold & White for UPS (30-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Friday, Aug. 14 – Green, White & Blue for LG&E (14-year sponsor of Thunder)
- Saturday, Aug. 15 – Teal & Pink for the Kentucky Derby Festival
On Aug. 11, the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport will release a video on Thunder's Facebook page with a look at how Thunder's airshow got its start, how organizers plan it each year, and where the planes are parked for the show.
For fans of the playlist at Thunder, 106.9 PLAY, Thunder's official radio partner, will play popular songs from soundtracks of years past.