LOUISVILLE, KY. — Kentucky Derby Festival fans rejoice. This is a huge weekend for events. Friday kicks off with the balloon glow, followed by the miniMarathon and Marathon on Saturday and the weekend wraps up with the Pegasus Parade on Sunday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Great Balloon Glow is at 8:30 p.m. at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront

  • The miniMarathon and Marathon begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at Louisville Slugger Field

  • The Pegasus Parade is Sunday at 3 p.m. on Broadway

The Great BalloonFest

Balloon-lovers will can enjoy a pair of events beginning Friday with the Great Balloon Glow. There is a new location for the Glow this year. KDF has moved it from the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center to the Kroger Fest-a-Ville at Waterfront Park. 16 balloons will take part in the event.

BalloonFest fun continues Saturday with Great Balloon Race. The 16 balloons will take off from Bowman Field at 7 a.m.

The first Great Balloon Race happened in 1973 and, according to KDF, balloon pilots from around the world, consider it one of the best races in the country.

miniMarathon and Marathon

miniMarathon and Marathon runners will flood the streets of Louisville Saturday morning beginning at 7 a.m. Runners for both road races will begin at Louisville Slugger Field and will wind up at Lynn Family Stadium.

There are several street closures associated with the races and you can find all of them listed here.

Pegasus Parade

For the first time, the Pegasus Parade is not taking place on the Thursday of Derby Week. Instead, KDF announced in February, it would happen on Sunday afternoon. 2022 is the 67th year for the parade, which is the founding event of the Kentucky Derby Festival.

The parade will still kickoff on Broadway in Downtown Louisville at 3 p.m. Fans can expect the same fun-filled afternoon they’ve always experienced. There will be several inflatables, including the iconic Pegasus. KDF didn’t name an individual as the grand marshall of this year’s parade. Instead, everyone in the city of Louisville is a grand marshall.

Like the miniMarathon and Marathon on Saturday, there are several road closures related to the parade.  Here is the complete listing.

Below we are also sharing the parade route and the parade program for you to enjoy.