LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thunder Over Louisville roared back to the riverfront this weekend.
The iconic event is often referred to as the "kickoff" to the Kentucky Derby Festival.
Waterfront Park became a sea of people early Saturday afternoon. Families gathered for the 35th annual event.
“I want to see the fireworks and … the airshow in the sky," said Luke Kannapel, a longtime Thunder Over Louisville attendee. "It is going to be a great day."
Kannapel’s first event was in 2005, the coldest Thunder Over Louisville ever. The 19-year-old estimated he and his family have attended between 12 to 15 of the last events.
“Whenever your family's strong together, the traditions (are) what hold it together ... we are really big on our traditions,” Kannapel said.
It’s one of the nation’s top airshows and one of the largest annual fireworks shows in the U.S., but Kannapel was most excited for something else.
“To be honest, I like going to see the military and all the free booths and getting all the free stuff," he said. "That's my strong suit. I go out, I get all the free stuff, and I bring it back."
Others traveled hundreds of miles to see the iconic event for the very first time.
“I had actually never heard of Thunder, but since my mom's been up here, she heard about it and said it was one of the biggest things," said Krystal, who traveled from South Carolina. "We brought my son to come ... we've been very excited for about the last six months; we've been planning to get up here to see it."
Kannapel said his family's tradition will carry on next year.
“If you didn't come down, you should definitely try to come down next year,” he said.
The Kentucky Derby Festival estimates at least half a million people would attend.