kentucky derby festival kickoff

This weekend I will be visiting my family in Indiana for the kickoff of the Kentucky Derby Festival on Saturday. Saturday afternoon is the Thunder Air Show, one of the nation's top 5 airshows, featuring a wonderful selection of military aircraft from WWII to the present.


An F-18 Hornet

After dark,the real treat begins. Thunder Over Louisville is the nation's largest fireworks display, and usually one of the 3 largest in the world.


The US 31/Second Street Bridge


The Ohio River, Second Street Bridge, and
Louisville, Kentucky in the background.

The fireworks display is created each year by Zambelli Internationale, one of the world's premiere pyrotechnics families. Eight barges, 4 on either side of the bridge are used as the launch platforms for the display. The entire display is choreographed to a rock/country/showtunes soundtrack. Yes, there will be loads of photos, but probably no liveblogging of the shows. Kinda hard to get a good connection to the web from the top of a floodwall.


A C-130 Hercules from Kentucky Air
National Guard from last year's airshow