April 18, 2010
Join us for a big party! After months of flood recovery and the resulting reconstruction of the museum we will be ready to celebrate. Beginning at 12noon on Sunday the 18th of April, we’ll host a free public festival in front of the Museum. For two hours, we’ll enjoy the live music of Shades of Grass bluegrass band, local celeb musician Brigid Kaelin, and the U of L pep band- all hosted by local FOX 41 personalities. Sign up for our trivia contest for great prizes! We’re only taking a limited number of challengers*. We’ll have plenty of action for the kiddos too… free pony rides, Mr. Magic with balloon animals, arts and crafts, games, face painting and much more! There will be a food vendor on-site with yummy lunch snacks for purchase. We’ll also have a tent set up with all the merchandise you need to get you set for Derby 136
At 2 p.m. the bugle will sound and we’ll cut the ribbon on the new museum and admission is free until 3 p.m. (Admission will be free all afternoon with a Pegasus pin.) Inside, the party will continue. From 2:00- 6:00 p.m. during the festivities, pick up a copy of this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival poster signed by this year’s artist James Thornton. Thornton will be in the gift shop signing all afternoon!
At 2:30, we’ll unveil a special tribute in our Eight Belles garden with a dedication of the Gallopalooza horse in her honor. There will be a special edition poster available with signatures from the artist following the ceremony.
At 3:30 Brown Forman’s “Chief Entertainment Officer” Tim Laird will host a tasting and mixology class for modern twists on the Mint Julep in the café. If you never tried a julep, they don’t make them any better than this!
4:00 Participate in a public hat contest held in our Great Hall. The event is open to anyone who would like to join us. Showcase your handmade chapeaus or an extravagant purchase. Professional milliners from C.K. Millinery, Sheila Nobles and Kevin Swansey will host the competition and be available throughout the day for custom fittings with a trunk show in the gift shop. For pre-registration (participants will be limited), email Kayse Kelley: [email protected]
Throughout the afternoon, raffle prizes will be drawn, tours of Churchill Downs will be given and three showings of “The Greatest Race” will be presented in the Great Hall. Guests will have the chance to score tickets to our Derby party, some great Derby loot and more!
6:00 Museum closes and will resume regular operating daily operating hours the next day.
*If you are interested in participating in any of our contests for the day, drop a line to [email protected] Please specify which contest you are signing up for and include your contact information.
New videos posted of construction progress!
We’ve posted two new video clips to give you a peek inside the museum at some of the progress. Things are moving very quickly inside now after the final architectural drawings were approved. We’re getting walls, we’ve approved the paint colors and expect pieces of the exhibits to be trucked in beginning next week! Play the clips to get a personal tour of the action or to hear from our main man Rico, the on-site construction manager.
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