THE MAGIC OF THUNDER TO KICK OFF 2007 DERBY FESTIVAL

Countdown to 18th Annual Show Begins !

The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce the theme of the 2007 Thunder Over Louisville show on April 21: “The Magic of Thunder” – a tribute to all things magical and mystical. The soundtrack to the Thunder fireworks show will be choreographed to popular songs that reference magic and related allures.

“Every Thunder Over Louisville is magical, but this year’s show will be especially so,” said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO.  "The generosity of our sponsors and the unrivaled dedication of our staff and vendors have enabled us to offer, once again, another spectacular day of free entertainment for the entire community."  Berry also encourages individual support of the show through the McDonald’s Thunder Funder program saying, “Every dollar raised for this event increases the quality of the production.”

Thanks to the generous support of the event’s corporate sponsors – Caesars Indiana, E.ON U.S., meijer and UPS – this year’s Thunder will also feature a spectacular lineup of civilian and military aircraft, including crowd favorites Lima Lima; the U.S. Army Sky Soldiers, an elite group of pilots flying four Cobra Attack Helicopters in demo teams; and also scheduled to appear is the U.S.A.F. F-22A Raptor, a state-of-the-art stealth aircraft that was sidelined last year due to bad weather.

“Once again, Thunder Over Louisville will cast a spell over hundreds of thousands of people lining both sides of the Ohio River,” said Wayne Hettinger, Thunder Over Louisville producer. “We’ll have some special effects that will entertain and enchant. It promises to be a very magical event.”

Thunder Over Louisville - the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies - is one of the more than 70 events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The 2007 Thunder Over Louisville, themed “The Magic of Thunder,” is set for Saturday, April 21 and will be the  will be the 18th annual production. The show is sponsored by Caesars Indiana, E.ON U.S., meijer and UPS. 

The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two-week period and has a local economic impact of more than $93 million. Thunder alone contributes $31 million of that estimate to both sides of the Ohio River.  This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.