THEME OF THUNDER ANNOUNCED
2004-02-27T14:07:44
THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE TO TOAST BROADWAY
50-day countdown to 15th annual show begins
The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce the theme of the 2004 Thunder Over Louisville show: "A Broadway Thunder," which salutes the classic entertainment showcased for decades on the theatrical stages of The Great White Way. Expect plenty of show tunes and pyrotechnic tributes to special Broadway shows that have become American favorites. Thanks to the generous support of Caesars Indiana, Ford Motor Company and UPS, Thunder will be held on Saturday, April 17, with the Air Show beginning at 3 p.m. and a 30-minute fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.
Said Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry: "The generosity of our sponsors and the unrivaled dedication of our staff and vendors have enabled us to offer, once again, the premiere festival event of our region, with yet another spectacular day of free entertainment for the entire community." Berry also encourages individual support of the show through the Thunder Funder program saying, “Every dollar raised for this event increases the quality of the production.”
"Zambelli Internationale is back providing the best fireworks in the business," said Wayne Hettinger, Thunder Over Louisville director. "For many years they have helped us engineer a show that we are confident will be magical for the entire family. This year’s show will be particularly memorable, as it will be the first not witnessed by the late George Zambelli Sr., the legendary leader of the ‘First Family of Fireworks,’ who passed away last Christmas Day. The show will feature a special tribute to George and his legacy."
Other highlights of Thunder Over Louisville include:
- The Courier-Journal will once again produce a Thunder Program, complete with facts about the aircraft. Look for them on sale at the venue.
- Thunder will again be the site for a successful program that debuted last year - Derby Festival Pin Trading. Pin enthusiasts can purchase a variety of Pegasus Pins at the venue to collect or trade. There will be five 2004 Pegasus Pin designs, one of which features Thunder Over Louisville.
- Local NBC-affiliate, WAVE 3 TV will offer the exclusive television coverage of the event in a day-long broadcast with special reporting from the Command Center, 2nd Street Bridge Fireworks loading area and firing barges, Waterfront Park, Belvedere and more.
- The air show commentary and fireworks soundtrack will be broadcast by the official radio station group of Radio One, providing the air show simulcast over one of their stations and the fireworks music over all Radio One stations. The public is encouraged to bring personal radios to the event or participate in the fun and the spectacular view at the expanded Chow Wagon located at Waterfront Park, where sound towers will be placed. Admission to the Chow Wagon is a $3 Pegasus Pin.
- More than 75 aircraft will fill a six and half hour air show with civilian aerial performances, skydiving acts, military aircraft from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines and exciting demo teams. The popular Bill Leff Night Show returns with its after dusk performance including aerial fireworks.
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Click here for a complete list of the invited aircraft.
Thunder Over Louisville - the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies - is one of the more than seventy events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 325 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.
