THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE DATE SET FOR 2000
2000-01-14T12:07:50THUNDER DATE SET FOR 2000
June 30, 1999. Louisville, KY. The preparations for the 2000 Kentucky Derby Festival are officially under way. Saturday, April 15 is the scheduled date for the Opening Ceremonies: Thunder Over Louisville, adding an additional week to the civic celebration for next year.
The change from the event’s traditional date two Saturday’s before the Kentucky Derby is a result of the observance of Easter weekend and the Jewish Passover. Says Mike Berry, Festival President and CEO, “As organizers of the largest annual event in the Commonwealth, the Festival considered many options when looking at moving the traditional date of Thunder for next year. After seeking input from religious leaders in the community and considering the majority of our volunteers, staff and vendors effected by clean-up and tear-down responsibilities on Easter Sunday, the move to a week prior was clear.”
The conflict with Easter weekend also occurred in the event’s infancy in 1992 when the event was moved to a week earlier. Says 2000 Kentucky Derby Festival Chairman William E. Summers IV, “Thunder’s impact is even more significant now than it was in 1992. As the community’s Festival, we decided to hold it’s favorite event on a date that could be enjoyed by the most people. The Kentucky Derby Festival will return to the nation’s best two-week celebration in 2001.”
Other Festival events affected by moving the date of Opening Ceremonies are the They’re Off! Luncheon and Fillies’ Derby Ball. Traditionally held the day before Thunder, the luncheon and ball will be Friday, April 14. Other events will remain the same, including opening day of the Fifth Third Bank $1 Million Hole-In-One Golf Contest which will remain on Friday, April 21st. The miniMarathon and Great Balloon Race will hold their traditional “Saturday before Derby” dates.
The 2000 Derby Festival Opening Ceremonies: Thunder Over Louisville will be the 11th installment of what has quickly become the community’s largest annual event. Bringing national and international acclaim to the city, Thunder is a major tourist attraction and has an economic impact of more than $14 million. Of the 600,000 average annual spectators, 60,000 are estimated to be from outside the local area. The sponsors of Thunder Over Louisville are Kroger, UPS and Tyson/Holly Farms.
