THUNDER POWER TO IGNITE 2011 DERBY FESTIVAL
2011-02-08The Derby Festival is pleased to announce the theme of the 2011 Thunder Over Louisville show on April 16: "Thunder Power." The Thunder theme ties in with the Festival's overall theme for 2011, "SuperFest," which celebrates the cartoon, movie and comic book characters that have become an iconic part of American culture. "Thunder Power" represents the awe-inspiring energy that is showcased by the aerial acts and pyrotechnic spectacle of the seven-hour Thunder Over Louisville show.
"As always, the Thunder Over Louisville show will be spectacular on a number of levels," said Mike Berry, President and CEO of the Derby Festival. "Thunder Power will provide a roof-rattling experience for the many thousands of people who will converge on the waterfront on April 16. We've had great weather for this massive event for the past two years and we hope the third time's the charm, too."
Thanks to the generous support of the event's corporate sponsors - LG&E, Horseshoe Southern Indiana, Meijer and UPS, as well as community McDonald's Thunder Funders, the Thunder Over Louisville show will once again showcase an exciting array of military and civilian aircraft, as well as elite parachute and demonstration teams. There will also be a variety of on-the-ground activities to keep spectators entertained during the day.
"Thunder Over Louisville will once again deliver a tremendous lineup of entertainment that can be found nowhere else," said Wayne Hettinger, Thunder Over Louisville producer. "We're very excited about putting together a soundtrack that will showcase a wide variety songs connected to TV, movie and comic book characters such as Superman, Batman, The Shadow, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Tarzan, Mighty Mouse and many others."
New this year, admission to the North Great Lawn area of Waterfront Park on Thunder Day will require a 2011 Pegasus Pin, except for children age 6 and under. "The past couple of years we've had people creating a land rush to take over large areas of the lawn, which is not fair to other spectators," said Berry. "Our volunteers, paid staff and local law enforcement will monitor the two entrances to the North Great Lawn and will not allow any tape, rope or pennant lines to mark off space. We encourage people to bring a picnic blanket and lawn chairs for comfort, but not to take up any more space than necessary. This will allow us to maximize this area for prime viewing." The policy of no tape, rope or pennant lines and no tents will be enforced throughout the venue.
The Thunder Air Show will feature a wide variety of military and civilian aerial acts, including a F-22 Demo Team, Harrier Demo Team, F-4 Phantom and many others, which are all subject to military deployment. An exciting new act will close the Air Show, the Star Jammer bi-plane. The Star Jammer features more than 10,000 LED lights of all colors and will make for a colorful end to a six-hour Air Show. Thunder on Ground will offer a wide variety of activities for spectators, including displays from such companies as Ford Motor Company and Meijer, as well as interactive military displays.
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 2011 Thunder Over Louisville, themed "Thunder Power," is set for Saturday, April 16, and will be the will be the 22nd annual production. The show is sponsored by Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer and UPS.
