The first Saturday in May is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. There is no doubt that each year “Run for the Roses” should be so good with more than 160,000 fans cheering on those who bet. What makes the Derby great is not only that it is the first of the Triple Crown of horse racing, but also the luxurious party atmosphere that surrounds the grounds. Between women in big hats, celebrities in fancy outfits, and some mint juleps, the Kentucky Derby will always have an aura about it unlike any other sporting event.
Don’t blink or you’ll miss “the most exciting two minutes in sports” at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The cost of attending isn’t always cheap, but it’s definitely one for the bucket list. Whether you want to watch the crowd in the grandstand or party in the infield, there is a place for you to indulge in one of America’s great traditions.
Tickets
Believe it or not, going to the Kentucky Derby is pretty easy. You can even go up on race day and pay $ 60 for general admission. (General Admission is also available for $ 55 if purchased from January 1 st until the day before the race.) General admission only makes entry to the track, access to the stadium area, and access to the paddock, so not the most The best way to witness the race. The infield party is a lot of fun, but you won’t get the best view of what’s going on on the track.
If you are looking for a better view of the race, you can easily buy tickets at the Grandstand. If you sign up for notifications on the Kentucky Derby website before mid-October of the previous year, you will receive an email in late October advising you when tickets go on sale in premium presale. The sale begins online in mid-November with almost all seats available. (Seats near the finish line never see the public sale.) Tickets are sold as a package that includes tickets to Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (the women’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby) and Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The cheapest tickets in the grandstand are $ 319 total for both sessions. Tickets that are not sold through the premium presale go on sale a couple of days later.
If you don’t get tickets through the primary market, you can always look to the secondary market. You obviously have the well-known options for buying tickets like Stubhub or a ticket aggregator (think Kayak for sports tickets) like SeatGeek, which doesn’t include Stubhub tickets. Secondary market ticket prices will increase as the race draws closer because the event doesn’t gain much national attention until race week. There is a nice dead window for buying tickets from February to early April.
Get there
Flights to Louisville are priced higher than normal (known as event pricing) because the Kentucky Derby is coming to town and airlines know demand will be high. Direct flights, especially from major cities, will hit $ 1,000 or more when availability is at its highest and that number will only increase. This presents a great opportunity to use your airline miles to pay for flights instead of cash, as the cost in miles will not change as dramatically from the regular price compared to the cost in dollars.
It’s worth looking for connecting flights if you want to save some money on your trip. The easiest way to find a flight is with the Kayak travel aggregator, unless you know specifically which airline you want to fly on.
You can also drive to Louisville from several cities in the Midwest. Louisville is less than two hours from Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Lexington. Dayton is about two hours away, while Columbus and Nashville are about three hours away. You can also consider the idea of flying into one of those cities and driving from there if you don’t mind adding a few extra hours to your trip.
Once you are in Louisville, you will likely want to use a car to get to Churchill Downs. (Don’t forget you’ll have to pay for parking, so looking for a parking pass would be something you’d want to do.) The alternative option includes the bus, which runs from downtown Louisville to the track for $ 20 roundtrip. Pickups and returns begin at 7:30 am and continue until 8:30 pm, both on Fridays and Saturdays. Taxis can also take you to the track, but supply is expected to be limited given the demand during Kentucky Derby weekend.
Where to stay
Hotel prices in and around Louisville are astronomically high due to the Kentucky Derby. Brand-name hotels in downtown Louisville cost $ 800 or more per night. Hotels near the airport are not much better because the airport is located near Churchill Downs. To save money, you can search for hotels a little further out of downtown or Churchill Downs, including finding hotels across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Your best bet for finding hotels will be by using Trip Advisor as they can provide an aggregated search for available hotels while also providing high-quality reviews from previous customers.
Alternatively, you can search for rental homes in the Louisville area. There are many options and owners will be looking to make a few bucks off the Kentucky Derby. The offer in the market should be quite good because of this and competition from inexperienced sellers should create a bit of a panic. That will turn out some good deals for you, so you should be constantly checking websites like AirBNB, VRBO, or HomeAway.
When at Churchill Downs
Remember, it’s worth dressing up for the Kentucky Derby. Many people dress up, which means that men wear sports suits or coats and ladies wear large dresses and hats. The dress code varies across the various areas of Churchill Downs, so check their website for all relevant restrictions.
Once you hit the track, you probably want to find out where you can ride. Doors open at 8am and the first race starts at 10:30 am Given the Grandstand seat, you can’t go straight down the rail like you would on a normal race track because there are seats in those areas. Instead, you can stroll outside the Grandstand and watch the riders mount the horses in the paddock area. If you are in the general admission box, you will not be able to leave the box area.
Unfortunately, you cannot bring any beverage supplies to Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend. Alcohol, backpacks, coolers, cans, glass bottles, and containers are prohibited. You can bring food in clear plastic bags as long as you meet the size requirements. Full details on what is and is not allowed can be found here.
The restrictions on what you can bring to Churchill Downs do not mean that you will not have a good time in the race. The infield is a non-stop party with a younger crowd. You’ll feel like you’re at a frat party and you won’t see the race other than on the big screen, but you probably don’t care. Meanwhile, on the other side of the track, the fancier crowd is enjoying their mint juleps and having just as good fun. The food options are not that memorable, but you will appreciate the barbecue more than the other options.
You can also walk around the infield from the grandstand to see the scene and buy cheaper food.
Bourbon country
You’re wasting your time if you don’t check out a bourbon distillery while you’re in the area. Bourbon is the hottest alcohol in America these days and Kentucky is home to it. If you don’t want to wander far from Louisville, you can get a taste of the action with the Evan Williams Experience and Bulleit Experience. If you’re willing to travel, I recommend going to Maker’s Mark, about an hour south of Louisville, or Buffalo Trace, which is an hour east. There are tasting options, which are always fun, and you can even create your own bottle to take home at Maker’s Mark.
En Louisville
Downtown Louisville has improved a lot in recent years. If you’re in the mood for a good steak, you’ve come to the right place. You won’t go wrong between the St. Charles Exchange, Z’s Oyster Bar and Steakhouse, or Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, where you specifically feast on the 65-day bone-in strip. The burgers at St. Charles Exchange and Z’s Oyster Bar and Steakhouse are also memorable, specifically the St. Chuck burger at the former, which offers you a tremendously covered lamb burger on an English muffin.
Proof on Main also offers a great bison burger, which you can get with the best fries in town. And if you’re not fond of burgers anymore, B&B offers a very good one with habanero jam, brie cheese and bacon.
You can’t come to Louisville without having the local sandwich delicacy, known as the hot brown. The Brown Hotel brings this open turkey sandwich with bacon and Mornay sauce to life. Fried chicken is a way of life in the south, so you’ll want to grab some jumbo southern chicken wings with some cornbread at Shirley Mae’s Café. Those looking for something simple in restaurant form can head to Wagner’s Pharmacy, which features a Sandwich Derby, a wonderful mix of ham, cheese, and mayonnaise.
Just outside of downtown, you’ll find amazing pork pies at Feast BBQ. However, if you’re in the mood for barbecue, you can’t leave the area without some of the best grilled lamb, which is similar to lamb. You’ll find the Ole Hickory well, which is remotely close to the airport. You might not expect to find great pizza in Louisville, but that’s what you’ll get at Garage Bar. Margherita may seem simple, but it’s fantastic and adding country ham to it isn’t a bad idea either.
Those looking for a good cocktail have a few options. The whiskey-centric menu at The Silver Dollar is a local favorite. El Camino may seem strange for showing old movies, but its homemade syrups mix well in its rum-centric tiki drinks. Proof on Main has some nice art at the 21c Museum Hotel, which houses the bar, to pair with drinks. If dives are your thing, then Magnolia Bar & Grill is your place. The drinks are cheap, the girls sometimes dance on the tables, and the jukebox will keep you there all night.
Of course these parts are known for their whiskey, so what better place than Haymarket Whiskey Bar, which offers over 100 bourbons and live music.
