© 2024 Louisville Public Media

Public Files:
89.3 WFPL · 90.5 WUOL-FM · 91.9 WFPK

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact info@lpm.org or call 502-814-6500
89.3 WFPL News | 90.5 WUOL Classical 91.9 WFPK Music | KyCIR Investigations
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Stream: News Music Classical

This Week In Conversation: Kentucky Derby Festival Past, Present And Future

Thunder Over Louisville is expected to draw 725,000 attendees in 2020.
Kentucky Derby Festival
Thunder Over Louisville is expected to draw 725,000 attendees in 2020.

Listen to the episode:

Why does Louisville have so many fish fries?

The 2019 Kentucky Derby Festival promises to attract hundreds of thousands of people to the Louisville area for events such as the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks display and the Pegasus Parade. This year’s festival will be the last at the helm for its longtime leader. Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry is retiring this year.

Berry is credited with building the festival into the behemoth it is today, generating $127.9 million for the local economy and engaging 4,000 volunteers to organize its numerous events, according to the festival’s homepage.

This week on WFPL’s In Conversation, we talk to Berry about his tenure and his reflections on how the Derby Festival expanded from one event in 1956 to more than 70 this year.  We’ll also be joined by other KDF officials to talk about this year’s events and the task of staging the two-week festival.

Listen to In Conversation live on 89.3 WFPL Friday at 11 a.m. or follow along with our live tweets at @WFPLnews. Call with your questions or comments at 502-814-TALK or tweet us with the hashtag #WFPLconversation. We’re also on Facebook.

Kyeland Jackson is an Associate Producer for WFPL News.

Can we count on your support?

Louisville Public Media depends on donations from members – generous people like you – for the majority of our funding. You can help make the next story possible with a donation of $10 or $20. We'll put your gift to work providing news and music for our diverse community.