Kentucky Derby Festivities

The Kentucky Derby marks the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The Kentucky Derby, however, always has the highest number of attendees of all three races.

If you can’t make it down to Louisville for the festivities, it's a great excuse to plan your own party! If you've never hosted a Kentucky Derby party before, here are some things to do to get started once you've sent out your online invitations, of course. 

Encourage all attendees to wear nothing but their best suits and floral dresses. Also, as one of the main fixtures of this historical event are the womens hats, include a “Most Creative Hat” competition for the ladies—it’s sure to be a hit!

Fare should consist of “Hot Browns,” which is basically an open-faced hot turkey sandwich covered in cheese and bacon. Wash them down with ice cold Mint Juleps. Both have been staples at the Derby for decades. Here is a great Mint Julep recipe!

Don't forget to pick your winner. Maybe offer a little prize for the party-goer who picks the winning horse?

Also, since the race is so short, plan to have the television on in the background so you can keep abreast of what's going on, but plan activities for guests before the big race. For example, put together a little cheat sheet for guests so they can learn a little bit more about each horse and jockey. Prior to the race, vote of best horse name and best color combination.

You can also plan a trivia contest with two teams and questions about the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. Should be interesting to see how much your guest actually know about the Kentucy Derby!