10 Can't-Miss Kentucky Events Week of April 9th
Celebrate the best of Kentucky this week!
There is so much pre-Derby goodness going on in the Bluegrass State this week, y'all. Here are 10 events you don't want to miss!
Tuesday April 10
Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve
Draper James Mint Julep Event (Click here for ticket) 6-8 pm, Draper James Lexington. I'm so excited to attend this one. So many of my favorite things -- Draper James, mint juleps, and my awesome friend Elizabeth McCall, the Assistant Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve. Learn how to properly make a mint julep for your Derby soirees, meet Elizabeth (who leads the absolute best bourbon tastings I've ever attended!), and shop for your favorite race-day attire from Draper James. This dress is so perfect for Keeneland and this one is on my shopping wish list.
Thursday April 12
Stoneware & Co Starting Gate Social (Click here to RSVP) 6-8 pm, Stoneware & Co Studio. A shopping event benefiting Backside Learning Center, which provides education and community for the track workers at Churchill Downs.
Kentucky Derby Festival BourbonVille 6-9 pm, Louisville Palace Theatre (Click here for tickets) Signature drinks and tastings from Kentucky’s Bourbon distilleries, such as Bulleit, Evan Williams, Flat Boat, Four Roses, Jim Beam, Jeptha Creed and more.
Bourbon and Boweties Trunk Show at Sweet Mash, Lawrenceburg. Check out the selection of Derby and Kentucky-themed bracelets from the popular brand! I'm obsessed with Sweet Mash's exclusive bourbon B&B bangle, and I can't wait to pick up this year's Derby bangle!
Saturday April 14
Off Broadway Shoes Derby Hat Trunk Show 11 am - 2 pm; Off Broadway Shoes, Shelbyville Rd Plaza Louisville. Join Danielle from Lou What Wear, the Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses, and me for a Kentucky Derby Hat Trunk Show.
Elva Fields Trunk Show (Click here for more information) 10 am - 5 pm; Von Maur in Oxmoor Center, Louisville. I LOVE Elva Fields jewelry, and I simply adore Emily Maynard, the line's owner and designer. Y'all, this lady is the real deal. She's as smart and thoughtful and funny and creative a person as I've ever met. I've legitimately never gotten more compliments on any piece of clothing or accessory than I do when I wear my Elva necklace. Head out to Von Maur for equestrian-inspired pieces for your Derby season.
Maker's Mark Handcraft Festival 10 am-4 pm; Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto. Music, food trucks, and select local vendors. (Click here for Heritage Tasting tickets) (Click here for Mint Julep Class tickets)
Hats By Katie Trunk Show Draper James, Lexington. Join milliner Katie for an array of ready-to-wear hats to match your favorite DJ dress; she's also taking custom orders in-store!
The Fillies Derby Ball 6:30 pm - 12 am, Galt House East Grand Ballroom, Louisville. (Click here for tickets) The old-school gala that kicks off Derby Season. The presentation of the Derby Festival Princesses and Coronation of the Derby Festival Queen. Cocktails and dancing and pageantry. Click here to read Grace of A Southern Drawl's account of her year as a Derby Festival Princess.
KMAC Couture Fashion Show 7 pm - midnight, 700 Block of Main Street, Louisville. (Click here for tickets) Art Walks the Runway in this conceptual couture fashion show. White attire is requested; champagne toasts are appreciated.
What are y'all doing this week?
Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses and the Fillies Ball
2017 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses
Today, I had the opportunity to meet the 2017 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses. The Derby Princesses are a group of 5 college-aged women selected annually to reign over the Derby and the Derby Festival proceedings.
Me with the 2016 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses
Tonight, one of the Derby Festival Princesses will be named Derby Festival Queen at the annual Fillies Ball. The Fillies, Inc., is a women's club founded in 1959 to further the mission of the Derby Festival Committee. All proceeds from the Fillies Ball will be donated to the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, which provides scholarships and grants throughout the community.
To read a first-hand account of a Derby Festival Princess's schedule, check out this post that fashion blogger Grace Wainwright of A Southern Drawl wrote for HerKentucky about her year on the Derby Festival Court.
Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses
Yesterday, the lovely ladies at The Peppermint Palm invited me to meet the Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses! Aren't they lovely?
With Derby approaching, and the Derby Princesses fulfilling their royal duties, I thought it would be fun to re-post this guest post by our friend Grace Wainwright, the gorgeous Louisville-based fashion blogger from A Southern Drawl. Back in 2014, Grace was kind enough to describe her experiences as a Derby Festival Princess for HerKentucky readers.
Hey y’all! I’m Grace, the gal over at A Southern Drawl --my personal style blog of all things southern, stylish, and awkward. I’d like to describe my style as preppy, classic, and feminine (yet very much unexpected at times). My personality, on the other hand, is quite different. Yes, I may say y’all and may be a George Strait fan, but I’m not the typical southern proper girl. I come from a large Lebanese family that’s always in your business. {There’s no such thing as privacy in my family.} So, pretty much here’s the equation of my life: Lebanese + South = Comedy. I’m sarcastic, loud, blunt, and despite “popular” belief, I’m not graceful, have no poise, and trip in public daily {if not more}. Sounds tragic, right? Right.
…and then I became a Kentucky Derby Festival Princess. Go ahead, gasp. I was pretty shocked too, to be honest. But, don’t worry, I’ll give you some background.
Kentucky Derby Festival {KDF} kicks off with Thunder Over Louisville {April 12} and consists of nearly 70 events leading up to the good ol’ Kentucky Derby {go baby go!}. As for the KDF Royal Court {that’s me!}—we act as ambassadors for Louisville and represent the community at all of the functions and Derby Festival activities. That means we attend nearly every event {and keep in mind that all the princesses are full-time students}. The princesses are chosen out of more than 100 applicants with two interviews, the last being given by out-of-state judges. How are we selected? Knowledge of the Derby Festival, Poise, Intelligence, Personality, and Campus/Community Involvement.
All of the Princesses; Photo Taken by Marvin Young
So, I’m a Derby Festival Princess. What now? First, I wear my crown and pray that I don’t trip and break its precious stones. Chances are pretty high for that, y’all. Second, the great sponsors, like Macy’s, Anthropologie,Dillard’s, Gretchen Scott , and many more dress us until we’re looking as fabulous as can be. {I always love getting to do what I do best—try on clothes and shop}. Third, we get to be ambassadors for the KDF events and functions and strut our stuff everywhere. A scholarship is also given to us by The Fillies, which is quite the perk too. So here’s to me {and the other four gorgeous princesses} proceeding through these last couple of weeks without doing anything too traumatizing to the public and to us enjoying every fleeting second of this. Oh wait, and to always remembering that the soup spoon is scooped away from your body and not towards {etiquette lesson of the day}.
Fairy tales never included princesses taking selfies with the Governor... Pretty cool, eh? {Photo Taken By Marvin Young.}
Feel free to stop on by over here to get your daily dose of sarcasm and style from yours truly. I promise I don’t bite…well, sometimes.
2016 Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Pin
The 2016 Pegasus Pin goes on sale today at Louisville-area banks, stores, and PARC parking garages. The Pegasus Pin costs $5 and provides admission to several Kentucky Derby Festival events, including Thunder Over Louisville, Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront, U.S. Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Great BalloonFest, Great Balloon Glimmer, Great Balloon Glow, Great Balloon Race, Thorntons Great Bed Races, and Republic Bank Parade Preview Party. Each Pegasus Pin is eligible to win weekly prizes, as well!
This year's Pegasus Pin design commemorates the new Abraham Lincoln Bridge, and is sponsored by the new electronic RiverLink tolling system, which will operate on that Bridge connecting Louisville and Southern Indiana.
The Pegasus Pin program is such a great reminder that the Kentucky Derby is so much more than a horse race for those of us who live in Louisville. Everybody may not have the means or interest to attend Derby, but they may have the an opportunity to enjoy the fireworks of Thunder Over Louisville, the delicious food trucks of the Chow Wagon, or the beauty of the balloon glow. Derby Festival really does try to have something for everyone in Louisville, and the moderately-priced, highly collectable Pegasus Pin is the ticket to fun!
