Thunder Over Louisville
Encyclopedia
Thunder Over Louisville, the annual kickoff event of the Kentucky Derby Festival
, is an airshow
and fireworks
display held in mid April in Louisville
, Kentucky
. It is one of the largest annual fireworks display in North America
and has been held since 1990.
Thunder lasts throughout the day, and the fireworks display last for around half an hour, along with a synchronized soundtrack through PA
and radio
. An average of 625,000 people have attended each year since 1997, lining the banks of the Ohio River
in Louisville, and across the river in Jeffersonville
and Clarksville, Indiana
. Some also watch from the river on boats, docked in positions auctioned off for charity.
Eight 400-foot barge
s launch the fireworks, provided by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale
, from both sides of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge), and more fireworks are launched from the bridge itself.
The estimated attendance at Thunder is usually (first decade, 21st Century) approximately five times that of the main attraction, the Kentucky Derby
horse race
at Churchill Downs
.
The firework show began in 1990 at Cardinal Stadium
in the Kentucky Exposition Center
, where more than 35,000 people attended a Derby Festival opening ceremonies concert by Janie Fricke
and a 4,000-shell fireworks show. Thunder Over Louisville was originally inspired by the, then, much larger WEBN Riverfest, Labor Day, fireworks display in Cincinnati, which has been a tradition since 1977. Fireworks had been used in Derby festivities since the 1960s, but the positive impact of fireworks on this concert—particularly the echoing sound—led to the firework show's name when it was held the following year over the Ohio River.
In 1991 the event moved to Waterfront Park
, and Zambelli Fireworks Internationale's Master Pyrotechnician Ray Loffredo began handling the fireworks. The Air Show began in 1992, and has featured such notable aircraft as the Harrier, the B-2 (Stealth Bomber)
, and the F-117 (Stealth Fighter)
as well as the Apache Attack Helicopter
.
The event expanded rapidly in scale and attendance; by 1996 more shells were exploded in the first minute than in the entire 1990 show. In 1997, the Air Force
designated Thunder Over Louisville as one of two main events for its 50th anniversary celebration. More than 125 military
aircraft
performed that year, making it the largest combined fireworks
and air show in the United States.
The event relies heavily on corporate donations. In 2000, when Kroger pulled out after 10 years of sponsorship, the Kentucky Derby Festival
was left scrambling for money. They announced the Thunder Funder program, in which individuals can make small donations. In 2006, McDonald's
announced that they would be the title sponsor for Thunder Funder and donate 10 cents from the sale of every 32-ounce drink in a commemorative cup to the Derby Festival.
The fireworks show has grown in size and scope every year, with over 52,000 shells used in 2004, and 60,000 in 2005. In 2006, the fireworks show lasted for 26 minutes.
The 2007 event tied 2006 for record crowd, whose size was estimated at 800,000. Such counts do not include thousands of people who watch from area rooftops at "Thunder parties" held by individuals with proximity advantaged addresses in downtown
, Old Louisville
and the Butchertown neighborhood immediately upriver from downtown.
]
Thunder Over Louisville, has been televised by local television stations since the early 1990s. The 2007 version was the first to be broadcast entirely in HDTV
. Past telecasts have used two or three HDTV cameras for the broadcast. Each year, the show is rebroadcast on the 4th of July
, on the U.S. military's
American Forces Network
.
Kentucky Derby Festival
The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby...
, is an airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
and fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
display held in mid April in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. It is one of the largest annual fireworks display in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and has been held since 1990.
Thunder lasts throughout the day, and the fireworks display last for around half an hour, along with a synchronized soundtrack through PA
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. An average of 625,000 people have attended each year since 1997, lining the banks of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in Louisville, and across the river in Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
and Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,724 at the 2010 census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
. Some also watch from the river on boats, docked in positions auctioned off for charity.
Eight 400-foot barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s launch the fireworks, provided by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale
Zambelli Fireworks
Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Zambelli has produced shows that have been televised on "MSNBC Investigates", the Odyssey Network, the Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, The National Geographic Channel and...
, from both sides of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge), and more fireworks are launched from the bridge itself.
The estimated attendance at Thunder is usually (first decade, 21st Century) approximately five times that of the main attraction, the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
horse race
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
.
History
Cardinal Stadium
Cardinal Stadium is the name of a former college and minor league baseball and college football stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. It is on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, and was called Fairgrounds Stadium when it first opened its doors to baseball in 1957.The lone Bluegrass Bowl was...
in the Kentucky Exposition Center
Kentucky Exposition Center
The Kentucky Exposition Center , formerly Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center , is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States...
, where more than 35,000 people attended a Derby Festival opening ceremonies concert by Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
and a 4,000-shell fireworks show. Thunder Over Louisville was originally inspired by the, then, much larger WEBN Riverfest, Labor Day, fireworks display in Cincinnati, which has been a tradition since 1977. Fireworks had been used in Derby festivities since the 1960s, but the positive impact of fireworks on this concert—particularly the echoing sound—led to the firework show's name when it was held the following year over the Ohio River.
In 1991 the event moved to Waterfront Park
Louisville Waterfront Park
Louisville Waterfront Park is a municipal park adjacent to the downtown area of Louisville, Kentucky and the Ohio River. Specifically, it is adjacent to Louisville's wharf and Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, which are situated to the west of the park....
, and Zambelli Fireworks Internationale's Master Pyrotechnician Ray Loffredo began handling the fireworks. The Air Show began in 1992, and has featured such notable aircraft as the Harrier, the B-2 (Stealth Bomber)
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
, and the F-117 (Stealth Fighter)
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
as well as the Apache Attack Helicopter
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
.
The event expanded rapidly in scale and attendance; by 1996 more shells were exploded in the first minute than in the entire 1990 show. In 1997, the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
designated Thunder Over Louisville as one of two main events for its 50th anniversary celebration. More than 125 military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
performed that year, making it the largest combined fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
and air show in the United States.
Kentucky Derby Festival
The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby...
was left scrambling for money. They announced the Thunder Funder program, in which individuals can make small donations. In 2006, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
announced that they would be the title sponsor for Thunder Funder and donate 10 cents from the sale of every 32-ounce drink in a commemorative cup to the Derby Festival.
The fireworks show has grown in size and scope every year, with over 52,000 shells used in 2004, and 60,000 in 2005. In 2006, the fireworks show lasted for 26 minutes.
The 2007 event tied 2006 for record crowd, whose size was estimated at 800,000. Such counts do not include thousands of people who watch from area rooftops at "Thunder parties" held by individuals with proximity advantaged addresses in downtown
Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west...
, Old Louisville
Old Louisville
Old Louisville is a historic district and neighborhood in central Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is the third largest such district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely Victorian architecture...
and the Butchertown neighborhood immediately upriver from downtown.
]
Thunder Over Louisville, has been televised by local television stations since the early 1990s. The 2007 version was the first to be broadcast entirely in HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. Past telecasts have used two or three HDTV cameras for the broadcast. Each year, the show is rebroadcast on the 4th of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, on the U.S. military's
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
.
Themes and sponsors
| Year | Theme | Corporate sponsors | Attendance (estimate) | Shells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Opening Ceremonies of Derby Festival Kentucky Derby Festival The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby... |
Kroger Kroger The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer... , Sam Meyers Formal Wear, Derby Cone Company, Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut production company, owned by Kraft Foods, known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon and Lunchables products.-History:... |
35,000 | 4,000 |
| 1991 | "Thunder Over Louisville" used for fireworks only. | Kroger, UPS United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the... , Kool-Aid Kool-Aid Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack... , Oscar Mayer |
||
| 1992 | Celebrating KY's Bicentennial year, "Celebrate Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... " |
Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Kool-Aid | ||
| 1993 | Derby Festival Opening Ceremonies: Thunder Over Louisville | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke... , Paramount Foods |
||
| 1994 | "Phantom of the Opera" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | ||
| 1995 | "An American United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Thunder" |
Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | ||
| 1996 | "A Hollywood Cinema of the United States The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period... Thunder" |
Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Tyson/Holly Farms Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of... |
||
| 1997 | "A Wild Blue Thunder" salutes the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... |
Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Tyson/Holly Farms | 750,000 | |
| 1998 | "A Thunder Fantasy Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common... …A Celebration of Children" |
Kroger, UPS, Coca-Cola, Kraft Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang... /Oscar Mayer |
450,000 | 34,126 |
| 1999 | "The Best of Thunder" 10th Anniversary | Kroger, UPS, Tyson/Holly Farms | 500,000 | 39,420 |
| 2000 | "A Millennium Millennium A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system.... Thunder" |
Blue Chip Broadcasting, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation Brown & Williamson Brown & Williamson was an American tobacco company and subsidiary of the giant British American Tobacco, that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancing the addictiveness of cigarettes... , Caesars Indiana, Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... , UPS |
750,000 | 45,000 |
| 2001 | "A Festival Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) 2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel... " |
Blue Chip Broadcasting, Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000 | 51,333 |
| 2002 | "A Stars & Stripes Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows... Thunder" |
Caesars Indiana, Ford, Radio One, Thorntons, Tricon Yum! Brands Yum! Brands, Inc. or Yum! is a United States-based Fortune 500 corporation. Yum! operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and WingStreet restaurants worldwide.... , UPS |
600,000 | 51,334 |
| 2003 | "Centennial of Flight Flight Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement.... " |
Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS, Yum! Brands Yum! Brands Yum! Brands, Inc. or Yum! is a United States-based Fortune 500 corporation. Yum! operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and WingStreet restaurants worldwide.... |
750,000 | Under 50,000 |
| 2004 | "A Broadway Broadway theatre Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City... Thunder" |
Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000 | 52,000 |
| 2005 | "Thunder Rocks Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music... " |
Caesars Indiana, Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational banking corporation of securities, investments and retail. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets and market capitalization.It is a major provider of financial services, with assets of $2 trillion and according to Forbes magazine is... , Ford, UPS |
300,000 | 60,000 |
| 2006 | "Thunder Country" | Caesars Indiana, Chase, E.On U.S. E.ON E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity.... , UPS |
800,000 | |
| 2007 | "The Magic Magic (illusion) Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means... of Thunder" |
Caesars Indiana, E.ON U.S., Meijer Meijer Meijer, Inc. is a regional American hypermarket chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern supercenter concept in 1962. About half of the company's 196 stores are located in Michigan, with additional locations in... , UPS |
850,000 | 62,000 |
| 2008 | "Out of This World" | Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 350,000 | 35,000+ |
| 2009 | "Thunder Road Thunder Road Thunder Road is the title of a 1958 drama–crime film about running moonshine in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee in the early 1950s. It was directed by Arthur Ripley and starred Robert Mitchum, who also produced the film, co-wrote the screenplay, and is rumored to have directed much of the... " |
Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 700,000 | |
| 2010 | "Thunder Fever Fever Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in... " |
Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 700,000 | 56,215 |
See also
- List of attractions and events in Louisville, Kentucky
- Kentucky Derby FestivalKentucky Derby FestivalThe Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby...