Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tickets for Kentucky Derby Week and the entire 44-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs go on sale Thursday (Feb. 2) at noon. The 149th Spring Meet at the historic Louisville racetrack spans nine weeks from April 29-July 3.
Derby Week Events Include Debut of 502’s Day with $5 General Admission; Champions Day Moves to Wednesday, Features Secretariat 50th Anniversary Celebration; Popular Thurby Returns to Showcase Kentucky’s Best: Bluegrass, Bourbon, Horses
Kentucky Derby Week special events go on sale at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/derbyweek and they include:
- Opening Night (Saturday, April 29) – Opening Night is the perfect chance to join in the spectacle that is Kentucky Derby Week. Kick off Derby Week with an evening of heart-pounding racing under the lights.
- Dawn at the Downs Dining (Sunday, April 30 and Monday, May 1) – A favorite for decades, guests can watch the Thoroughbreds train while enjoying a delicious buffet breakfast in the Stakes Room or Millionaires Row. Gates open at 7 a.m. and there is an exclusive training window only for Derby (yellow saddle towels) and Oaks (pink saddle towels) participants from 7:30-7:45 a.m. Training continues for all other horses until 10 a.m., notwithstanding renovation breaks from 7-7:30 a.m. and 8:30-9 a.m.
- 502’sDay (Tuesday, May 2) – The debut of 502’sDay – a nod to Louisville’s area code and Tuesday of Derby Week – celebrates what makes Kentucky Derby Week special: the local community. General admission will be just $5 and the day is dedicated to the 502 with the best of Louisville on full display.
- Champions Day: Secretariat’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (Wednesday, May 3) – Champions Day has moved to Wednesday of Derby Week, and this year’s event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s memorable Triple Crown sweep with a limited edition print giveaway, an artist signing and a partnership with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Select premium dining tickets on Champions Day are all-inclusive of food and drinks.
- Thurby presented by Old Forester (Thursday, May 4) – Featuring Bluegrass music near the Paddock, the finest bourbon and top-level horse racing, the 10th edition of Thurby will again celebrate Kentucky’s best. Select premium dining tickets on Thurby are all-inclusive of food and drinks.
- TasteofDerby(Thursday,May4)–TheannualTasteofDerbyculinaryexperienceisaneveningof exquisite cuisine and exceptional wines paired and created by nationally-renowned chefs from 7-10 p.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
Limited two-day Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Day inventory are still available in the new First Turn Club Dining and First Turn Reserved Seating that will debut this year. The communal dining area is a unique opportunity for groups ranging from two to 10 guests to experience upscale dining near a one-of-a-kind 360-degree video board. The First Turn is also scheduled to be open for Thurby, making it the first chance to experience the new First Turn.
Additionally, there are select Personal Seat License seating options available for Oaks and Derby that allow guests the right to purchase a special seat location in some of the racetrack’s most premiere areas for up to three years.
All reserved seats for Oaks and Derby feature all-inclusive food and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) with expanded food service in 2023, as well as access to offsite parking at the nearby Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center with shuttle service to and from Churchill Downs.
Oaks and Derby general admission tickets only provide access to the Infield, where guests can bring a chair or blanket to watch races from the world’s largest 4K video board. General admission is discounted if purchased online before March 1: two-day Oaks and Derby for $110; $72 for Derby only; and $52 for Oaks only.
In addition to Kentucky Derby Week events, tickets for all other Spring Meet racing days will go on sale at https://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/. Other key Spring Meet dates of note include:
- Twilight Thursdays featuring $2 select domestic beer, live music and food trucks (every Thursday, May 11-June 29)
- Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14)
- Downs After Dark (Friday, May 19)
- Preakness Stakes Simulcast (Saturday, May 20)
- Stephen Foster Preview Day (Saturday, June 3)
- Belmont Stakes Simulcast (Saturday, June 10)
- Downs After Dark (Saturday, June 17)
- Father’s Day (Sunday, June 18)
- Stephen Foster Day (Saturday, July 1)
