Now in its 15th year, Thunder Over Louisville continues to deliver a pyrotechnic spectacular like no other. Created as the Opening Ceremonies of the Kentucky Derby Festival, it offers an explosive kick-off to two entire weeks of celebration in Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. It continues to be the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. It's the kind of show you have to see to believe. The secret with Thunder has been to pack as much firepower into 28 minutes as possible to create a heart-stopping, eye-popping show. The theme of this year's show is: "A Broadway Thunder". it salutes the classic entertainment showcased for decades on the theatrical stages of The Great White Way. Expect plenty of show tunes and pyrotechnic tributes to special Broadway shows that have become American favorites. Thunder will be held on Saturday, April 17, with the Air Show beginning at 3 p.m. & a 30-minute fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

Spectators turn out at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center to watch the festival’s Balloon Glow on the night before the Great Balloon Race. More than 50 hot air balloons in all shapes and sizes inflate in their launch position on the field, but do not ascend. They are lit against the blackness of the night sky, creating a spectacular effect. Spectators can walk around the field and talk to pilots on the evening before the big race. The next morning, the balloons lift off in an aerial chase of the Hare Balloon, with winds determining which direction they will go. The Hare Balloon stays aloft until it finds a suitable place to land, preferably in a vacant field. It lands and lays out a large fabric “X” as the target, then takes to the air again. The Hounds (the competing balloons) follow the Hare in hot pursuit, trying to throw a small bag of Kentucky Bluegrass seed as close to the “X” as possible, all without landing. After the first drop, the chase continues. The Hare then locates another landing area and descends to place the second target. Once again, the Hounds try to hit the center of the second target without landing. Race officials then measure the distance between the target and the bag of grass seed at both target zones and calculate points to determine a winner. The pilot with the two most accurate tosses is declared the overall winner and receives $3,000, as well as bragging rights for a year.

On the same morning as the Great Balloon Race, as many as 8,000 runners gather to participate in the 13.1-mile miniMarathon, which was first held in 1974 and is now considered one of the top five half-marathons in the country, The race, which is held on the last Saturday in April, attracts runners from across the United States. The course begins on Louisville’s south side and winds through the hills of scenic Iroquois Park before finishing in downtown Louisville. Along the way, participants pass by Churchill Downs and the University of Louisville, not to mention thousands of spectators who turn out to cheer on the runners.