Event Guide

SO YOU WANNA GO TO THUNDER?

Top 10 Thunder Survival Tips

  • Bring a roll of toilet paper (Thunder Pots can run out early!)
  • Keep your coolers, cans, bottles, weapons and pets at home.
  • Bring sunglasses & sunscreen - April is notorious for burns.
  • Park as far away from event venue as you can comfortably walk.
  • Make sure your car has plenty of gas for the exit traffic delays.
  • You can bring food in a paper bag or basket.
  • Be aware of the services around you...EMS, lost children.
  • Dress in layers. The temperature can vary a great deal throughout the day.
  • Know your limits and your children's limits for the day. Seven hours can be a long day for toddlers.
  • Consider picking air show OR fireworks.
  • Wear your Pegasus Pin. Not only do you show your support for the Festival, but you need it to look up!

    More helpful hints
  • Designate a driver if you plan on drinking in the only beer-vending areas of the event: Waterfront Park Chow Wagon
  • Identify a location to regroup should you lose any in your party.
  • Bring your patience. This is not an event for the crowd-shy. Remember the event is for fun and try to have some!
  • Look for Courier-Journal vendors hawking a Thunder map and full airshow schedule.
  • Don't count on cell phones working 100% that day. With that many folks and signals service can be unreliable.
  • Know what your children are wearing and carry a photo of them with you. Make sure they know their phone number and address.
  • Bring a radio. You can tune into the command center and complete air show commentary on WRKA.

    Viewing Thunder
    On Saturday, April 12th, Thunder will light up the sky. The World's most unique fireworks and light extravaganza, Thunder Over Louisville has been the largest show of its kind in America for the past ten years. It remains the largest annual pyrotechnics show in the United States.

    Air Show Start Time: 3pm
    Fireworks: 9:30pm - 10pm

    View Thunder Over Louisville- Hot Tips!!

    Thunder Over Louisville is such a massive show, it can be seen from just about anywhere in the Downtown Louisville area and Southern Indiana waterfront. Even some of the hills of local parks offer stunning views of the fireworks. However, if you want to fully appreciate the show, you need to be in eyesight of the Second Street Bridge. This is the stage for one of Thunder's signature effects, the fireworks waterfall. The entire bridge serves as a backdrop for this dramatic effect that is always a show highlight.

    Waterfront Park on the Louisville side is probably the most preferred viewing location. The best part is that it's absolutely free public viewing for Thunder. The Derby Festival provides vending units and portacans (Thunder Pots!) along River Road. Park as far away from the park as you can comfortably walk. This will help you get out of the traffic that is just a fact of life with the show. Please be patient when exiting. Remember, around 500,000 of your closest friends and neighbors are trying to leave the venue at exactly the same time you are!

    The Derby Festival Chow Wagon at Waterfront Park will have additional entertainment on the Talent Stage. The Waterfront Park location admission is free with a Pegasus Pin ($3 sponsorships available at the gate) and offers the shortest lines to food, beverage and Thunder Pots! Listen to live music in between your favorite air show acts. The Chow Wagon also offers air show commentators and the fireworks music soundtrack over the Thunder Sound System.

    After Thunder rolls, hang out at the Waterfront Chow Wagon until 11 pm to wind down and wait for most of the traffic to clear, as the music and fun continues.

    Items Prohibited at Waterfront Park

    Southern Indiana Side
    Most of the viewing in Southern Indiana is on private property, so keep that in mind if you don't have a ticket to one of the restaurant or hotel parties. In Jeffersonville, Indiana , the area between the Clark and Kennedy bridges will be very limited. To accommodate the crowds, more viewing areas have been developed between Fort and Pearl Street on Riverside Drive, east of the Kennedy bridge.

    Tips for safe boating at Thunder Over Louisville.

    More about Thunder Over Louisville 2008

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