In 1956, the Pegasus Parade® was the first event held by the Kentucky Derby Festival®. With four volunteers and a budget of $640, the parade excited Louisvillians and their guests with floats, inflatables, marching bands, equestrian units, and celebrities traveling down Broadway. It was the start of a tradition that has become the cornerstone on which a festival was built.
Originally held on the Thursday before the Kentucky Derby, the Pegasus Parade showcases the community at its best. With dogwoods and tulips in full bloom, the stage is set on downtown’s main thoroughfare for one of the country’s largest and most entertaining spectacles.
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Among the most spectacular units are the larger-than-life floats. Many are built by the employees or volunteers of the sponsoring groups, who take the awards competition very seriously. The result is one of the most animated, colorful displays in the country. In addition, some of the nation’s best high school bands blow the lines off the street with lively music. A staple of any parade in the Bluegrass state, beautiful equestrian units add more color and excitement. Giant inflatable character balloons, clowns and celebrities round out the mix of this annual rite of spring.
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Highlights over the years have included the appearance of a Duke and a General. Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Michael Landon, Lorne Greene and William Shatner have served as Grand Marshals of the parade.
Entertainers from Carol Channing and Liberace to Gladys Knight and Loretta Lynn have graced the route. And, of course, hometown heroes like Muhammad Ali and Colonel Harland Sanders have been favorites. Perhaps the most crowning achievement was the moving inclusion of General Norman Schwarzkopf in his first public appearance in the U.S. at the conclusion of the Gulf War.
The celebrities and heroes make for exciting additions to the annual march. Yet the real magic in the Pegasus Parade is in the faces of the thousands of participants and spectators who converge to make this annual rite of spring come to life each year. The grins on kids from ages 2 to 92 tell that story best.
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The Parade marches west on Broadway from Campbell Street to Ninth Street.
Now one of the Festival’s largest spectator events, the parade has a tremendous impact on the economy. It generates $14 million in economic activity annually. More than 500 volunteers help staff the two-hour production that includes and average of 2500 participants each year. The magical parade attracts crowds in excess of 200,000 along the 1.7-mile route.
The event has been broadcast live locally on NBC affiliate WAVE 3 TV since 1982. Willard Scott of NBC’s Today Show served as master of ceremonies from 1982-2005. The local broadcast brings the Parade an additional 200,000 viewers annually.
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