Thunder Over Louisville is not only the official opening ceremonies for the two fun-filled weeks of the Kentucky Derby Festival, it is also the nation's largest annual fireworks show.
Rated as one of the top 100 events in North America, the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies is truly a sight to behold. And each year, more than 500,000 eager thrill-seekers do just that.
The Thunder Air Show dazzles the crowd with more than 100 planes, aerobatics teams, daring sky diving teams and breathtaking stunts. And the amazing technology of the United States Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines are always crowd favorites. The assortment of military aircraft and demo teams in the sky and in the water make the Louisville waterfront come to life.
Other show features include Howitzers from Fort Knox, the latest humvee technology and M-1 Abrams Tanks. Much like America’s favorite pastime, Thunder salutes our country by waving the largest US flag ever flown. It soars above the crowd via helicopter tow as the National Anthem provides a musical backdrop.
When it gets dark, the Thunder rolls. The show will feature the latest in pyrotechnic power from Zambelli Internationale, America's "first family of fireworks”. Eight 400-foot barges assemble on both sides of the 2nd Street Bridge to form the stage from which the fireworks spectacular ignites.
The breathtaking and mind-numbing 28-minute show includes the Zambelli’s signature one-mile “waterfall” effect off the bridge, making the fireworks seem to rain down forever. And in the crowd’s memory of the show, it does!
After more than a decade, the show remains the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. Seen by millions worldwide via a July 4th rebroadcast on the Armed Forces Network to more than 150 countries, it is the state’s pride. A Discovery Channel documentary on fireworks shows says it best, “Thunder is the Grand-daddy of them all!”.
