The brick interior is more historically accurate, but less iconic than the white. | Photo by LOUtoday
If you’re headed to the Downs this weekend for the Kentucky Derby, you’ll be able to partake in several centuries-old traditions — fancy hats, mint juleps, and wagering on race results, to name a few. When it comes to betting on the fastest two minutes in sports, you have two main options:
Betting windows
For the classic, in-person betting experience, head to the windows. You’ll need to tell the clerk which horse you’re betting on, how much you’re wagering, and what kind of bet you want to place. There are three types of straight bets:
Win — You win only if your chosen horse wins the race. This is the highest payout bet.
Place — You’ll get a slightly lower payout for this type of bet, but you’ll win money if your horse places first or second.
Show — This is similar to a Place bet, but you’ll get paid if your horse places first, second, or third.
Cinco Sips | 6:30-8 p.m. | Liquor Lab Louisville | $75 | Learn to craft three seasonal margarita flavors, each paired with tacos and chips + salsa.
Derby All-Stars | 7:30 + 9 p.m. | The Caravan Comedy Club | $17 | Laugh along with comedians from around the region, hosted by local comic Creig Ewing.
Derby Weekend | Friday, May 2-Sunday, May 4 | 7 p.m. | Howl at the Moon Louisville | Cost of cover | Enjoy cocktail specials and show off your Derby best while you enjoy live music.
Saturday, May 3
Farm Animal Feeding Kick-off Celebration | 9:30 a.m. | Blackacre State Nature Preserve And Historic Homestead | $20 per car | Kick off the season with farm animal feeding, goat races, and hayrides.
Sports Figures of Cave Hill Golf Cart Tour | 12-2 p.m. | Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum | $25 | Take a tour of this historic cemetery to see the resting places of baseball, basketball, football, and horse racing titans.
The Sunday Sh!t Show | 7-9 p.m. | Planet of the Tapes | Free | Join a casual open mic with music and comedy + enjoy drink specials — all at no cover.
Monday, May 5
Etran de L’Aïr | 8 p.m. | Zanzabar | See this Nigerian rock band perform with Nashville multi-instrumentalist Rich Ruth.
Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend, LOU. As part of its 100th anniversary celebration, the Goodyear Blimp will sail over the 151st Kentucky Derby. It will be debuting its new re-wrapped vintage look inspired by the very first branded Goodyear blimp.
Number
100,000. That’s how many Derby pies Kern’s Kitchen makes each year, with about half of those in the months leading up to Derby weekend. The bakery has been family owned and operated since 1954. (Louisville Business First)
Community
After the Belle scratched due to a leaky bulkhead, the Mary M. Miller took the victory over the Belle of Cincinnati in the 62nd annual Great Steamboat Race. (WHAS11)
State
Voting is open in the 2025 Best in Kentucky awards for Kentucky Living. Louisville area nominees include the Frazier Museum for Best Museum, Chucky Hepburn for Best Athlete, and the Louisville Zoo for Best Kid-Friendly Attraction.
Drink
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at El Mundo this Monday, May 5 with $9 top shelf margs, $1 off taco singles, and $6 Tecate beer + Hermosa tequila. Brunch will be served 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with more happy hour deals 4-6 p.m.
Sports
Bryten Close has joined the Cardinals’ offensive line as an in-state 2026 football commit. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Cards with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Shop
Tired of smells that linger? This plug-in air purifier boasts a 99.99% deodorization rate that conquers unpleasant pet, toilet, and kitchen odors.*
Category
Derby
What’s in a glass?
Derby Glasses between 1942 and 1944 were made from ceramic due to WWII glass rationing.
Photo courtesy Kentucky Derby Museum
What makes the 1940 Kentucky Derby glass so valuable?
These glasses were produced in a limited run of only 800, though they were paired with un-dated aluminum tumblers that aren’t worth quite as much.
Production quirks like this are often the culprit for highly sought after glasses. Thanks to a production mistake, different 1956 glasses have different numbers of stars and horse tails — the rarest has one star and three tails.
The Buy
A soft short-sleeve tee that’s great for spring weather and easy to pair with leggings, shorts, or jeans.
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