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| Thunder Over Louisville | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | April |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Founded | 1989; 37 years ago (1989) |
| Website | thunderoverlouisville |
Thunder Over Louisville is an annualairshow andfireworks display inLouisville, Kentucky, serving as the kickoff event of theKentucky Derby Festival. It is held on a Saturday in April preceding theKentucky Derby, the first Saturday in May, usually by two weeks.[a] For some time, it was the largest annual fireworks display inNorth America. To this day, the event remains one of the largest.[1][2]
Thunder began as part of an opening ceremonies event in 1989 with daytime fireworks. 1990 brought the first nighttime fireworks event. It officially began in its current location along the Ohio River in 1991 with fireworks, and an air show was added in 1992.
Thunder generally starts in the afternoon with an air show, followed by the fireworks show starting at 9:30 pm, along with a synchronized soundtrack throughPA andradio. An average of 625,000 people have attended each year since 1997, lining the banks of theOhio River in Louisville, and across the river inJeffersonville andClarksville, Indiana. Some also watch from the river on boats, docked in positions auctioned off for charity.[3] Eight 400-footbarges launch the fireworks, provided byZambelli Fireworks Internationale, from both sides of theGeorge Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, and more fireworks are launched from the bridge itself.
In the 21st century the estimated attendance at Thunder has usually been approximately five times that of the main attraction, the Kentucky Derby.
Thunder Over Louisville began as a concept at a Kentucky Derby Festival workshop in the summer of 1988, after a decision had been made to have opening ceremonies for the first time.
The first opening ceremonies were held in 1989 at the Chow Wagon on the river and broadcast live to the They're Off! Luncheon crowd at theGalt House East. Organized by multimedia producer Wayne Hettinger, owner of Visual Presentations, they featured a live stage show to introduce the festival theme song and the release of about 20,000 multicolored balloons—followed by daytime fireworks.[1] Attendance was estimated at 10,000.
The first nighttime fireworks show was in 1990 atthe old Cardinal Stadium in theKentucky Exposition Center, where more than 35,000 people attended a Derby Festival opening ceremonies concert byJanie Fricke and a 4,000-shell fireworks show following a sold-outLouisville Redbirds baseball game.[4][5]
Fireworks had been used in Derby festivities since the 1960s, but the positive impact of fireworks on this concert—particularly the echoing sound—led to the firework show's name when it was held the following year over the Ohio River.[4]
In 1991 the event moved toWaterfront Park, and Zambelli Fireworks Internationale's Master Pyrotechnician Raymond M Loffredo began handling the fireworks. The Air Show began in 1992, and has featured such notable aircraft as theHarrier, theB-2 (Stealth Bomber), and theF-117 (Stealth Fighter) as well as theApache Attack Helicopter.
The event expanded rapidly in scale and attendance; by 1996 more shells were exploded in the first minute than in the entire 1990 show. In 1997, theAir Force designated Thunder Over Louisville as one of the events for its 50th anniversary celebration.[1][6] More than 125militaryaircraft performed that year, making it at the time the largest combinedfireworks and air show in the US.[1]
The event relies heavily on corporate donations. In 2000, when Kroger pulled out after 10 years of sponsorship, theKentucky Derby Festival was left scrambling for money. They announced the Thunder Funder program, in which individuals can make small donations. In 2006,McDonald's announced that they would be the title sponsor for Thunder Funder and donate 10 cents from the sale of every 32-ounce drink in a commemorative cup to the Derby Festival. This promotion continued until 2014. In 2015, the restaurant chain pledged $100,000 to the event.[7]
The fireworks show has grown in size and scope every year, with over 52,000 shells used in 2004, and 60,000 in 2005.[8] The fireworks show usually lasts 30 minutes. There is traditionally a 3-minute finale which organizers call by the name Gargantuan. This is usually preceded by a short break in the fireworks and an audio score of "The Colonel Bogey March" as whistled in the movieBridge on the River Kwai, often catching first time spectators, who believe the show has ended, by surprise.
The 2007 event had a record crowd,whose size was estimated at 850,000 by the event producer. Such counts do not include thousands of people who watch from area rooftops at "Thunder parties" held by individuals with proximity advantaged addresses indowntown,Old Louisville, Portland and theButchertown neighborhood immediately upriver from downtown, as well as river adjacent neighborhoods in the Indiana communities ofClarksville andJeffersonville.
In 2010, a computer glitch 30 seconds before the show during a pre-recorded minute long audio countdown to the fireworks caused an 18-minute delay while the problem was troubleshooted.[9]
In 2020, Thunder Over Louisville was canceled for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kentucky Derby was postponed to September, and took place with no spectators.
The following year, fireworks were launched throughout the city to reduce crowd sizes due to COVID-19 precautions. The show was televised locally, and in-person spectators were discouraged from gathering. The same year, a boat accident occurred on the Ohio River near the Greenwood Boat Docks as a large amount of spectators attempted to view the fireworks from the river. One barge collided with a boat, killing three people. Four people were rescued from the Ohio River by barge operators.
| Year | Theme | Corporate sponsors | Attendance (estimate) | Shells | TV coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Thunder Over Louisville" used for fireworks only. | Kroger,UPS,Kool-Aid, Oscar Mayer | 175,000[10] | N/A | WHAS |
| 1992 | Celebrating KY'sBicentennial year, "Celebrate Kentucky" | Kroger,Louis Rich, UPS, Kool-Aid | N/A | WHAS | |
| 1993 | Derby Festival Opening Ceremonies: Thunder Over Louisville | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS,Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | N/A | WHAS | |
| 1994 | "Phantom of the Opera" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | N/A | WHAS | |
| 1995 | "AnAmerican Thunder" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | N/A | WHAS | |
| 1996 | "AHollywood Thunder" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola,Tyson/Holly Farms | N/A | WHAS | |
| 1997 | "A Wild Blue Thunder: USAF 50th Anniversary" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Tyson/Holly Farms | 800,000[11] | N/A | WHAS |
| 1998 | "A ThunderFantasy" | Kroger, UPS, Coca-Cola,Kraft/Oscar Mayer | 450,000[12] | 34,126 | WHAS |
| 1999 | "The Best of Thunder" 10th Anniversary | Kroger, UPS, Tyson/Holly Farms | 500,000[12] | 39,420 | WHAS |
| 2000 | "AMillennium Thunder" | Blue Chip Broadcasting,Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation,Caesars Indiana,Ford, UPS | 750,000[13] | 45,000 | WHAS |
| 2001 | "A FestivalOdyssey" | Blue Chip Broadcasting, Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000[14] | 51,333 | WHAS |
| 2002 | "AStars & Stripes Thunder" | Caesars Indiana, Ford,Radio One, Thorntons,Tricon, UPS | 600,000[15] | 51,334 | WHAS |
| 2003 | "Centennial ofFlight" | Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS,Yum! Brands | 750,000[16] | Under 50,000[b] | WHAS |
| 2004 | "ABroadway Thunder" | Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000[17] | 52,000 | WAVE |
| 2005 | "ThunderRocks" | Caesars Indiana,Chase, Ford, UPS | 300,000[17] | 60,000 | WAVE |
| 2006 | "ThunderCountry" | Caesars Indiana, Chase,E.On U.S., UPS | 800,000[11] | N/A | WLKY |
| 2007 | "TheMagic of Thunder" | Caesars Indiana, E.ON U.S.,Meijer, UPS | 850,000[18] | 62,000[19] | WDRB |
| 2008 | "Out of This World" | Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 350,000 | 35,000+[20] | WDRB |
| 2009 | "Thunder Road" | Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 700,000[18] | N/A | WHAS |
| 2010 | "Thunder Fever" | Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, E.ON U.S., Meijer, UPS | 700,000 | 56,215 | WAVE |
| 2011 | "Thunder Power" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana,LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 300,000[21] | N/A | WLKY |
| 2012 | "A Star-Spangled Blast" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana,LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 700,000 | 50,000 | WDRB |
| 2013 | "Thunder Vision" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 500,000 | 56,000+ | WHAS |
| 2014 | "Throwback Thunder" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 675,000[22] | 54,000+[23] | WAVE |
| 2015 | "Boom with a View" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 650,000[24] | 56,000[25] | WLKY |
| 2016 | "No Strings Attached" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, KentuckyOne Health, LG&E, Meijer, UPS, Valero | 725,000[26] | N/A | WDRB, AFN |
| 2017 | "Thunder: Local and Original" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, KentuckyOne Health, LG&E, Meijer, UPS, Valero | 725,000[26] | N/A | WHAS, AFN |
| 2018 | "A Disco Thunder" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, KentuckyOne Health, LG&E, Meijer, UPS, Valero | 800,000[26] | N/A | WLKY, AFN |
| 2019 | "The Wonderful World of Thunder" | Horseshoe Southern Indiana, KentuckyOne Health, LG&E, Meijer, UPS | 700,000 | 60,000 | WAVE, AFN |
| 2021 | "Illuminating Our Community" | Caesars Southern Indiana, Ford, GE, LG&E, Meijer, Papa John's, UPS | None | N/A | WHAS, AFN |
| 2022 | "The Legend Returns: USAF 75th Anniversary" | Caesars Southern Indiana, Ford, GE, Humana, LG&E, Meijer, Papa John's, UPS | 851,000 | N/A | WLKY, AFN |
| 2023 | "Through the Decades" | Caesars Southern Indiana, Ford, GE, Humana, LG&E, Meijer, Papa John's, UPS | None | N/A | WAVE, AFN |
| 2024 | "Celebrating Derby 150" | Caesars Southern Indiana, Ford, GE, Humana, LG&E, Meijer, Papa John's, UPS, UofL Health (official healthcare provider),The Galt House (official hotel), and Akima | TBA | N/A | WDRB, AFN |
Due to the complexity of the event, including road closures, police presence, and technical requirements, there is no rain date for Thunder. The event was canceled in 2025 due to flooding.[27] Officials would cancel if severe weather or lightning was imminent, and the fireworks could be delayed if heavy rain or wind was occurring at the time of the show.
In 2005, unseasonably cold weather brought a temperature of 38 at 8:30 pm, an hour before the fireworks. A brief downpour of heavy sleet cleared all but an estimated 10,000 spectators from the riverfront by fireworks time.
In 2011, temperatures in the 40s caused a much lower attendance than usual.
Ohio River flooding was a concern for the 2015 event, but organizers did not let the high water cancel the festivities. It did make some traditional viewing areas inaccessible and additional safety precautions had to be taken to make the show possible.[28]
The warmest Thunder Over Louisville on record happened in 2022 when Louisville hit a high of 87 degrees.
Thunder Over Louisville has been televised locally since its first year. The 2007 show was the first to be broadcast entirely inHDTV. Previously, two or three HDTV cameras supplemented the broadcast.[29] TV coverage of the fireworks received record ratings in 2006 due to cold temperatures which made many people choose to watch the show from home.
In 2005, The Kentucky Derby Festival started rotating the broadcast rights each year between 3 of the major Louisville network affiliates (WAVE-TV,WDRB, andWLKY). After airing the coverage exclusively from 1991 to 2003,WHAS-TV chose not to participate in the rotation for several years after this agreement was made. They have since entered the rotation.[30][31] The show is traditionally rebroadcast on the4th of July, on theU.S. military'sAmerican Forces Network.[32][33]
