Thunder Over Louisville
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Thunder Over Louisville | |
---|---|
Date(s) | April |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | Louisville, Kentucky |
Founded | 1989 |
Website | thunderoverlouisville |
Thunder Over Louisville is an annual
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 through
In the 21st century the estimated attendance at Thunder has usually been approximately five times that of the main attraction, the Kentucky Derby.
History
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 the Galt 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 at
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 to
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, the Air Force designated Thunder Over Louisville as one of the events for its 50th anniversary celebration.[6] More than 125 military aircraft performed that year, making it the largest combined fireworks and air show in the United States.[citation needed]
The event relies heavily on corporate donations. In 2000, when Kroger pulled out after 10 years of sponsorship, the Kentucky 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 movie Bridge on the River Kwai, often catching first time spectators, who believe the show has ended, by surprise.
The 2007 event had a record crowd,
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's Bicentennial 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 | "An American Thunder" | Kroger, Louis Rich, UPS, Coca-Cola, Paramount Foods | N/A | WHAS | |
1996 | "A Hollywood 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 Thunder Fantasy" | 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 | "A Millennium Thunder" | Blue Chip Broadcasting, Caesars Indiana, Ford , UPS |
750,000[13] | 45,000 | WHAS |
2001 | "A Festival Odyssey " |
Blue Chip Broadcasting, Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000[14] | 51,333 | WHAS |
2002 | "A Stars & Stripes Thunder" | Caesars Indiana, Ford, Radio One, Thorntons, Tricon , UPS |
600,000[15] | 51,334 | WHAS |
2003 | "Centennial of Flight" | Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS, Yum! Brands | 750,000[16] | Under 50,000[b] | WHAS |
2004 | "A Broadway Thunder" | Caesars Indiana, Ford, UPS | 700,000[17] | 52,000 | WAVE |
2005 | "Thunder Rocks" | Caesars Indiana, Chase , Ford, UPS |
300,000[17] | 60,000 | WAVE |
2006 | "Thunder Country " |
Caesars Indiana, Chase, E.On U.S., UPS | 800,000[11] | N/A | WLKY |
2007 | "The Magic 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" | 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 | "A Night at the Oscars " |
Caesars Southern Indiana, Ford, GE, Humana, LG&E, Meijer, Papa John's, UPS | TBA | N/A | WDRB, AFN |
Weather
Due to the complexity of the event, including road closures, police presence, and technical requirements, there is no rain date for Thunder. The event has never been canceled due to weather. 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.[27]
The warmest Thunder Over Louisville on record just happened in 2022 when Louisville hit a high of 87 degrees.
TV coverage
Thunder Over Louisville has been televised locally since its first year. The 2007 show was the first to be broadcast entirely in
In 2005, The Kentucky Derby Festival started rotating the broadcast rights each year between 3 of the major Louisville network affiliates (
See also
Notes
References
- ^ from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Reed, Gege (March 4, 2024). "From Thunder Over Louisville to the parade, 2024's top 16 Kentucky Derby Festival events". Courier Journal. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- The Courier-Journal. p. B1.
- ^ a b "Thunder Over Louisville". Thunder Over Louisville. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ "Throwback Thursday – Thunder since 1990". The Courier-Journal. April 16, 2015.
- ^ "Article View". defense.gov. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "McDonald's pledges $100,000 to help Thunder". The Courier-Journal. February 27, 2015.
- The Courier-Journal. p. B5.
- ^ "Meet Wayne Hettinger, the man who produces Thunder". The Courier-Journal. April 11, 2014.
- ^ John Belski (April 11, 2014). "Some of my favorite stories about Thunder Over Louisville". WLKY. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ The Courier-Journal, April 22, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2006.
- ^ The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. 1B.
- The Courier-Journal. p. B1.
- ^ The Courier-Journal. p. B1.
- ^ a b "The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal.
- The Courier-Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
- The Courier-Journal.
- The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Thunder Over Louisville's 25th anniversary show draws more than 650,000 — Louisville – Louisville Business First". Louisville Business First. April 14, 2014. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ Erica Coghill (April 10, 2014). "Preparations in full swing for Thunder Over Louisville". WLKY. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "10 arrests made during Thunder". The Courier-Journal. April 19, 2015.
- ^ "The Show – Thunder Over Louisville". thunderoverlouisville.org. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Number in attendance for 2016 Thunder revealed". WHAS11. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Flooding to close some Thunder viewing areas". The Courier-Journal. April 14, 2015.
- ^ "WDRB plans thunderous debut for landmark HDTV broadcast". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "Louisville TV Stations To Rotate Thunder Coverage". wave3.com. January 31, 2005. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "WHAS spends months planning Thunder television broadcast". Louisville Business First. April 19, 2013. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ "The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Thunder Over Louisville to be rebroadcast by AFN on July 4". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2015.