Husband %26amp; I would like to go to the KY Derby for the 1st time. Never been to KY, but would drive or fly from Chicago, depending on cost difference.
What date is the 2008 derby? What hotels are good to stay at? We%26#39;re on a tight budget, cheapest is best. Do they offer shuttles to/from Churchilll Downs? Do they have package deals that include tickets?
Is there tailgaiting or festivities outside Churchill that we can enjoy if we don%26#39;t get tickets? Do they have screens to watch the race?
Please share all your helpful websites, tips, opinions for us. We have no idea where to begin!
Derby 1st timer
cheap isn%26#39;t an option... let me start by saying that my wife and i are late twenties / early thirties who love to gamble and absolutely love the horses. we go every year but have debated going this year because hotel rooms are getting out of control (we will end up going though... it%26#39;s inevitable). hotels require a 3 night minimum and prices seem to go up exponentially (we stayed 1 mile from the track six years ago at $225/night and this year the same hotel is $400+).
you do have options though... the farther out you stay (think 20 - 40 miles out), the more likely you are to get a hotel to let you stay for only two nights. if you want a hotel close to the track, your only options are to suck it up and dish out the money (if anything is available... it may be too late now. you usually want to get rooms by december / early january) or wait it out and hope for cancellations or for hotels to lift the three night minimum requirement (generally 2-3 weeks before the derby... we have done this in the past but you have to be flexible). getting people to go with to split the cost is a must.
forget about the packages... outrageous!
we sit in the infield ($40/ticket) and it%26#39;s general admission so you pay when you walk in. infield is great if you%26#39;re going with friends... bring fold up chairs and a tarp to mark your territory (check the churchill downs website for everything else allowed... they used to allow coolers but since 9/11 and the spike in concession sales, that luxury will most likely never return). in general, it%26#39;s a young crowd that gets wild but not too wild (a much, much better scene than the indy 500). stay away from the third turn because it gets a little crazier down there. there are a couple big screens for us peasants in the infield.
if you want tix, cheapest seats run about 300-400 per ticket (we%26#39;ve had infield bleacher seats and they were great... you actually get to see the horses instead of just a glimpse while in the infield). if you want to be near the finish line... forget it. check the online louisville courier-journal classifieds or the million online sites (stubhub, etc.) for tickets.
as to your other questions.... derby is always the first saturday in may (may 3rd this year). most hotels that i%26#39;ve stayed at do not offer shuttles (i know the french lick resort and casino offers some package that includes a shuttle but it is too far away in my opinion and outrageous in price). which hotels are good depends on your budget (i%26#39;d love to stay at many of the hotels downtown and be right next to fourth street but that%26#39;s not an option). there are always parties going on in the houses around churchill downs but no tailgating in the parking lot (not like a football game). i%26#39;m sure if you made it downtown (fourth street) or to bardstown road you will find plenty of people partying all day and night.
Derby 1st timer
I just did a quick search on Kayak.com to see what is still available and it looks like a minimum of $200 per night to stay anywhere within 10 miles (and that was for places like Motel 6).
My suggestion is to start calling hotels directly ASAP. It%26#39;s only going to get more difficult (and expensive) the longer you wait. Don%26#39;t forget to check B%26amp;B%26#39;s also. Sometimes it helps to go off the beaten path. http://www.lbba.net/
You can always walk up and get a ticket for Infield or for the Paddock (these are standing room only). The horses are always walked through the paddock before each race, so you will get to see the horses in real life. Yes. There are screens everywhere.
Otherwise, wear comfortable shoes, bring a hat and sunscreen. Don%26#39;t forget to check the weather. I%26#39;ve been to Derby in the snow and I%26#39;ve also gotten a sunburn. Bring cash -- lines for the ATM%26#39;s inside the field can get very long. Buy your program ahead of time (and avoid that line also).
Post again if you find a hotel and need our opinion.
My final suggestion would be to drive down from Chicago. It%26#39;s an easy 4.5 hour trip. If you calculate your trip from door-to-door, you don%26#39;t save that much time flying. You%26#39;ll avoid the craziness at the airport and you%26#39;ll be able to leave on your own schedule.
Ever tried flying with a hat box? Nuff said.
Good luck finding a room. This will be my 2nd derby and I booked my room for this year as soon as I got back last year! Both times I have bought tickets on ebay. This year I don%26#39;t think there are as many as there were last year. I LOVE THE DERBY!!! I do plan on making it to as many as possible. Also I love the city and can not wait to get back, only 3 months!!!!!!
You may want to begin your planning earlier. Cheap is not an option! You can get general admission tickets and go to the infield or hang out in the paddock area. Yes, there are screens to watch races. No, there is no official tailgating...spots can be found around the Downs in people%26#39;s yards, but it%26#39;s best to park at the stadium and take a bus. Be sure to check out the Churchill Downs website and read the list of what you are allowed to bring in. It%26#39;s very strict. Something that%26#39;s a good alternative to Derby is the Keeneland racetrack in Lexington. They put on quite a bash, people picnic, play music, watch races and you can bet there. We did it one year and had a blast.
As a Louisville native YOU CAN GET IN! Now is it the ticket you want maybe not. I have not missed a Derby in about 15 years, we just show up and purchase paddock tickets, great people watching no benefits! We dress for weather and have a ball! Placing bets does not get really bad until late in day and plenty of tv%26#39;s. If you walk up to first turn they have a grassy area that you can see a horse and have a seat (this was last year, who know what they have done this year, track has been updating for the past few yaer) We walk out of track at end of Derby and are in a restaurant in about 20 minutes (park at Papa John%26#39;s stadium--Home of the University of Louisville Football team) for a quick get away (it is about a 7 minute walk in a crowd)
Come and have a great time! Louisville is never more beautiful or fun!
email names of hotels you are looking at-- prices are high and you will pay for Location!
Last year my friend and I delayed so long that we couldn%26#39;t find anything in Louisville except megabucks so we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Lexington and got a coach to the Derby (I think it was through Blue Grass tours). We%26#39;ve agreed that if we do the trip again we will go to Churchill Downs for Oaks Day (cheaper but still festive) and go to the off-track simulcasting at Keeneland Race Track in Lexington for the Derby! We actually enjoyed staying in Lexington as it was certainly horse-crazy but a little quieter.
There are a lot more hotels here this year than ever. At least ten new hotels have opened this year. Try calling hotels directly. Staying in Lexington is like staying in Boston to go to Times Square for New Years Eve....
i would look for hotels in jeffersonville / clarksville / new albany. you can probably still get a hotel in one of those cities, which are really a part of louisville. in fact if you stay in jeff/clarksville you can get to most stuff in louisville quicker than you can if you stay way out in the east or south ends.
if you%26#39;re on a budget, you probably aren%26#39;t going to get ';tickets.'; your best bet is to pay the $40 or whatever for the infield. you can walk around to the paddock and see the horses and jockeys come out until that gets old, then you can go out the infield where the party is. if you want to actually see the horses run by you have to get there pretty early to get a spot along the fence. also if you get there pretty early you can park for free along the street in the neighborhood across Central Ave. Otherwise you%26#39;re going to pay somebody $30 to park in their front yard.
If you were interested in staying in Lexington (about 1 hour away) AAA has a package that includes:
Round trip motorcoach from Lexington
Governers Derby Breakfast in Frankfort
Boxed lunch
Derby Souvenirs and programs
Admission to Churchill Downs
Reserved Bleacher Seating in the Grandstand area
The cost is $368.00 per person. They also have some blocked hotel space in Lexington if you wish to add that to your package.
I live here in The Ville and am a weekly visitor to Churchill Downs The Derby is fantastic and you%26#39;ll find Oaks Day just as much fun. The Oaks, ';Louisville%26#39;s Day at the Races';, only draws about 100,000 versus The Derby%26#39;s 140,000.
Here%26#39;s a couple of tips that I believe you should find of great value: stay 100 miles away and on Derby morning drive to The Fairgrounds and take the round trip bus for $10.00. You%26#39;ll wait in line after the race but you won%26#39;t have to worry abbout negotiating for a parking place for $30 or $50 near the track. You just have to be patient when it%26#39;s Derby time. Second tip: if you plan to bet you have to stay one race ahead of the track.By that I mean, when the second race is over go to the window to bet the third race and stay one race ahead. Otherwise you%26#39;ll be in lie for 45 minutes as the amateurs in front of you place a $2 show bet for each of 30 people from their local VFW.
Remember--no umbrellas at The Oaks or Derby under any conditions, no liquor allowed in, bag lunches only in clear plastic bags.
Pay the $30 Oaks or $40 derby for General Admission and view the screens in the infield.
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