Photos courtesy of Columbus Derby Day website
The royal weddings aren’t the only events that expect and encourages guests to wear wild hats. At the Kentucky Derby, the bigger and bolder the hat, the better. This weekend, you can dress like the royals and don your finest attire at Columbus Derby Day. If you can’t make it to Kentucky for the real event, this celebration is perfect for you.
Program
Check-in begins at 3:30 p.m. and festivities begin at 4 p.m. at Huntington Park. There will be a live showing of the Kentucky Derby at 7 p.m. and the night concludes at 8 p.m. But before that, throughout the day there will be plenty of gourmet hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails as well as craft beer and wine. Party in style during this fantastic day and make bets on which horse will win the title. The Fabulous Johnson Brothers will lead the night with music from their album.
Origins
The reason that the Kentucky Derby adopted the tradition of festive hats and royal attire is unknown to most. However, speculation surrounding the origins of these hats points to the idea of the Derby being a social affair. The Kentucky Derby was first held 137 years ago at the Churchill Downs racetrack and ever since then, it has been a tradition to wear your most extravagant hat to the event. The bigger, the better. In this case, we are talking about those hats.
In preparation for the Columbus Derby, we encourage ladies to wear roses on their hats. The race is known as the Run for the Roses since the winning horse will receive a blanket of more than 500 blossoms from those roses. Men can wear top hats and look dapper in their ties and suit jackets.
Foundation
While we may not be in Kentucky, the Columbus Derby Day on Saturday is as close to the real thing as you can hope for. It wouldn’t be possible without the Five Strong Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower individuals with developmental disabilities through athletics, camaraderie and inclusion. In the past, the foundation has helped fund a special Olympics team and it has set up a sports camp for participants at no cost!
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased at the Columbus Derby Website. Tickets are $100 and include all food, drink and viewing opportunities. Tickets to Columbus Derby Day are final sale, non-transferrable and all guests must be 21 years of age or older.
Marissa Smithinsky is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
