Kentucky Derby Festival

Kentucky Derby display, photograph by Jimmie Wallace, ca. 1960s.

Originating in 1956 on a budget of only $640, the annual Pegasus Parade is the Kentucky Derby Festival’s oldest event. This photograph shows a U.S. Army Armor Center parade float, ca. 1960s.

General Electric Appliance Park Parade Float going down Broadway with the Commonwealth garage in the background during the Pegasus Parade, ca. 1960s. 

Back of photo reads “The first steamboat race in more than 30 years will line the banks of the Ohio River near Louisville with spectators April 30 when the Delta Queen and the Belle of Louisville vie as a feature of the Kentucky Derby Festival.” February 1968.

Kentucky Derby Queen Festival Churchill Downs float for the Pegasus Parade on East Broadway 3 May 1959