Kentucky Derby 2012: Festivities Surrounding Event Trump Actual Race

Well over 150,000 fans go through the turnstiles every year for the Kentucky Derby, and the vast majority of them will leave with no idea who won the race.

The Derby is an event. It’s something people have on their bucket list.

The festivities for the two-minute race begin almost two weeks before the big race in Louisville, KY. The city is littered with festivals, and it treats the event as a celebration of sorts. Did you know there is a steamboat race?

The pageantry of the event is a spectacle in itself. All of the big floppy hats and extravagant clothing is just part of the show.

It’s like a flashback to 1920 in the novel Great Gatsby. The bigger the hat, the better, and every adult over the age of 30 who attends the event oblige. The men wear suits, top hats and smoke cigars. No, they aren’t the hipsters of today; they are abiding by the unofficial dress code of the event. They are the ones who gamble on the race and have a keen interest in the results.

As for the rest of the crowd? It’s all about the party.

The infield is overflowing with 20-somethings (and younger) that are there to party. Alcohol is consumed by the jug, and the Derby even has its own special drink. The Mint Julep, consisting of bourbon, mint, sugar syrup and ice, is a staple of the event and a drink every patron consuming alcohol has to try.

Being apart of the infield means you are subjecting yourself to lots of vulgar language and lewd behavior, and you can’t even see the actually race. But it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the party for these folks, as they use the race for a chance to party.

Ever read Hunter S. Thompson’s infamous account of the 1970 Kentucky Derby? If not, you should, because it highlights the uniqueness of the event. What Thompson describes is the same atmosphere that today’s event incorporates. As the years go on and the world of sports is forced to drastically change their culture and surroundings, the Derby stays the same.

Forget the Masters; this is the true “tradition like any other” that has to be seen to be believed. As long as the fans continue to show up by the thousands, the Derby is never going to change...and that’s perfectly OK.

Who won the race? Who cares. 

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