Thunder Over Louisville

Sunny and brisk weather conditions welcomed a crowd estimated at approximately 700,000 for the 21st annual Thunder Over Louisville - the Kentucky Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies. Spectators lined both sides of the Ohio River as far as the eye could see.

Thunder Over Louisville - the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies - is one of the more than seventy events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. Thunder alone contributes $31 million to both sides of the Ohio River. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.

The fireworks were delayed about 15 minutes, due to a computer glitch. "The Command Center computers weren't syncing with the barges," said Michael Richards with Zambelli Internationale. "We had to reboot to make sure the firing sequence initiated." Once the computers were reset, the annual half-hour fireworks spectacular filled the sky.