May 6, 2009

Kentucky Derby - Largest Fireworks Display in the USA

Ran this past Saturday, the Kentucky Derby holds a unique place in the sports world at the intersections of horse racing, gambling, and pageantry. Ladies show up in gigantic hats and sundresses, men in seersucker suits, sip mint juleps, and expensive whiskey. It’s a scene from long ago that only partially counts as a sporting event. To outsiders, it may seem like an attempt to spice up a desperately boring part of the sports calendar. The event’s tag line, “The most exciting two minutes in sports” belies its purpose further: How exciting can anything be if it lasts only two minutes? But like many great sports, the athletic contest is a very small part of the attraction, an excuse to engage in questionable and reckless behavior that would otherwise be improper. The Kentucky Derby itself is actually the culmination of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The festival includes the largest fireworks show in the United States, concerts, fashion shows, and private parties.