Fun Facts

Brief History

• While past governors held invitation-only events on Derby morning, Governor Wendell Ford hosted the first public Governor’s Derby Breakfast in 1972. The meal was served in a small tent behind the Executive Mansion, and only a few hundred guests attended.
• Over the years, the breakfast has grown from a meal for a few hundred to a celebration that attracts thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond. The first event was simply a catered meal. But as the event grew, organizers added live entertainment, crafts displays, hot air balloon rides, children’s activities, and other fun events.

Breakfast Facts

What does it take to feed 15,000 visitors or more? Here’s what the Kentucky Department of Parks orders for the meal:

• Country Ham - 2,080 pounds
• Biscuits - 13,000 biscuits
• Juices - 10,000 juices
• Eggs - 20,000 eggs
• Sausage - 1,200 pounds
• Apples - 60 bushels
• Coffee - 15,000 cups
• Cheese Grits - 12,000 servings 
• Cooking will begin at 11p.m. the Friday night before the Derby. 
• The breakfast is prepared in two cafeterias - the Annex cafeteria and the Cabinet of Health and Family Services cafeteria.
• Hams are selected during the month of October.
• Food preparation and cooking is prepared by chefs from Kentucky State Parks system.
• There will be at least 10 buffet lines during the breakfast.
• There are approximately 148 tables and 1168 chairs in the “eating” tent.