Governor’s Derby Day Celebration Also Staged at the Kentucky History Center

Frankfort, Ky. – The Kentucky History Center will get into the act when thousands gather in downtown Frankfort to participate in the Governor’s Derby Day Celebration, May 3. While much of the day’s planned festivities will be centered around the Old State Capitol grounds from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., visitors can follow the fellowship and entertainment to the corner of West Broadway and Ann Street where special exhibits on Kentucky travel opportunities, as well as musical and theatrical performances take center stage in the Kentucky History Center’s galleries and gardens.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Cabinet will act on the opportunity to publicize Kentucky’s newest travel opportunities to the crowd anticipated for this year’s festivities. During celebration hours, displays of attractions and local talent featured along the new Kentucky Music Trail, the Daniel Boone Country Trail and the Kentucky Barbecue & Bluegrass Trail will be showcased in the History Center’s Brown-Forman Kentucky Room. Representatives from each of the featured regions will be there to provide free Kentucky travel information, as well as encourage visitors to register for giveaways including overnight lodging and free admission to attractions found along each of the three Kentucky trails.

Entertainment extends to the History Center’s Keeneland Gallery where local actors, who make up the Historical Society Museum Theater program, will stage five mini-plays that will be on a rotating schedule throughout the celebration. The free 15-minute performances, center on Kentucky people and historical events and will be performed every half hour between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the gallery.

Outdoors, there's more entertainment scheduled in the center’s Cralle-Day Gardens, where a diverse range of folk music and dance will be presented on stage throughout the day. The line-up showcases distinct styles and traditions of folk music performed by Kentuckians, including bluegrass and old time string music, African American gospel, and Mexican Cumbia music performances.

Of course, Derby Day visitors to the history center may take the opportunity to tour the 167,000-square foot museum during its special extended hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open to the public will be the historical society’s popular permanent exhibit, “A Kentucky Journey,” as well as the Hall of Governors and the 1792 Museum Store.

Hours for the Governor’s Derby Day Celebration are expanded this year beginning at 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Music, fine Kentucky crafts, exhibits, and tourism attractions and displays will be open and free to the public in addition to local merchants and restaurants open for the special hours. The annual Derby art exhibition of juried work by Kentucky artists will be on display at the Governor’s Executive Mansion from 8 a.m. until noon. The mansion will be open for tours with shuttle buses available to transport visitors from the Old Train Depot downtown to the mansion and back during exhibit hours. Additional information about the Governor’s Derby Day Celebration and photos of several actors are available at Kentucky.gov or http://gov.state.ky.us/derby/2003/derby2003.htm. Information about the trails is available via the Internet at http://www.kytourism.com/pdfs/music_trail.pdf.

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