2018 KE NTU CKY D E RBY F EST I VAL O P E NI NG CE R E M O NI ES:

The Ford X-perience Tour returns, plus we have the Lego Let’s
Welcome to Thunder Over Louisville – the biggest single-
day event in the Southeastern United States – and Opening
Ceremonies for the Kentucky Derby Festival. It’s our pleasure
to bring you one of the largest annual fireworks shows in North
America, and one of the top Air Shows in the nation. Today’s
show will be as thrilling as ever. This year’s theme – “A
Disco Thunder” – celebrates disco music and the fireworks
soundtrack will be filled with the top hits of that era. We hope
you dig it!
Keep your eyes on the sky for an air show packed with
both military and civilian air acts – that are far out! Some
of the acts performing include the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II
Michael E. Berry Scott Watkins
President and CEO 2018 Kentucky Derby
Festival Chair
Demonstration Team, the U.S. Navy F-18 Tactical Demo Team,
the USAF Heritage Flight, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, the
123rd Kentucky Air National Guard and new to Thunder, the KC
Flight Formation Team; as well as Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech
18, Lee Leet, the Canadian Harvards, and many more.
There will also be plenty of attractions at Ford’s Thunder
on the Ground to keep you entertained all day, including
military displays by the U.S. Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force.
Play Tour and Louisville City FC joining us this year. From the
Thunder FoodFest to all the interactive displays and play areas,
there’s refreshments and entertainment galore found all over
the venue.
Thunder could not happen without the generous support
of our corporate sponsors – Horseshoe Southern Indiana,
LG&E, Meijer, UPS and Valero, along with Papa John’s Thunder
Funders. These community-minded companies are vital to
keeping the show free for the public - and we think they are
really rad! THANK YOU for continuing to support the show.
On behalf of our board of directors, staff and volunteers,
we wish you a groovy Thunder Day. This is just the beginning
of a fun-filled Kentucky Derby Festival. Grab a friend and a
Pegasus Pin and enjoy all the events ahead! The stories you
tell happen here.
#THUNDEROVERLOUISVILLE

A Disco Thunder
THE OFFICIAL MEDIA
PA RT N E RS O F T H U N D E R

THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE PRODUCTION CREDITS SPECIAL THANKS

The Festival relies on the professional services of many vendors and the efforts of nearly 2000 volunteers to help The Festival does not receive tax dollars or monetary funding
produce its Opening Ceremonies. With the financial support of generous sponsors the stage is set. from local government, but the services of many public agencies
ensure that Thunder happens each year. You would not see the
Show Producer Devin Riordan Marine Barge Operations Liaison
show without their support.
Wayne Hettinger Jim Tucciarone Bob Herre
Senior Show Director Air Traffic Controller CGB Mitch Whelan
Tim Creed Roger Moore Marine Safety Operations Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Louisville Metro EMS
Show Tech Director Bridge Operations LCDR Adrian Michalowski
Mandie Creed-Clark Alex Freeman Media & Public Information
American Red Cross Louisville Metro Police
Zambelli Fireworks Crowd Services Aimee Boyd, KDF VP of Communications Bowman Field Louisville Metro Police Dive
Ralph Piacquadio Tricia Siegwald, KDF Director of Event Clare White, KDF Digital Content City of Jeffersonville Team
Derby Festival Thunder Event Production Specialist Clarksville Police Louisville Metro Police Traffic
Manager Event Support Military Air Operations
Anna Miller Ward Robinson
Coast Guard Auxiliary Metro Louisville Electrical
Col. David Mounkes
Derby Festival Sr. VP of Events/ Eric Maddox Dismas Charities, Inc. Maintenance Department
Maj. Josh Ketterer
Thunder Operations Mike Montgomery Capt. Chad Applegate Emergency Services (EMA/ Metro Louisville Public Works
Matt Gibson Jackie Floyd Capt. Nick Reinke MetroSafe) Metro Louisville Solid Waste
Derby Festival President & CEO Tiffany Sims Pyro Tech Safety Federal Bureau of Investigation Management
Michael E. Berry Mary June Robinson Joe Codispoti
Derby Festival Chair Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards FAA Louisville National Weather Service
Radio Communications Indiana Department of Rush Aerial Advertising
Scott Watkins Jamie Poppe
Mike Crenshaw
Derby Festival Executive Board Event Operations Assistant
Show Announcers Transportation Township of Clarksville
Erin Rasinen Mike Tully Indiana State Police US Coast Guard
Laura Haggard
Event Chairman Hospitality
Vicki Rogers Indiana Water Patrol Waterfront Development Co.
Nancy Jo Trafton Suzy Kayrouz
Event Assistant Chairs Interactive Area Overall Area Captain Inspections Permits & Licenses  
Paul Carroll Mike Gandolfo Louis Waterman Jefferson County Sheriff’s Vendors donating some
Merilyn Coslow Erin Rasinen Area Captains of their services to
Office support the show:
Mike Gandolfo Nancy Jo Trafton Jim Bailey
Paul Carroll Jeffersonville Fire Department
Barbara Porter LMPD Operations, Event Operations
Michael Sadofsky Maj. Andrea Brown Dan Habel Jeffersonville Police Cox Concessions
Stacy Serad Lt. Dale Massey Rip Hatfield II Kentucky Army National Guard The Galt House
Lisa Stevenson Lt. Jill Hume Ralph Henshaw Kentucky Air National Guard
Mike Noland
Ground Groomers
Louis Waterman LMPD Traffic Kentucky Department of
Barbara Porter Cunningham Golf Carts
Administrative Operations Maj. Jimmy Harper Transportation
Pamela Hettinger Sgt. Billy Patterson Michael Sadofsky Padgett Inc.
Treva Brockman Lost Child Operations Mike Sawyer Kentucky State Police Professional Fence Company
Audio Engineering Cindy Petrous Denny Simonavice Kentucky Transportation Radio Communication Systems
Brad Hammond Martha Reesor Dan Wasserzug Cabinet Rumpke
Air Boss Dave Gnau Sponsorship/Corp. Sales Louisville Fire and Rescue
Mike Riordan River Safety Operations April Zik, KDF Director of Sponsorship Sternberg Truck Rental
Sales
Louisville International Airport Tru-Service Landscaping
Air Boss Assistant Sgt. Matt Staples
Matt Creed Officer Chad Crick
SPONSORED
BY:

SOUTHERN INDIANA
17kydf9948v5_Thunder Light Pin.pdf 2 1/17/18 9:58 AM

Papa John’s THUNDER FUNDERS

BIG BANG LEVEL RED LEVEL WHITE LEVEL
Thunder on the BB&T Alliant Technologies Louisville Pride
Ground brought Dr. Hicks of IDD Boeing Foundation THUNDER OVER
to you by: Therapeutic Buckhead Mountain Grill Nimlok – Kentucky
    Services, PLLC Chrysalis Ventures SummitMedia LLC
Ford Motor Company  Citizens Union Bank Teamsters Local Union 89
AL ®

01
Fourth Street Live! Devil’s Backbone TIV
2

Galt House Hotel
Humana
Official Sound
Sponsor:
J Wagner Group
Kentucky Lottery
King Southern Bank
Logan Lavelle Hunt
My Financing USA
PNC Broadway in
a Shepherd partner
Louisville
Riverside Parking
Official Hotel: Rostrevor Foundation
Tom Drexler Plumbing, Air
& Electric
The Festival would like to thank ALL those who
became Thunder Funders this year!
8K
ENT ES
UCKY DERBY F
Cox’s Smokers Outlet and
Spirit Shoppe BLUE LEVEL
Ferguson Enterprises
Kentucky Center for the
Atria Senior Living
Carman Industries
This year, Thunder fans
Performing Arts
Kentucky Science Center
Cornerstone Group
Ditsler Insurance Agency,
have a chance to help
Louisville Bats
Louisville Magazine
    LLC
The KFC YUM! Center
light up the skies at
Louisville Marriott
Downtown
KingFish Restaurants
L&I Railroad
Thunder Over Louisville!
Monster Energy The Derby Festival is teaming up with Meijer for the “Meijer
Reingold
OPC Pest Services Moment,” to let the crowd help light up the sky at Thunder. From
Rocky’s Sub Pub 9:05 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. fans can participate by: 1) Turning on
The Fillies, Inc. the lights of their Meijer Thunder Over Louisville Light Up Pin,
UPS 2) Turn on their phone flashlights and point them to the sky, Or
Valero 3) Activate their glow sticks or glow wands available on the venue.
WLKY Announcements will be made over the Thunder sound system to
remind everyone about the “Meijer Moment.” The special Meijer
Thunder Over Louisville Light Up Pins are available at pin locations
in the Thunder venue for $10.