Louisville International Airport

Souvenir Sunday at Louisville International Airport

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If you’re a horse racing fan you know by now that I’ll Have Another, at 15-1 odds, won the 138th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Whether you bet right or not, if you’re heading home through Louisville International Airport you can pick up some fun Derby-related souvenirs.

Airport officials tell me that, at the Churchill Downs specialty shop, a favorite souvenir is an authentic horseshoe from Churchill Downs, especially those that still have some dirt from the racetrack.

Other souvenirs include official mint julep glasses, Derby-themed aprons decorated with brightly colored jockey silks and treats made from Kentucky’s signature bourbons, including Woodford Reserve bourbon balls, Mint Julep taffy and bourbon bark.

For those heading out from the airport on Sunday, May 6, Robert Joyner, artist of this year’s Kentucky Derby print, will be at the Churchill Downs shop from 10 to 11 a.m. to sign prints. And, for kids of any age, there will be a chance to meet Churchill Charlie (the mascot of Churchill Downs) between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Louisville International Airport ready for Kentucky Derby

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The Kentucky Derby is coming up on Saturday, May 5th and this whole week is the busiest time of the year for Louisville International Airport, SDF.

To make all those horse racing fans feel welcome, the airport decorates the terminal with approximately 2,000 roses and hires musicians to play in the rotunda.

Better yet: volunteers greet arriving passengers with Woodford Reserve bourbon balls.

From the photos airport officials sent me, it looks like everyone – even the airline staff – gets into the race-day spirit.

Be sure to swing back here on Sunday when our Souvenir Sunday feature will share some of the Derby-related souvenirs race fans can pick up at Louisville International Airport.

All photos courtesy of the airport.

Louisville International Airport ready for Derby Week

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The Kentucky Derby takes place in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7 and the Louisville International Airport is ready.

Horses, Kentucky Derby

 

According to the airport’s Trish Burke, from Wednesday May 4th through Friday May 6th (9 a.m. to midnight) arriving passengers will be greeted with live music and by volunteers wearing springtime dresses and Derby hats and offering the traditional Kentucky treat: bourbon balls.

Louisville Airport welcomes Kentucky Derby fans

The airport terminal will be decorated with roses and jockey silks and many food and beverage outlets will be offering special Derby dishes and drinks.

When Derby fans head home on Sunday, May 8, the Louisville International Airport will send folks off with music, complimentary bottles of water and special exhibits of Kentucky-made crafts.

And, here’s a nice touch.

During Derby Week, many people will be buying souvenir bottles of Kentucky bourbon and some of those people will forget that you can’t take those bottles through the security checkpoint.

To help make sure that a lot of those bottles don’t have to be left behind, the Louisville International Airport will have a “Liquor is Liquid” campaign in place, with volunteer Airport Ambassadors at the ready to wrap glass liquor bottles in packing material so that the bottles can be put into checked baggage.

Free valet parking & lounge access at Louisville Int’l Airport

Free Stuff, Lounges, Parking

Are you planning to park  at Louisville International Airport before June 30, 2009?

Then be sure to go the airport’s Web site and download a coupon for a free day of valet parking.

valet-parkingThat’s a good deal.  But wait  – there’s more:  each time you use the coupon you and everyone in your party gets a pass to the airport’s Altitude Club, a lounge that has computer work stations, and complimentary snacks, soft drinks, local and long distance phone calls,  and wireless Internet access.

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