How to Survive Thunder Over Louisville

Thunder Over Louisville is an all-day air show and nighttime fireworks show that lives up to its name. If you are going for the first time, and especially if you plan to bring children, you want to be prepared.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Earplugs
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Travel toilet paper or tissues
• Hand sanitizer
• Cash
• Cooler
• Blanke
• Lawn chairs
• Small toys for when the kids get tired of waiting

1. During the weeks before Thunder, go down to Waterfront Park and take a walk around. Get an idea of where you might like to be situated.

2. On Thunder day, get to the park as early as you can. The air show starts in the late afternoon.

3. Stake out your spot.

4. Put on sunscreen.

5. Relax and enjoy the show.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient when you leave after the show. Thousands upon thousands of people attend Thunder on both sides of the Ohio River and everyone is going in the same direction. Usually, most people are home within an hour.
• Food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages, are for sale everywhere.
• If you don't want to sit on the lawn all day using portable bathrooms and getting pretty squished when the fireworks start, look into spending the day at Slugger Field (home of the Louisville Riverbats minor league team) or the Louisville Science Museum. These places have special events for Thunder and often sell out early, so you might want to consider this option months ahead of time.
• This fireworks show is billed as the largest in North America. It is an astounding show. The air during the day is also great. But both are extremely loud. Earplugs are helpful, but if your children do not like loud noises and bright lights, wait until they are older.
• During the fireworks show, grit sometimes falls from the sky (and gets in your eyes and mouth). It is also very smokey and can be an eye irritant.
• Prohibited from the Waterfront Park on the Kentucky side of the river are: tents, bottles, cans, skates, pets and alcoholic beverages.

Resources

• Kentucky Derby Festival