LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In Louisville, one of the nation's biggest fireworks show is just hours away from kickstarting celebrations for the historic 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
The excitement is in the air and the festivities are almost underway in the Derby City for Thunder Over Louisville.
On the eve of Thunder, as fighter jets navigate the sky, onlookers marvel.
"This is my favorite day of the year, my favorite weekend of the year," Louisvillian Julie Fraze said. "To be able to sit here and watch these guys and gals maneuver through the skies and these skyscrapers is just phenomenal."
It's a tradition unlike any other. From old friends reuniting, to family gatherings bringing dozens to the Waterfront, Louisville locals are ready to welcome thousands from surrounding states.
"This is Louisville," Fraze said. "This is southern hospitality. This is how we roll. We want you to come in and enjoy it as much as we do."
Larry Vogt and his family have been parked in the same parking lot for the event for the last 20 years.
"The favorite thing is about the 40 people that we're going to have here at my RV, tomorrow, family, friends all gathered together," he said.
Elizabeth Wai and her crew traveled from Texas for their second Thunder.
For them, it's not just about making a quick buck, but making an impression on the people.
"Yeah, Kentucky's a great place you know, even from Texas, it's considered a really great place," Wai said. We're considered the friendly state but you guys are pretty friendly too."
"We'll meet people from all over the city," Vogt said. "And then people from out of town. They just hear about this. And then they know it's a great time and a great show."
But whether you're watching from atop the water or on the Waterfront, it's a near guarantee you'll see spectacles, unlike anything you've seen before.
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