The 2015 Pegasus Parade will march down Broadway on Thursday, April 30. This family-friendly annual event showcases some of the nation’s finest marching bands and equestrian units, along with inflatable characters and colorful floats that are designed and decorated to reflect the 2015 theme, “Best of Louisville”. Click here for tips on making a spectacular float to fit the theme!

Led by the “Peggy Bank” inflatable Pegasus balloon, the parade marches west on Broadway for 17 blocks and lasts approximately two hours. Thanks to the sponsorship of Republic Bank, more than 90% of the parade route offers free public viewing.

Over the years, the Pegasus Parade has featured a wide variety of celebrities, including Grand Marshals such as Muhammad Ali, John Wayne, Loretta Lynn, William Shatner, Bill Monroe, Diane Sawyer, Colonel Harland Sanders, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and the 2013 University of Louisville Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. 2013 saw both teams play for the NCAA Championship with the men’s team returning to Louisville with a Championship title and the women’s team taking the runner-up position.

Originating in 1956 on a budget of only $640, the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade is the Kentucky Derby Festival’s oldest event. Today, the Pegasus Parade is one of the largest in the country, contributing an estimated impact of more than $22 million to the local economy.