2016 Secretariat Festival in Paris, KY – Sept. 16-18
Here comes the Festival! The 2016 Bourbon County Secretariat Festival moves to downtown Paris this year along historic Main Street. From the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 16 until Saturday night, Sept. 17, Main Street will be closed to thru-traffic to accommodate this horse-lover’s dream destination filled with civic pride and small-town charm. The Secretariat Festival Headquarters will be located in the heart of downtown Paris at Oasis Event Hall at 610 Main St. The convenient location is your one-stop shop featuring the Secretariat.com Store and official Festival merchandise, and hosts all celebrity signings throughout the weekend as well as the Secretariat Archive Silent Auction featuring a wide assortment of racing memorabilia.
Secretariat Festival information regarding directions, parking and accommodations is now posted on the 2016 Festival Schedule of Events Page which will be updated regularly, providing your resource for three days of Big Red cheer. And don’t forget to follow the Secretariat Festival as well as Secretariat.com on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, announcements and news. Get ready for a fun-filled super-horse weekend in scenic Paris.
Click Here for Secretariat Festival Information
Celebrity Autograph Signings and Legends Tributes – Sept. 17
The Secretariat Festival always hosts plenty of racing luminaries, and this year is shaping up to be among the best. Several members of the Meadow Stable team are already confirmed including jockey Ron Turcotte, exercise rider Charlie Davis, author and journalist Bill Nack and special guest Richard Laurin, grandson of Secretariat’s Hall of fame trainer Lucien Laurin.
New to the festival this year will be the attendance of equine royalty. Festival-goers can meet Secretariat descendant and beloved two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan and his trainer Charles Lopresti as part of our Legends Tribute line-up. Legends Tributes will also honor Secretariat’s talented rival Sham and enjoy insight from Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., and Sham: Great Was Second Best book author Phil Dandrea, who joins the action. And of course Kentucky Derby winning jockeys will be well represented including Jean Cruguet, Pat Day, Mike Manganello, and Jacinto Vasquez. Come meet them all during this big weekend celebration.
Secretariat Festival Special Events
Secretariat Festival events come in many shapes and sizes this year. In addition to all the free activities including Friday’s Paris Artwalk and Barrel Mane-ia auction party, this year we are proud to announce the Blanton’s Bourbon tasting and Bill Nack Storytelling.
This new Saturday, Sept. 17, evening premier ticketed event at the posh Bour-bon Restaurant features a bourbon connoisseur’s dream sampling of Blanton’s original single-barrel bourbon, delicious Bluegrass-inspired cuisine and a double helping of horse talk provided by Bill Nack and Richard Laurin and their unique insider perspectives to Secretariat’s life and legacy.
And don’t forget the various Farm Tours to Claiborne Farm and Adena Springs departing from downtown on Saturday and Darley Stud/Old Friends and Coolmore America Ashford Stud departing from the Kentucky Horse Park on Sunday. Space is quickly filling up; make your reservations now!
Secretariat Festival Sights & Sounds
Secretariat Festival events and free activities come in many shapes, sizes and sounds this year. In addition to Friday’s Paris Artwalk and Barrel Mane-ia auction party, more family fun will be on hand with the Saturday afternoon Festival Parade showcasing the Paris community at its Main Street epicenter, featuring marching bands, dancers, floats, vintage autos, and a variety of equine breeds and entertainment. And parade-viewers are invited to get in on the fun, dressing in 1970s apparel or as a Meadow Stable look-alike with prizes awarded for the best Penny and other members of the Secretariat team.
The 2016 Secretariat Festival also offers several new sights this year including the Barrel Head Craftsmen Furnishing Gallery featuring a unique assortment of decorative furnishings created from authentic oak whiskey barrels and the “Twice the Heart” AngioScreenings presented by Bourbon Community Hospital to ensure your heart healthiness.
Introducing the Secretariat Big Red Beer Garden
Another new addition to the Festival is the Big Red Beer Garden featuring Secretariat Festival Big Red Amber Ale. Created specifically for the Festival and brewed and bottled by Paris’ own craft brewery Rooster Brew, this big flavored Bluegrass-born beer pays tribute to Secretariat and his larger-than-life legacy.
Offered in a limited batch on tap and in a certain-to-be collectible bottle for drinking or displaying, beer-loving Secretariat fans will not want to miss the opportunity to raise a toast to the chestnut champ and enjoy this libation stop on the Festival trail!
Make your plans now to be a part of this fabulous Festival and all its revelry in the heart of horse country…
Thank you for your support and keep the Big Red flame burning!
Secretariat.com
P.O. Box 4865
Louisville, Kentucky 40204