Every year, the crowds descend upon Louisville, Kentucky and Churchill Downs to witness the “most exciting two minutes in sports.” Traditionally held on the first Saturday of May, the Kentucky Derby, is the grand finale to the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival.

But, standing in crowds and scrambling for reservations isn’t for everyone. Why not host a Kentucky Derby party at home instead? If you’re going to do the Derby, then you need to do it like a local (or at least have fun with a few of our traditions). These 7 Kentucky Derby party ideas will help you enjoy Derby culture no matter where you are in the world.

We’ve got the perfect plan for you to celebrate “The Run for the Roses” from the comfort of your own home… including our signature mint julep recipe! These ideas will help you throw a Derby party that you’ll never forget.

7 Party Ideas Rooted In Derby Tradition

When planning your at-home Kentucky Derby party, it’s important to know the history and a few key elements that are important for authenticity.

1. Run for the Roses (Décor)

Let fresh red roses take center stage in your Derby home party décor. We personally love small arrangements accented with a green fern (also symbolic to the race) to decorate tabletops. You’ll get extra bonus points if you use silver mint julep cups or silver ice buckets as your vases.

The history: The red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby back in 1904 and has been used ever since to decorate and celebrate the winning race team. If you want to geek out on the history of the roses and all of the symbolic meaning woven into the 400-flower garland that is made each year, here’s the tea:

We love the Derby roses, so much so that they inspired our Rose Room:

2. Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires (Décor)

The history: The twin spires are the iconic architectural features that have topped the Churchill Downs grandstand since 1895. These elements may be harder to work into your décor, but they are nonetheless important features of Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby Day. See them here at the beginning of this beautiful Derby video:

One easy way to work the spires into your décor is to cut the silhouette of the twin spires out of black poster board or construction paper and have the spires flank each side of your television screen. Or incorporate them into your front door (AKA the “starting gate”) decorations. You can also let the spires take on a less prominent role and feature them in your centerpieces.

You may also like: Best Things To Do In Churchill Downs

3. “My Old Kentucky Home” (Playlist)

No Kentucky Derby party is complete without a playlist that includes the iconic song “My Old Kentucky Home.”

The history: This song, by Stephen Foster, is played as the thoroughbreds step onto the track for the post-race parade and the entire state collectively belts out, “We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home.” That lyric would look great printed on a cake or invitation, by the way.

There are many curated Kentucky Derby playlists available that you can play through your Bluetooth speakers as your guests mingle, sip on beverages, and prepare for the big race! Here’s a good one to start with:

4. Don Your Derby Hat (Dress Code)

There’s a lot of fine fashion that goes into creating Derby Day attire. However, no piece of clothing may be more iconic than the Kentucky Derby hats. If the women’s hats and fascinators you see at the Kentucky Derby remind you of what you’d see at a formal European event, you are exactly right.

The history: At its roots, the Derby was designed to be an event that mirrored European-style racing, which included having a requirement of “full morning dress” for those in attendance.

Surprisingly, the popularity of attention-grabbing hats did not fully come into fashion until around the 1960’s when the event became televised. We recommend searching Etsy for an American-made hat that sparks joy in your race-day soul.

Hats are an intimidating fashion choice, so here are some quick tips from our style experts:

• Choosing a Derby hat is not just about which hat you like best, it’s about which hat looks best on YOU based on the shape of your face, hair style, and more.
• Pick your hat first as it’s usually the most difficult piece to acquire, and then design the rest of your outfit around that.
• Have fun with it and don’t worry too much about the elephant on your head.

Screenshot this advice and send it to guests if they’re unsure of how to rock their Derby hats!

And dapper folks who do not have the task of finding a happening hat, you’re not off the fashion hook. No masculine Kentucky Derby outfit would be complete without a bowtie to compliment your linen, checked, or seersucker suit or sports coat. These American-made bow ties from R. Hanauer may be just the thing your outfit needs.

Explore more Derby fashion in this close-up look for the 150th celebration (which took place in 2024):

5. Serve Up Mint Juleps (Drinks)

The mint julep is THE Kentucky Derby day drink of choice. Not only is mint julep a classic cocktail with incredible flavor and even some health benefits (the more you know)… It’s also the official signature drink of the Kentucky Derby.

Approximately 120,000 mint juleps are served at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend (we serve just slightly less here at the Inn at Woodhaven).

The history: How important is this beverage to our area? Well, let’s just say that the entire month of April leading up to the Derby has been designated as Mint Julep Month. And with a bevy of high-quality bourbon distilleries, like Kentucky Peerless and Rabbit Hole, surrounding us, we can mix a pretty mean mint julep, if we do say so.

Speaking of bourbon, use our guide on how to drink bourbon to help you pass as a local on your next visit.

The perfect mint julep is made from a few staples like bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves, and crushed ice. You can use our signature Inn at Woodhaven recipe. Take it a step further by serving your juleps up on a decorated bar cart or a dedicated small table to make bartending easy.

6. Serve Up Southern Cooking (Food Menu)

Almost as important as what fills your cup is the food that will help absorb all that bourbon whiskey. To overlook the menu or leave people hungry simply wouldn’t be Southern.

Serve up Southern classics like pimento cheese sandwiches or a good pork slider sandwich with a bourbon-infused BBQ sauce of course. Or, get 60 Derby-inspired recipes here. Some of our favorites from this list are:

• Sandwich: Kentucky Hot Brown finger sandwiches
• Appetizers: Old Bay deviled eggs
• Dessert: Chocolate bourbon pecan pie

No part of party prep feels as stressful as the cooking. We share some of our top tips for hosting at the holidays in this guide. The tips apply to any party theme, Derby included! The right preparations and mindset can help you pull off your party without feeling overwhelmed by all of the moving pieces.

7. Trophy & Winner’s Circle (Betting)

No Derby party would be complete without a friendly little horse-betting competition. Encourage guests to get invested in the race by wagering a little money or even just the glory of winning a plastic prize trophy (from your local dollar store) at the end. This will bring your fun Derby party across the finish line.

We love to create bet cards where our guests can choose who they think will take the top spots in the race. If you’re not keen on making your own ballots, sites like Elvam Design have free Kentucky Derby printables to download.

While watching the racing, whip out these fun facts about Derby horses to impress your guests.

Enjoying The Races

If sitting in the stands of Churchill Downs and witnessing a horse race is your dream, but the price or availability of Kentucky Derby tickets has eluded you, we’ve got some information that many non-Kentuckians don’t realize. Churchill Downs begins their horse racing season on April 26th this year and has many races each week until the end of June. You can find their schedule here.

Put on your jockey silks, place your friendly wagers and enjoy hosting your Derby party. We hope you can join us next year at the Inn at Woodhaven.

You’re Invited

While Inn at Woodhaven has been booked up for years in advance for Kentucky Derby weekend, we’re happy to welcome you into our bed and breakfast for any other race!

If you really want to get into the spirit, be sure to book our Derby Room or Rose Room. Either way, we’re here to help make your Louisville experience one to remember!