Hats, horses and more

The “most exciting two minutes in sports” are just days away. The 149th annual Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday, May 6. You don’t need to go to Churchill Downs—or even be a big horse racing fan—to enjoy the Derby in style. Here are three quick ways to have a great Derby in Dayton. 

Figure out where to watch 

NBC sports will air more than seven hours of coverage on Saturday, with the race itself occurring at 3 p.m. If you want to put money on the race, Miami Valley Gaming and Hollywood Gaming Dayton Racing will both hold watch parties on the day—and odds are, your local sports bar will be airing the Derby as well. 

Plan your outfit around your hat 

Anyone who’s ever watched the Kentucky Derby knows that one of the most important elements of the day is the headgear worn by attendees. Maybe you want to go all out with a complicated, Pinterest-inspired wide-brimmed hat piled with flowers—or maybe your version of a Kentucky Derby hat is a UD baseball cap. 

Drink on theme with a mint julep 

Whether or not you’re invested in the outcome, the Kentucky Derby is a great excuse to pull out the bourbon bottle and mix yourself the race’s official cocktail, a mint julep. Conveniently, Belle of Dayton Distillery just released the first bourbon made in Dayton since the Prohibition era—although the limited first batch sold out within a minute on May 1, so unless you’re one of the lucky few who purchased a bottle, the local bourbon may have to wait until next year.