Crash the party: Kentucky Derby

Whether you’re a fan of old-time cocktails, big-time hats, or fast-time horses, the Run for the Roses, this year on May 7, promises thrills. Louisville hotel rooms have been booked for months, and grandstand tickets are sold out. But don’t let that stop you.

Get in the gate: As many as 150,000 people usually turn out, yet Churchill Downs seats only 54,000 for the Derby. How? There’s an unlimited supply of $40 walk-up general-admission tickets that grant access to the paddock and infield. The Derby, the 10th of the day’s 12 races, starts around 6 p.m., and the gates open at 8 a.m. You’ll want to get there early (some come as early as 3 a.m., but 7:30 a.m. should be fine). Head for the 40-acre infield. The best seats are near the turns, where you can feel the horses’ speed; drop your blanket as close to the fence as possible. Bring folding chairs and blankets—permitted only through Gate 3—to hold on to your spot. (Leave the coolers and umbrellas behind. They’re not allowed.) The first and second turns attract a mellow crowd, while the hard-core partyers congregate at turn three. Scoring a last-minute grandstand ticket, if you can get one, will cost at least $300. (Tickets’ face values range from $60 to $700.) Scalping is illegal in Kentucky, so you’ll have to go through an online ticket broker such as gotickets.com.

Secure a room: Start by calling around to Louisville hotels: Cancellations aren’t unheard of. Next, try the tourist board, which may know of options you haven’t considered. Finally, expand your search to Lexington, an hour-long drive east on Interstate 64; the Radisson Plaza Hotel, downtown, has 367 rooms, so it may have availability. Blue Grass Tours runs shuttles for $55 per person, but for that price, you might as well rent a car.

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Drink in style: No race day is complete without a mint julep: bourbon, sugar, muddled mint, water, and crushed ice ($7.50). More than 80,000 will be poured at Churchill Downs over Derby weekend. Have at least one, if not for the bourbon, then for the souvenir—a collins glass imprinted with the names of previous Derby winners.

Dress the part: Much of the fun here is watching—and joining—the parade of women in overstated hats. Look for a big, floppy brim loaded with feathers or ribbons. Pick one up last-minute at Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. Most are by local milliners, and prices start around $120.

For Subscribers

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

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Transportation

• Blue Grass Tours 800/755-6956

Shopping

• Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft 715 W. Main St., 502/589-0102

Resources

• Louisville Visitor’s Bureau 888/568-4784

Attractions

• Churchill Downs 700 Central Ave., 800/283-3729

Lodging

• Radisson Plaza Hotel 369 W. Vine St., 859/231-9000, radisson.com/lexingtonky, from $149