Pre-Derby Celebration with The Slice
- May 12, 2016
- 4 min read
My husband and I had only been to Louisville, KY twice. Once before when we were dating and more recently for a Musiq Soulchild concert. We had a great time on both visits so it wasn’t hard to plan a weekend getaway just because.
Louisville is a small but active city. This visit we wanted to partake in some of The Kentucky Derby events that occur a full month prior to the main event. We couldn’t make it to the race itself but I was able to find information on an annual fundraiser for the organization The Slice Charities of Louisville KY.
www.thesliceoflouisville.org
The Slice funds scholarships and community programs around the city of Louisville. We were happy to contribute to a good cause and get our boogey on at the same time.
I found a hotel in the downtown area that was reasonably priced compared to the many options available. The Holiday Inn Express on Market Street was a hidden gem. I think it is a fairly new property with a very modern look. The booking includes complimentary hot Continental breakfast and free WiFi. We were immediately greeted by some great hospitality. The valet service is fantastic. They were quick to get us unloaded and take care of parking our car without any hassles. Check in was a breeze. I didn’t get that day staff names but they were fantastic with our check in and answering questions.
Once we got settled in our room, I created a video I shared online to show off the accommodations. I always thought Holiday Inns were dated but this room was great. It was very modern painted in bold colors and even had a separate living room area with a pull out couch. This would be fantastic if traveling with kids or additional persons. There is a semi-wall for privacy and it had its own television. There was plenty of space and the décor was very up to date. The one issue I had was being able to hear other guest in the hallway. There was a youth soccer tournament that weekend and a lot of children were running up and down the hallway. It wasn’t a big deal since we didn’t spend a lot of time in the room but the doorway is not very insulated for sound and something to be aware of.
Check out my video on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/JustAskKiky/
Getting to the main event was a breeze. It was held at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage on 1701 W Muhammad Ali Blvd. The theme was Russell Renaissance. As you may have suspected this was upscale attire over 21 affair. We were just glad to be kid free for a while let alone a whole 24 hours! It had been awhile since we were kid free so we were extra excited. Lol!
Walking in, I absolutely loved the location. It was very spacious.
The event occupied two main rooms. The entrance was a large foyer that branched out to the two main locations. We were given an envelope containing Pegasus pins package. Not being from Louisville, we had no idea what the Pegasus pins were for. It included some details on a couple of major Derby sponsored contest and coupons.
We did meet two fabulous ladies who were first timers to the event and Louisville natives. They schooled us on the Pegasus pins. They basically were entry tickets to the many other public events held in honor of the The Derby.
The first smaller room featured a live jazz band with limited seating. We got there early so the dining buffet had not started yet. They did provide sponsored red and white wine. As far as I know that was all that was available outside of water, though we didn’t ask. We were happy with the selections. We then eased our way into the main larger area. The center had an exhibit honoring the first black jockey on display that made for an appropriate back drop to the event.
The main hall opened up into a large area with lots of windows and exposed wood ceilings. The perfect location for a wedding. The cover band was fantastic. They spit out all the classic R&B hits. Later a DJ kept the momentum going while the band took a break. The food was served buffet style ranging from sandwiches to ribs and chicken. I wasn’t a big fan of the creamy stuff, deviled eggs and some mixture spread inside celery sticks. All in all everything was cool and there was plenty of food and drink to last throughout the whole night. We need to give a shout out to one of the vendors serving honey bourbon shots. I’m less of a drinker than my husband but we were both impressed with the taste.
After returning from a great night out we rounded out our evening with a quick visit to the 4th Street Live. It was about a four block walk from our hotel. It is definitely the nighttime center of the city. We took in a quick drink at the infamous Hard Rock Hotel. I had a spiked shake with bacon. Don’t trip until you try it. It’s delicious!!
The next morning, we took our time checking out. Special shout out to the Holiday Inn Day staff Roy and Dimetria (hope I got that right). They were just as helpful as the night crew. Assisting with directions to the waterfront and letting us know about the events for today that we could use our Pegasus pin for.
The waterfront was hosting the festival.
I did a periscope video showing the food and rides available. We were still a little fatigue from the night before so we just walked around the beautiful waterfront activities. The festival utilizes a ticket system for food and drinks. There were different tickets for the rides. We dug right in trying out the funnel cake, old fashion soda and cheesesteak sandwich. They had corndogs a footlong! A new thing to me.
Check out my periscope page at JustAskKiky
Louisville is a great quick getaway. They host a lot of social events and concerts. The city is beautiful and clean. If you’re interested in making this the next location you visit, contact me to book it today!
Nickiya Brown
Just Ask Kiky Owner, Author, Travel Consultant
A Colesville Travel Agent
P.O. Box 681316
Indianapolis, IN 46268
(317)824-9075
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